The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-17
THERE is NONE BETTER
Montana's Hard Wheat Is of
Fine Quality.
1T MAKES THE BEST FLOUR
Experience Has Shown That the Grain
Grown in Montana's Valleys Is Un-
surpassed for Milling Purposes.
A Big Field for Millers.

1t was in 1912 that the first farming
was done in Western Montana. The
crop that was harvested that year by
the priests at St. Mary's mission in
cluded wheat, oats and potatoes. The
yield was large and was forecast of
the remarkable success that has since
attended the efforts of farmers in this
region. The wheat was of the soft va
riety, the seed having been brought
from what is now the state of Wash
ington, and it was this class of wheat
that was grown in the valleys of West
ern Montana for many years. Ihe
farmers chung to the idea that this
class of wheat was the only one that
would grow here successfully, basing
their opinion upon the results of ex-
periments that had been tried in WASH
ington. 1t had been found there that
the hard wheat, SO much desired by
milling men, could not be successfully
cultivated in the valleys of the state
of Washington and the Montana farm
ers assumed that the same fact was
true of the valleys Of this state without
having tested the matter for them
selves. The yield of soft wheat from
the fields of Western Montana was
phenomenally large and, for it's kind,
the wheat was high grade. but when
the manufacture of flour was begun in
this section it was found that the prod
uct of the soft wheat was not high
grade and that it was desirable that
hard wheat should be grown here If
the -four of Montana was to success
fully compete with that of eastern
mills.
T re tl,r, IN, 11o1.
mills at once began to urge the farm
ers to SOW hard wheat. The latter,
however, were conservative and did not
take kindly to the suggestion. They
did not want to run the risk of losing
q crop, as they would If the hard
wheat was a failure. So the growing
of soft wheat continued. Some of tho
farmers were not willing to even
change their seed from year to year,
and the result was that the quality
of their grain deterioriated. The out
look for the flour industry was not
bright and wheat had to be shipped
in from other states to keep the mills
running. Mr.. Peplow continued his ef-
forts to raise the standard Of quality
of Montana wheat and was finally par
TALLY successful. A few years ago the
first real trial of hard wheat as
Western Montana crop was made. me
result of that experiment was encour-
aging and there has been since then
a complete change in the character OF
the wheat that is grown here.
To the valley of Plains belongs the
credit of first producing hard wheat
in marketable quantities. The farmers
of Grass valley and Frenchtown We're
close behind, and three years ago the
hard wheat crop reached proportions
that insured the successful operation
of the local mills on hard wheat. Since
then the Bitter Root farmers nave TAI
len into line and are growing hard
wheat of as fine a quality as is found
anywhere. Now that they have given
the crop a thorough test. these farmers
are satisfied with the results. The yield
is not as large per acre as it was of the
old soft wheat, but the price is better
and the demand much greater.
Expert millers who have had expert
ence with the wheat of all the great
producing districts of the West say that
there is no better wheat grown than
that which is produced by the farmers
in the western Montana valleys. The
Flathead, Plains, Frenchtown, Bitter
Root and Grass valleys are now all big
producers of this fine, hard wheat. The
Montana mills are no longer compelled
to ship wheat from other states and
their flour is as good as any made in
the world
Upon first thought this does not seem
to be an important matter. 1t Is, now
ever. for it means that thousands of
dollars that not SC very long ago were
sent out of the state are kept in circu-
lation here at home. The home con-
sumner buys his flour from the home
mill. The mill purchases its wheat
from the local farmer and the money
that he receives goes to the merchants
here at home, from whom he purchases
his supplies for the farm. From small
beginning the flour industry has made
great strides and is becoming an i'm
portant factor in the commercial cir
Giles of the state.
Montana flour is now shipped to the
coast. 1t is a fact that is not gen
orally known that the Washington
farms do not produce hard wheat and
the mills of that state all make their
flour from the soft varieties that are
grown theree, with the exception OF
what wheat they import from other
states The Flathead valley is said to
be the western limit of the hard wheat
belt. and this makes it possible for the
Montana mills to ship hard wheat to
the coast cities, where hard wheat
flour is in demand A man who has
looked over the entire western field
said the other day to Standard man:
.'In all the West | do not know of any
place that offers the advantages for the
milling business that are presented in
the western part of Montana, especially
in the Flathead valley, which IS es
sentially a wheat growing district.
Their proximity to good markets and
the assured steady supply of good
wheat in large quantities means that in
time the milling men of that region Will
furnish a very large portion of the flour
that is used west of here.