The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1884-02-27

Would it not be good idea for some
of our farmers to SOW the same kind of
wheat as that sown in Minnesota and
Dacota. We copy from the Rocky Noun
tain Husbandman, some remarks on this
point, which we commend to the consid-
Grafton of our farmers: Recently anex-
change contained letter from well
posted mill man, in wHGh it was stated
that our Montana grown wheat is too
soft and does not contain enough gluten,
giving this as the principal cause why we
have not as good -four as the best Min
nesota brands. We are aware that most
of our farmers have been raising soft
wheat, and We will agree that it will not
make as much of the best quality Of flour
as the hard wheat, yet we are not willing
to sanction this as the cause Of there
being SO much poor -four made in this
country. In our opinion the chief cause
of the inferiority of our -four is the want
of good mills and millers. With the
common old-style machinery in use in
most of our mills, the soft wheat is pre-
ferable. 1t is easier ground and yields
more flour to the bushel This is the
reason it is being generally raised. Our
millers prefer it and discourage the grow
ing of harder kinds We remember a
few years ago that small field of the
fife wheat was grown in Gallatin coanty
and tried by miller, who stated that he
could make better grade of flour from
it, but lie preferred to grind the White
Taous, for the reason that he could get
from it a larger yield. If our millers
would take out their old machinery and
substitute in its place new machinery of
the latest and most improved patterns,
and then secure the very best millers to
be had, there would be no trouble about
the inferiority of our flour. Our farmers
would soon adopt the variety of grain
best suited to the mills. The hard wheat
natures as early and with as much GER
tainty in this climate as in any other,
and there is no perceptible difference in
the amount of the yield to the acre. We
do not offer the crop of last year in proof
of this, for as rule the wheat crop of
1888 was below the general average.
This partial failure of standard crop
furnishes the base for excuses as to the
quality Of some Of the -four in our
markets, yet it is not the chief cause.
More than half Of the mills are owned
by men who have but little experience
in milling, and We venture that the num-
Der of first-class millers in Montana to-
day does not exceed half dozen. When
there was no competition of -four from
the east things went well enough, and |
our Montana-made mlllers and mill men
did well, made money; but now that we
have railroads, bringing -four from the |
best mills in America into our markets,
our mill men find themselves in the most |
sphere of business of all
others in our midst. The farmers of
Montana readily see wherein the trouble
lies, and we would not be surprised if it
resulted in a considerable decrease in the
Of the wheat crop produced this
year. Until the defects herein pointed
out are remedied Montana cannot COM
pete with Minnesota in tic r anu1acture
of the highest grade of flour. 1t is ex-
perienced mill men, first-class milling
and thoroughly practical and
millers that Montana needs
more than hard wheat.