The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-07-08

Announcement short time ago that
the grain markets of the northwest had
been opened for the first time to mac
aroni wheat, means the addition of a
great crop to the farm products OF
America crop the developement OF
which is still in it's incipiency. This
action is by far the most important in
the movement to adopt this wheat In
America and this recognition will re
suit in the rapid growth of the crop.
Experience has demonstrated beyond
question that in a considerable tract
in the northwest. macaroni wheat can
be grown with far better results than
the ordinary American variety. But,
while yields have been large. farmers
have until this time been discouraged
somewhat in it's production because
there was no regular market. Now that
a ready sale is assured, the profitable
ness of it's culture can no longer be
questioned, and the greatest barrier to
the efforts of the department of agri-
culture to introduce this grain in the
United states has been removed.
AS a result, the total yield of macar-
oni wheat in the United States this
year will be about a half more than
last year Exact figures as to last
years crop cannot be obtained. owing
to the lack of interest at grain mar
kets. The best estimate of the yield in
South Dakota last year puts it at five
million bushels. and the same author
ity predicts that the crop now growing
In that state will produce eight million
bushels. 1t Is a conservative statement
to say that the total production in the
west this year will range from twelve
to fifteen million bushels.
Great interest is being taken in the
new crop through the Dakotas and
Nebraska, for it may be described as
the greatest crop innovation III Amer
lean agriculture OF twenty-five years.
Even without the advantage of an
open market, new mark in farm prof
it's has been set by the new cereal Ev-
en- the most successful farmers would
be loath TO believe that farm of high
grade land could be paid for by Il
single crop, and yet this very thing
was done last year in South Dakota.
Hollander living at Hull, Ia, bought
24o-acre farm four miles from Brit
ton. $. d. for s22 an acre. He plant
ed it all in macarCni wheat, with the
result that he harvested A bushels to
the acre, and thus realized in net profits
the first year, the entire purchase price
Of the farm, less the threshng bill.
If you will board a train at Andover.
s. D.. and ride fiftT miles north to the
state line, you will see little except
great fields of macaroni wheat. 1t is
probably the most impressive sight in
an agricultural way to be seen in AM
erica. The wheat grows to a height of
five or six feet, so stalwartly that weeds
ih'e stitled. Heavy stalks and free
stooling keep the grain from lodging
The heads are from six to ten inches
in length and the color q rich green.
A man of ordinary size disappears from
sight upon entering these fields. Farm
ing in South Dakota being upon a large
scale, 1t is not uncommon TO see an
entire section covered With this forest
Of wheat.
Not only has South Dakota proved 10
be better adapted to growing macaruni
wheat than any other section in the
United States, SO far. but 1T has be-
come more popular with the farming
class generally there. Whereas in
other states it IS necessary for agri-
cultural colleges to solicit trials of the
crop, in South Dakota, the farmers vie
with each other to secure seed. The
Rice river valley has proved TO be
splendidly adapted to the new cereal,
and remarkable results have been OBJ
tanned there.
Yields secured last year by seven
farmers of Marshall county, S. D., are:
f. G. McQuillan. SO bushels; X e.
Quarve, 80 bushels; Perry Verts. 81
bushels; Henry Thayer. 80 bushels
Charles Thayer, 80 bushels; George
Bingham, 80 bushels; Frank Fulton. 50
bushels; Charles Smith and Charles
Naftziber, living near Amherst, S. D.,
each realized 80 bushels. All through
what may be termed the macaroni
wheat belt of South Dakota last year.
the yield averaged close to so bushels
This is enough to indicate the lucrative
possibilities of the new crop. The av-
erage yield Of the American variety OF
wheat In South Dakota for many years
has been nine bushels. The price re-
ceived for macaroni wheat last year
was about ten cents bushel less than
that of ordinary bread wheat. Thirty
bushels of macaroni wheat to the acre.
at So cents a bushel-the price last
season-gives the farmer gross return
Of $17.40 to the acre; nine bushels Of
common bread wheat to the acre, at IS
cents bushel, gives but $685.. The
money crop of macaroni wheat. under
the showing of the last two years. may
safely be estimated at three times that
Of the ordinary variety.
An instance of the money to be made
from macaroni wheat is found in the
experience last year of the Primghar
Iowa, Savings Bank. The bank bought
$50 an acre. Sixteen hundred acres
was planted with macaroni wheat
The crop Melted the bank 1855 per acre
for the entire 2,400 acres, after paying
IL per cent. to an agent for looking
after the crop, taxes and sos for lum-
Der. Thus, with IL third of the farm in
pasture the crop netted nearly 20
per cent on the entire investment.
But South Dakota has no monopoly
on the soil and climatic conditions
suited to the successful cultivation of
macaroni wheat. Experiments on ex-
tensfve scales have been carried on by
the Nebraska and North Dakota asri-
f,l1it sol .,r1I
suits. The Nebraska experiment sta
ton sent seed to 81 farmers in SO
counties. None of these farmers had
had experience in the cultivation Of
this cereal. and allowance should be
made for this. But, of the 81 fields, 81
yielded as well OF better than spring
wheat and 81 as we'll or better than
winter wheat. Only ten fields We're
poorer than spring wheat, and these
principally because of the ravages Of
insects.
In two seasons, five varieties Of mac
aronf wheat, cultivated under direction
of the North Dakota experiment sta
ton at Bismarck, yielded an average
OF 31.4 bushels per acre, while ten vari-
cites of ordinary bread wheat produced
in the same time an average of 25.6
bushels. The macaroni wheat being
far more hardy, the difference would
be considerably greater upon ordinary
farms. where the delicate American
wheat would not receive such tender
care as at the experiment stations.
A comparison between climatic con-
ditions in southern Russia. where mac
aroni wheat has grown With such sig.
nal success, and the plain states of
America, explains the adaptability of
the crop to the latter. The normal
mean annual temperature in North Da-
kota South Dakota and Nebraska
ranges from SO to 46 degrees; in south
ern Russia, from 81 to So Dry air and
plenty of sunshine are necessary to
mature macaronf and the relative
humidity in the American states named
above ranges from &C to IL and in