The Topeka state journal., 1902-11-11
NO Good FLOUR.
Kansas Wheat This Year Is of
Poor Quality.
Wet Weather After Harvest Is
the Cause.
NOT ALONE IN KANSAS.
Northwestern Grain Is Open tG
Same Objection.
Will Result in Better Prices
for Milling Wheat.

MillerS and elevator men say that
there is a comparatively small amount
of good milling wheat in Kansas this
year. 1t is caused largely by the bad
weather Immediately following the har-
vest. The grain became soaked and soft
and much of it was rendered unit for
milling purposes. AS a consequence the
wheat requires a great deal of mixing
and grading, and some of the big millefS
are thinking of sending to the north
for wheat to help out, very unusual
occurrence. AS rule northern ni!lers
send to Kansas for wheat to bring up
their grades.
There is still considerable 1901 wheat
| in some localities. and this is tAe best
kind of milling wheat, and is command
ing a high premium Last year the
wheat was OF an unusually high grade
and this combined with its age where it
| has been we'll kept makes it specially
desirable.
1T is a fact that a considerable
amount of this years crop is not first
class milling wheat" said A. P. Collins.
VINO is connected with the Farmers Ell
evator company at Solomon. The crop
this year is a great deal harder 10
handle than that last year, because it
requires so much more cleaning and
grading, and consequently takes a great
deal of bin room. There is great deal
of old wheat with us, however, which
is first-class. The farmers sold their
crop this year without trying to bin it.
because it wasn't the kind of wheat
that would keep we'll Consequently they
did not need the room where their last
| years wheat was stored. and hey are
still hanging on to it.
The shortage in milling wheat will
make better prices for that which is
good. We have handled twenty-one cars
/ of wheat in the past two weeks, and are
doing more business than the other
\ three elevators at Solomon combined,
=
/ into such shape that nearly all of it
has gone direct to mills. We will not
buy the poorer grades of wheat from
non-members of our association. From
members we take anything they wish
to sell, because the elevator is theirs and
they have right to have it used TO get
all they can out of their grain. but we
do not care to handle poor wheat for
nom members. We have been running
to the full capacity of our elevator ana
we are willing to let the syndicate ele-
vators have the poor wheat. If we have
a good crop next year we will have to
greatly increase our capacity
The milling and grain trade iourna Is
say that the shortage in good milling
wheat is not confined to Kansas but ex-
tends over a greater part of the south
into southern Minnesota. The Mime
apolis Tribune publishes the following
editorial on the subject:
, ''The Commercial West, in it's last issue
Kansas will this year require a consider
able quantity of northwestern wheat
Usually the movement is the other way
Very frequently the northwestern miller.
draw upon southwestern supplies, especial
ly when they can procure a good uualit,
of hard winter of spring wheat fro1
Nebraska. But this year the rains which
caught the Kansas wheat in the shocl
caused sprouting, and thus a considerable
quantity of it is soft and rotten and unfi
I
the Kansas millers will need considerab bli
of the better quality of northwestern
wheat for mixing with their own in orde
to fetch their flour up to a merchantabl,
grade. The same situation prevails to
; greater or less extent in other parts o
the southwest and even in southern Min
: nesota and Iowa.
THE extent of the damage to the south
western wheat and of the demand from
, that quarter upon the northwest is as We
uncertain. Some of the Minneapoli mil
, lers have advices to the effect that onl,
ten per cent of the remainder of the Kan
, sas crop is fit for milling This is one o
. the facts of the situation that is keepin,
. the price of good milling wheat-for easl
! delivery-above the price of the deferre,
= options. Shrewd miliers are alive to tn
: fact that they are likely to need all o
} the contract grades of wheat that the.
/ can get-hence it Is likely that they vii
, insist upon delivery upon all option con
: tracts when such contracts mature. Las
( week, according to the summary of tn
Commercial West. there were less thai
100000 bushels of Nos. l and northern
in Minneapolis regular elevators and tn
; inspection was showing a decreasing per
i centage of the contract grades in the nev
: arrivals. Should the southwestern miller
Z conclude that they want northwester
I wheat enough to bid up for it. much in
2 convenience might result to those VIII
2 have not provided adequately for thei
t wants.
(