The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1884-07-04

Tor the same price, make better profit, and at
the same time make better bread.
Mr. T. j. Foster, of La Porte, Indiana, who
is, or has recently been county treasurer, a
shrewd business man, and who has in connec-
ton with large business conducted bakery
for the past sixteen years, told me that he
could make more money in baking Minneapo-
lis hard wheat flour at $500 per hundred than
he could hy baking the best Michigan winter
wheat flour at 1926 per hundred and sell his
bread at the same price per pound. The supe-
riority Of hard wheat -four over any other be-
gan to he understood prior to 1876 In 'Spec-
ial report No. 49," Department of Agriculture,
in 1882, on spring wheat culture in the north
west, occurs this language: 1.-THE merit Of
patent flour made from the hard spring wheat
OF the northwest had become fully established
and recognized in commercial circles some-
time before 1876 In the Centennial Exhibi-
ton OF that year it received the highest
testimonials after the most impartial aud skill
full tests" The judges Of "animal and vege-
table products and the machinery for their
production" at that exhibition, appointed from
various countries in their report, as drawn by
Mr.. Walter S. Green, Of Milford, Wisconsin.
says: "The finest fours made in the United
States are now made from spring wheat.
These fine grades are known IS 'patents,' and
are made from the middlings of hard sprng
wheat The flour made from purified
mlddlings of hard wheat was very fine, and
the state Of Minnesota had large exhibit.
This flour is both white and strong, possessing
a large quantity of gluten. AS breadmaking
flour we consider 1t par excellence making the
largest number Of pounds of fine bread from
fixed number Of pounds of flour, retaining its
moisture long time, and being very sweet and
wholesome"
Now it seems pretty clear, that when the
masses OF the people come to understand (what
is an undoubted fact), that they can afford to
pay much higher price for the flour Of this
hard wheat, because it will make great deal
more and better bread, much richer in the ee-
ments OF nutrition and will 60 further in q
family, they will of course buy it IN preference
to any other. When these facts come to be
understood by the consumers Of flour, no part
Of the country can compete with this in raising
wheat; in fact there is none that can compete
now, but then Of course there will be a much
greater demand and relatively higher prices
for this wheat. 1t has been suggested that we
may get failure Of crops, and that after
time the soil may be exhausted for wheat pro-
duction.
Both suppose possible. A failure of crop
may cometo any country, but wheat has been
grown in this valley to some extent for fifteen
| foil T
morning with Mr.. F. Enger, Of Newburgh,
Steele county, ID. t., twenty-five miles north
Of Hope, who informed me that he had grown
wheat every year since 1872 at Newburgh, and
his last years crop, which was 20 bushels per
acre was the lightest lie has raised, and that
his crops have run from that up to 40 bushels
per acre. MI. Enger's nativity is Norway, and
he is an influential and leading man among
the industrious and thrifty Morse population
OF his neighborhood, and is apparently truth
full and candid. His testimony is substantially
that of several old settlers with whom have
converssd, who have been in the country from
10 to 15 years.
AS to the soil running out" don't think
1t possible In long series Of years with ju-
dicious cultivation and change of crops now
and then.
1t is claimed that there are instances where
near the mouth of the Red river, the same
lands have been continually cropped in wheat
every year from 80 to 10 years by members Of
the Selkirk Settlement and Hudson Bay Com
pany without change Of crop or application of
any fertilizer, and which are producing now
as good crops as new land.
Last year wheat went from to rs bushels
per acre; the difference being chargeable al
most entirely to difference in farming-the
land being new and the sod in many instances
being imperfectly subdued-the farmers most
ly just commencing, being poor and lacking
the necessary appliances for the thorough re-
duction of the sod.
Although last years crop was the poorest
in the history Of the valley, where the farmer
sowed good seed on well prepared land and
put it in WE'LL he never failed to get crop OF
from Is to rs bushels per acre.
1t will cost, under good management. ST per
acre to grow and market a crop of 20 bushels
per acre il tho haul to the railroad is not more
than six miles,
In this estimate include interest at ten per
cent. on the value Of stock and machinery, and
ten per cent. for depreciation from use, but
do not include interest on money paid for the
land and for breaking. Calling this perma-
nent investment, let the sure appreciation in
tho price Of the land offsett the interest
This would leave net profit of 50 per acre
with wheat at so cents per bushe, which has
been about the average for the last crop-the
lowest ever before realized in this valley. This
would he ten per cent. on your Investment If
your land cost you 500 per acre. With good
farming 80 bushels will often be realized, and
when this is the case allowing $40 per acre for
production and marketing, and allowing 81
per bushel for your wheat-which is fair
average price taking the years together-and
you get the net return Of $40 per acre, which
is ten per cent on land worth $500 per acre.
The impression has gone abroad to some ex-
tent that this country is capable of producing
nothing but wheat.
While its adaptation to the growth Of this
great cereal is Its leading feature, it grows
very fine crops Of oats, rye and barley; pota-
toes and all other root crops-except possibly,
sweet potatoes, which do not know about.
Garden vegetables, such as are grown in
Iowa-except tomatoes-grow very finely here.
have never seen any good, well ripened to-
matoes grown here. am inclined to the