Today in History: March 18, 1911 – North Dakota farmers facing seed shortage – Obituary

One of the top stories in the March 18, 1911 edition of the Grand Forks Daily Herald was on the seed shortage impacting farmers throughout North Dakota. The story relayed that Grand Forks County farmers were fairly well supplied with wheat and flax seed—Foster and Ramsey County were also in fair shape—Counties where new railroad lines were opening up were not, however. Read more on the seed shortage below.

Banks, Elevators and Railroads Are Co-Operating to Get Supply.

Many Farmers Wish to Sow Flax but the Prices Are Too High.

[Herald Special Service.]

Minneapolis, March 17—The problem of finding sufficient seed grain for spring planting has reached such serious proportions in parts of the northwest, that railroads, banks, elevator companies, and country merchants are co-operating, and counties have issued seed warrants in some instances. W. H. Stutsman, president of the North Dakota railroad commission, Theodore Feeland, Morton county commission, and C. L. Timmerman, president of the First National Bank, Mandan, are in Minneapolis to see if they can get a supply from the elevator companies.

Flax seed is scarcest, and many disappointed farmers who want to sow flax this year because the price is the highest on record and likely to remain high due to the scarcity, are facing the problem of securing seed. North Dakota farmers who have written to Minneapolis for flax seed have in some instances demurred at the price asked, which ranges around $2.90. However, in western Canada, where the Canadian Pacific’s commissioner of immigration has undertaken to supply the farmers, prices asked range from $2.50 to $3.25. With flax bringing $2.66 a bushel commercially for carloads in Minneapolis, the prices for seed flax are reasonable, dealers say.

Seed for all purposes is reported short in most of the counties of North Dakota, and this includes wheat and flax seed. But in other portions, there is a scarcity. In Morton County and in the territory opened by the Mott line of the Northern Pacific and the McLaughlin-New England line of the Milwaukee, there are many new settlers in need of flax seed.

This is the part of North Dakota that will have much new breaking land and may be expected to produce a big flax crop, to the profit of the farmers and the prosperity of the communities—if seed can be procured. In consequence, the First National Bank of Mandan, with eight branches in western North Dakota, is assisting farmers as much as possible, and other banks in Mandan and Bismarck are helping. However, farmers who have seed objected to the proposition that Morton County be bonded, and the county has rejected the bonding plan.

McLean, Sheridan, Ward, Renville, Wells, and Towner counties have bonded themselves to buy seed for the farmers or have endorsed the plan of issuing seed warrants. Linseed oil crushers and large firms in Minneapolis and Duluth have arranged for a supply of 500,000 bushels of flax seed. The supply is available, and the price of seed flax is low, but the problem is one of getting it to the farmers who need it. Banks are playing a significant role in this.

In LaMoure County, farmers are filing applications with the county commissioners, and Paul Adams, cashier of the First National Bank of LaMoure, reports that banks are distributing seed to those who need it. There is a scarcity of flax seed in LaMoure County, and commercial supplies will probably be shipped in.

Grand Forks County farmers, as a rule, have enough wheat and flax seed. C.C. Gowran, president of the First National Bank of Grand Forks, reports that the banks are handling the requirements without necessitating the use of seed warrants, but arrangements were made to take care of those cases where deserving farmers were without seed.

The First National Bank of Dickinson reports a favorable situation in Stark County, with most farmers having seed left over from last year.

H. M. Erickson of Carrington says Foster County is not likely to issue bonds, as last year’s crops were good enough for a seed supply. Ransom County is also in good condition, according to R. B. Adams, president of the First National Bank of Lisbon, and no bonds will be issued.

In Ward County, $30,000 worth of bonds have been sold, and that amount may be increased to $50,000. Fifty thousand dollars is ready or will soon be available in McLean County. Towner County will furnish farmers with about $25,000 worth of seed and feed for livestock, and every farmer in that county who gets busy and makes his situation known can get a supply.

No bonds will be issued in Bottineau County to buy seed for farmers. However, Stutsman County presents the most urgent need for attention in North Dakota, and H. F. Graves says that, to this time, the county has not taken enough action.

Finely ground bone and old and well-decomposed cow manure are the best fertilizers for all kinds of flowering and ornamental plants. Never use fresh manure.

In potting plants, always use some sand with the soil to lighten the soil.

Who killed her first alligator on the Bayou Teche, near New Iberia, La.

Front page of the March 18, 1911 edition of the Obituary.
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Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.