Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1892-03-17
Flour Mills.

sunday news lasC sunday, SCaIeS
that Mr.. J. H: Johnson, of Blakely,
Minnesota, who is described as
being all ardent advocate of
Farmers Alliance doctrines, has
published letter to the farmers
urging them to organize Farmers
Alliancemilling associations,which
has excited great deal Of interest
and comment in his neghborhood.
Mr.. Johnson, who is himself
the owner of a fifty barrel -four
mill, maintains, as reported, that
the farmers of the Dakotas and
Minnesota alone, "have lost
$2s,OoO,000 on wheat sold up to
DecemberS, 1891, of this years
crops,' and proceeds to slow the
farmers "their folly in not building
their. own mills and. thereby
securing 81 a bushel for their wheat
with ton of feed per hundred
bushels, together with some minor
advantages. Any community that
can produce $4,000 bushels of
wheat" he says, Scan thereby keep
a fifty-barrel mill running for a
year, and such a mill can be
built for $1,000"
This is the testimony of a
practical miller, whose experience
has been acquired in the heart
of the chief wheat raising and
II ,ur making district of the
country, and there appears to be
matter in it which is worthy of
the consideration of some of the
farmers in South Carolina. The
main points are as follows:
ANY community, district or
county," says Mr.. Johnson, that
can produce $4,000 bushels of
wheat can keep fifty barrel mill
running. "South Carolina produced
$4,000 bushels of wheat last
year, as that number is reported
by the United States agricultural
department--and probably pro-
du@d over million bushels. if all
were reported.
On this basis the State, or the
upper counties, where most of the
wheat is raised, would support a
dozen fifty-barrel flour mills,
which would be a notable addition
to the industrial equipment of
those counties and of the State.
No particular attention was paid
| to wheat raising i'll this State last
year, we believe. 1t is probable,
then, that the 100000 bushel crop
of last year could easily be doubled
and If SO then the wheat growing
section could easily support twenty
or more fifty-barrel mills. There
is not county in the section prob
ably that could not readily grow
100000 or 100000 bushels, at
least, and this would give pros.
porous mills to each county.
The cost of constructing mill
of the indicated capacity, as stated
by an expert, is $1,000. This is
much less than the cost of a cotton
factory nor is there a community in
the up country that cannot afford
to build such a mill, and that
would not be glad to build one,
with or without pecuniary aid
from the farmers. The presence
of a mill in any county would be
an-induoemont and help to- the
wheat farmers to raise more wheat;
more farmers would go into the
business; and q diversifcation of
crops would be effected in that
region. The "minor advantages"
to the farmers of having for use or
sale all the by-products of their
wheat bran, seconds and shorts
we take it are too fully understood
to require more than mere mention
The mills need not be confined
to flour making. 1t was stated a
few days ago by business man of
Charleston that 10000 barrels of
"grits," are imported into the State
from the West every year-our
people paying thousands Of dollars
ANNUALLY for this one article which
could as we'll be produced at home,
and gettinga product that is
cnferior in every quality except
whiteness to the homemade
article. AS much may be said of
corn. meal. which is imported at a
cost of many thousands more
the aggregate for corn and corn
products alone running up into
the millions annually. The local
-four mills could supplement their
wheat products with corn products
equally to their own advantage and
that of the farmers, who would
thus have q new and valuable
outlet for their corn crops.
Any community that can pro-
duce $4,000 bushels Of wheat, says
Mr.. Johnson, can keep fifty barrel
-four mill running for year and
the mill can be built for $1,000.
Any agricultural or other commu-
nifty in South Carolina, therefore,
that thinks such a mill and it's
attendant advantage worth the
having would do well to look into
the subject, consult Mr.. johnson,
and take steps to have mill built
>by the time the next wheat crop
'matures.-News and Courier.