The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1884-02-06
IMPORTANT TO FARMERS.
An Interesting Letter In Regard to the
Rest Kind of Wheat for Montana.

Mr.. r. c.. Power gives US for publlca-
+ion the subioined letter, written by a
reliable party, who has made the sub
iect a study, in reference to Montana
wheat and the variety that should be
crown here. 1t is of special interest to
the farmer:
HELENA, January Is, 1884.
r g. PoUer, Esq, Helena, u. T.:
DEAR SIR:-In connection with our
conversation a few days ago regarding
exneriments made with Minnesota n
Montana flour. [ regret to say thai the
exact data of those experiments cannot
he found. but it may be stated in brief
that those experiments demonstrated
that the Minnesota flour contained at
least a third more gluten than the Mon
tsna -four. Some time ago the st. Paul
pioneer Press contained an account of
pxperiments made in Minneapolis with
Aonr made from Oregon and Washing
ton territory wheat, and the reported
result was that one bushel Of No. l
Hard Scotch Fife, such as is raised in
northern Minnesota, northern Dakota
and Manitoba, was about equal to two
bushels of the Oregon and Washington
wheat. / think it was two years ago
the Minneapolis millers ran short Of
W heat in their own territory, and they
had shipped from San Francisco several
hundred car loads of California wheat,
hut they found it SO deficient in gluten
that they ceased to consider California
a possible future supply market. The
same season they purchased in Kansas
CITY, Mo, over 100000 bushels OF
wheat, which was used y it'll fair success
as a mixture with their own Hard"
wheat in making flour. Mention OF
California, Oregon and Washington ter
ritory wheats is made to console you
that Montana spring wheat is not alone
inferior to the Hard Scotch Fife, for the
latter is not only superior to all other
spring wheats, but is confessedly the
best flour producing wheat in the world,
winter varieties of every section includ-
ed. Inside of the barrels OF "Wash-
burns Superlative Flour there is, or
used to be, a printed statement some
thing to the effect that that barrel OF
-four would make forty pounds more
from the best winter wheat. Bakers in
Helena have long recognized the supe-
riority of Minnesota -four and have used
it~liberally as q mixture with their Mon
tana brands in making bread, although
it cost them at times about $40 per 100
pounds.
All the Montana wheat which has
come under my notice is what is known
in the market as soft wheat (starchy),
but on account of the large size Of the
kernels OF this wheat, their plumpness
and light color, it would please the eye
of the novice much better than the
Hard Scotch Fife, which has a smaller
berry and a very dark colored bean.
Nothing but practical experiment will
demonstrate whether that Hard wheat
will grow in Montana and maintain it's
quality. [ hear that it is selling for
about SOC. per bushel in the Fargo mark
ct at present. Freight from there to
Helena by the car load is about 81 per
100 pounds. For the first year farmers
ought not to sow to exceed five acres
each of this wheat, but it should be
sown in their best land and given every
care. 1t is reported that the Canadian
Pacific railroad company in Manitoba
transports free of charge all of this kind
of wheat needed for seed by new settlers
along their road. The Northern Pacific
railroad company would undoubtedly
encourage its growth, too, by giving
cheap rates for the transportation of
seed.
In conclusion it may be well to state
that the new process Of milling is abso-
lutely necessary for the successful re-
duction of this hard wheat to flour, ow-
ing to its hardness and its dark-colored