River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-12-26
HOUSE, FARM. GARDEN
binding with W,


made by millers in the great milling
states of the West to uke every means IN
their power TO have the use of wire done
away with n the binding of grain. The
| feeling against this means of binding has
been growing one, and to our mind, the
evil, undoubtedly very serious one to
millers, has been aggravated bv the want
of care among many threshers and farmers
J in working threshing machies
The Prairie Farmer long ago called
attention to the disabilities that must re
suit to the grain and also the straw, when
tha wire was allowed to be passed
through the threesher with the sheayes,
and advised that the greatest care be used
in clearing the wire bands from the
sheaves before feeding 10 the machines.
1t is claimed, that not only does ii
mingle with the straw, and so, eaten by
the stock causes serious trouble, but it
enters the bran after being further ground
by the stones, and is highly dangerous
when fed to stock. This is however an
ca parte claim. That wire in the wheat
is a serious detriment to milling, so far
as the stones and the sitting bolts are
concerned, there is no doubt, yet we
think that o careful examination wilt
show that the wire is more apt to be rolled
or twisted up in passing between the
stones and cast out than it is to be ground
fine. We think the action of the Mime
sofa millers in their resolution that the
price of wheat be degraded 10 cents per
bushel under corresponding grade in pur
chase Of any wheat containing wire, TO be
obnoxious in the extreme.
The damage II the grain for miliers'
use could never, under any ordinary
event, amount to anything like the price
stated, and a fair inference is that the
Minnesota millers have prescribed this
acute remedy with view to driving wire
binding machinery out of use. This they
never will do until the Irvine or other
binders NAV be made 70 work success
fully. 1t may indeed act badly for the
millers of the State, by causing the best
grades of wheat to be carried out of the
State. for milling, for it is an undisputed
fact that miiiers are by no means unani-
nous in their ideas as to wire-bound
grain being fatal objection. II is sim
Div bosh this talk about the wire binding
being destructive and death-dealing. 1t
is ali very well for the millers' assocla-
ton of any State to recommend the dis
continuance of wire binders. That it is
detrimental to the milling interest there
is no doubt. 1t should be no more
difficult for milling engineers to invent
the means for taking the small amount
of wire out of wheat left in the process
of ordinary cleaning than for inventors
to perfect the means OF automatic bind
ing by wire.
At the late session of the Illinois Mill
ers' association, the subject of wire-bind-
ers was brought up. The secretary stated
that he had been requested by 1.-THE Mill
ers' association of Minnesota TO bring the
question of wire binders to the notice of
the association; that vast damage result
ed to mill machinery from grinding
wheat which had been bound with wire.
In response to this request he presented
the following resolution:
Resclved, That we consider the use Of wire
binders as injurious to our mill machinery,
and that we strongly reccommded diseon-.
tinuance of the wire binders in favor OF cord
or other binders that will work no injury to
our machinery.
The discussion which followed did not
seem to show that any especial amount
of terror was exhibited by Illinois millers
over the wire question. The subject was
discussed in somewhat earnest manner.
Several members showed pieces of wire
taken from different machines, and said
they had found pieces of wire in the
wheat in the bins, in the chaif, aid in the
flour and bread, but they didn't seem in
clined to say they would degrade wire
bound wheat 10 cents per bushel. In
conversation with gentleman largely in
terested in wheat raising near st. Louis,
he said that the millers about there made
no difference in the price of wheat on ac-
count of its having been bound with wire.
The Wisconsin Millers' association,
which lately convened at Milwaukee,
seem not 10 have been badly scared over
the wire question. They passed resolu-
ton in relation to Fyfe wheat which may
be of interest TO the farmers of that state,
requesting all millers to furnish farmers
with Fyfe wheat for seed, that the guam
tity of hard wheat raised may be increased.
The gist off the whole matter lies In a
nutshell. Where labor is as scarce dur
ing the harvest as it is in Minnesota and
other western states, the farmers will
bind with wire until some other economi-
cal means is given them. No one State
controls the price of wheat in the
markets of the country or OF the world.
If the great wheat fields of the West
should be obliged to go back to the ole
system of binding by hand, the crop
would rot in the fields and the West
would lose her supremacy as the wheat
granary of the world. There are num-
Der of feasible plans which might be sug-
gested for Kidding the wheat of wire.
One is water and subsequent drying.
This would seem, cosidering the rela
tive price of wheat and high grades OF
-four. as still possible to leave fair mar
gin of profit to the miller. Certain mills
have for many years not ground wheat
until washed. We advise the mlilers,
rather than make the onerous dis
elimination of the Minnesota m1llers,
in regard to wire bound wheat, to
use their inventive faculties in discover
ing some means to free the wheat from
the wire, if it will be cheaper than wear
ing their stones and polting cloths. 1t
will hardly do to start scare to the effect
that wire bound wheat is injurious to
health of the individual using the flour.
Particles of iron small enough to pass
through the bolts will not injure the
stomach. There could in no case be
more than an infnitesimal quantity. In
fact, it might act as good tonic.
In the meantime we would earnestly
advise every wheat-grower, as we have
heretofore done, not to allow the wire to
pass through the thresher. 1t is not
difficult. The best cutters in use will
hold and draw out the bands. All that
is needed is care and attention to the
hands employed, by whoever is superin-
tending the threshing.