The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-24
MACARONI WHEAT ALL RIGHT
Professor J. II. Shepherd, North Dakota
Experiment Station. Thinks 1t
Most Valuable Grain.


To the Editor of The Journal
I have noted with interest the articles
which have appeared in h o u n a
concerning macaroni wheat, and especially
the discussion by H. V. Jones'
Mr.. Jones' idea that the relationship Of
macaroni wheat to common wheat does
not prove that it should be classed with,
other spring wheat any more than the
Kaf1r corn Of the southwest should be
classed as Indian corn is a self evident
truth; but the fact that mills can and
are making flour from macaroni wheat,
and that the flour is just as nutritious
and almost, If not quite, as satisfactory as
patent flour, indicates that it is a factor
which should be considered in a wheat
estimate. 81 . -. -.,.--.
| Flour Is the most common wheat prod
uct. and 1t would seem that there is a.
strong probability Of macaronf -four hav-
ing prominent place on the market.
| The Kaffr corn of the southwest will
produce nearly as. much gain per bushel
on a pig or a steer as Indian corn will do,
and as Indian corn is largely marketed
in the form of these animal products, the
kaffir corn crop must be and is considered
in estimating the effect Of season s
! crop. H., :. ~
| From Mr.. Jones' standpoint of CLASH
! fcation alone, he is exactly right, but
from the standpoint of the crop product,
macaroni wheat should be considered.
Price Proves Little.
The present price for macaroni wheat
| "a new grain on the markeD seems to
me proves little, for unless I am misin-
formed, the now highly priced hard wheat
Of the northwest once sadly perplexed the
miller, and I presume sold at a discount
! simply because the millerS had not learned
how to handle it. Is not the price on the
! market really like evidence from witnesses
who are interested in the case? If this
product can be made into flour which will
meet the market requirement, the mat
ter of 20 cents per bushel makes it more
profitable to handle, and the miller who
has learned how may be the loser by dis
terminating the information too freely.
Loaves of bread made by the Vienna
bakery of aFrgo from patent hard wheat
flour, straight nacaroni flour, and blend
of threefourths macaroni flour and one
fourth patent flour were shown to score
or more of prominent, Intelligent grain
dealers, and other business men who had
in mind that macaroni bread should be
''off' in color, flavor, and possibly in
other points,, and the majority of them
selected the loaf made from a three
quarter macaroni flour as the best loaf
} of the three. Less than half of the num-
Der could point out the loaf made
from pure macaroni flour and the
one from the, patent flour, all Of which is
4 evidence that even a small local North
Dakota mill can turn out reasonably goo6
flour from nlacaroni wheat.
If I am correctly informed there has
been strong agitation as to the need OF
been strong agitation as to the need
of Canadian wheat being passed thru
the United States to be milled as
a means of furnishing our mills
with employment. Here Is wheat
which will largely increase the whea
yield over wide district of country where
l l. H., Gil =
tend the wheat growing territory beyond
its present limit. It would seem to m,
5 that it might prove a means Of furnishing
| our millers with enough American whea
to keep them running and thus prove ad
vantageous to both the producer of whea
I and the manufacturer of flour.
: The Future.
A If the wheat dealers insist upon max
! ing a difference Of twenty cents per bushe
, as a discrimination against macaron
: wheat they will drive it out Of the countr,
\ in my opinion, and the facts indicate tina
: it would be a case similar to that de
scribed by Aesop in his fable concernin,
the goose which laid the golden egg.
Several mills are manufacturing fou
j from macaronf wheat successfully and re
d port that after little experience it net
q them as high percentage of flour as tn
= hard wheat.
t The people (insofar as I can learn from
f those who have tried it) like the brea
: and pastry made from macaroni flour an
that is usually the only thing necessar
9 to produce a demand for the grain on tn
: market.
: If the rnil1ers will make an attempt to us
this wheat as Professor Scofield suggeste
. in The Journal L. believe the peop1
= will consume the flour and that macaror
;, wheat will prove a blessing to the mile
q by furnishing him with wheat to grin
!. and know that it will give heavier yield
i in large portion of our wheat CROWN
: district. j. H. Shepperd,
a Agriculturalist and Vice Director.
Dakota Experiment Station, Fargo
N. D.
y About Wheat Estimates.