The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-08-04
WHEAT's INTRINSIC VALUE.
Farmer Who Says CIausen Had
Nothing to Do With Making 1t.

To the Editor of the Globe:
One gets the suggestion from the state
ments made by Mr.. Clausen and friends
that the great staple crop of Minnesota
is now on the road to ruin just because
a change has been made in the grain in
Spection department. and that, during his
fifteen years occupancy of that office, he
has in some way given an intrinsic value
to a bushel of wheat it never had before
certainly a commercial value, which is
the real question at issue.
I shall not, in discussing this question:
criticise Mr.. Clausen, as [ believe the
state legislative investigation has opened
wide the door for it and laid just ground
for the governors action, nor enter upon
a defense Of Mr.. Reishus, whom, by in
nuendo at least, he deems inferior to him
self for chief grain inspector If Mr..
Clausen has added commercial value to
wheat, Mr.. Reishus must sustain that
value or prove a failure, and as all his
acts are to come it will be time enough
to point out some mistakes of ReishuS'
when he makes them.
Wherein has Mr. Clausen added to the
value of the Minnesota wheat crop? That
our wheat has an intrinsic value in and
of and peculiar to itself is undfsputed by
any one, but it is equally undisputable
that this value must come from our soil,
climate and modes of culture Our soil
and climate Mr.. Clausen, with all his
pretensions, will not claim to have con-
troll of to any great extent, and 1 have
yet to learn that he has raised wheat
anywhere extensively except in the ele-
Vators.
Wheat in the past has been so modified
by the hand of man that botanists are now
in doubt as to the wild parent plant from
which it originated. 1t was a staple food
in Asia, Africa and Europe when history
dawned, and always received special IA
vors from the powers that were 1t took
ship with Columbus, and with him dis
covered America, on which to spread it.
self, and wandered up into Minnesota
more than 200 years ago, but the crop of
1859 was the first that found its way into
commercial channels, and was then
known as Milwaukee wheat" The lead
ing varieties produced that year were
Scotch Fife, Canada club, Rio Grande
etc.
In 1860 the state took place as the lead
Ing wheat state in the Union as to the
quantity produced per acre, and among
the first in its total, most of which was
marketed through Milwaukee, and so raised
the quality Of the wheat handled there as
to raise the price of wheat in the Eastern
markets from to cents per bushel over
similar grades from Chicago.
At the same time Minnesota began IN
manufacture and export flour, each mill
usually branding its own make with the
locality of it's manufacture. This entry
OF new flour in Eastern markets was
first made in the bakeries of Eastern CIT
les, which soon discovered the peculiar in
tr1nsic value of Minnesota wheat They
found out that from twenty to twentv-
five pounds more of bread could be made
from barrel Of Minnesota wheat than
from almost any other in the market. and
this fact gave it demand, and gave our
wheat its commercial value, even before
the new roller system of making flour
came into use, and as early as 1870 our
wheat and flour stood exceptionally high
in Eastern markets-before we ever had
grain inspection department-and so
great was the demand and so exception
ally high the price of our wheat after
the panic of 1S73-all before wheat in
spectlon-that Minnesota went through
those terrible times with less financial
strain than any other state.
The grain inspection department costs
the farmers in round numbers $500 900 Der
year. which is equivalent to a 5000, 900
bond investment to maintain OF this
vast sum Mr.. Clausen and staff have
been the sole consumers. Let him show
wherein he has been able to render q
''quid" for this quo" which I am ready
to maintain he cannot do
"A. E. Ball
White Bear, Aug. g.