The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1904-12-22
AGRICULTURAL EVENTS.
Sew Movement of Crops - Durum
Wheet.-Irrigation Abroad.
BY B. BENJAMIN, Jr.

tural exports of the United States to
the credit of cotton, grain and grain
products aud meat and meat products.
Some information on the methods and
routes used in exporting this vast
amount OF farm produce has lately
been cot together by Mr. Ward of the
bureau of statistics. While this infor-
nation is perhaps of most value to
prospective importers, it is certainly
interesting to farmers generally to
know how the big crops are moved to
DISTANT markets.
0lle Of the most surprising facts thus
est2hlished is the Importance of the
pull ports in the grain trade. If the
Wheat exports for the year ended June
- 1901 are alone considered it will be
,3tnd that the gulf ports outdistanced
I'll competitors, Galveston handling
over 80 per cent and New Orleans
more than 20 per cent of all wheat
passing through the important gate
ways of the Atlantic and gulf. The in
crease in wheat exports through New
Orleans and Galveston has within re-
cent years been very rapid, whether
viewed from a relative or an actual
standpoint.
Galveston's increase has been so re-
markable as to attract the attention OF
shippers from all parts Of the country
Fourteen years ago this port had no
standing whatever as an exporter Of
wheat In fact, as late as 1897 the
movement was very SMALL amounting
then, however, shipments have in
creased so rapidly that the year ended
June 30, 1904, witnessed a movement
through Galveston Of over 100000
bushels, placing her in the position Of
being the only port on the Atlantic or
gulf coast whose exports for the fiscal
year 1904 exceeded these of the year
previous.
Again, it may destroy preconceived
ideas with some to be told that the
greatest concentration of surplus agri
cultural production, with the exception
Of the surplus cotton crop, occurs in
the north central and northern part of
the south central states. There are two
general routes leading from this re-
gion to the seaboard, one known as the
eastern route and terminating at such
cities as Boston, New York, Philadel.
phia and Baltimore the other, known
as the southern route, with outlets at
Galveston, New Orleans and other gulf
ports.
Commercial Status of Durum Wheat.
The new crop, durum wheat, appears
to have made an unprecedented record
in this country. From a production of
100000 bushels in 1901 it has leaped to
100000 bushels in 1903. : Previous TO
1901 it could hardly be sold at eleva-
tors and mills at any price and was in
deed seldom grown and in small guam
titles for stock feed only. 1t is now
mentioned by Cerealist NJ. A. Carleton
as striking fact that 100000 bushels
of a grain formerly rejected should be
sold at fancy price toward the close
of the winter, long before the new sea-
son opens. Most important of all, much
the larger portion was sold to the mills
for making bread -four. The increase
In the demand for the wheat has been
particularly strong in Buffalo and a
few other points in the east, original
ing solely in the desire to use the flour
for blending with other kinds in bread
making In France, the greatest bread
eating country of the world, a large
quantity of durum wheat is used for
bread
A prediction of from fifteen to TWEEN
ty million bushels has been made for
the crop of 1904 This amount of a
wheat that does not encroach upon the
regular production of other kinds is a
large one to be added to the general
production Of the country, and it leaves
out Of consideration the enormous
areas of semiarid and even arid dis
tricts adapted to this grain that have
not yet been touched by agriculture.
Under irrigation the crop succeeds very
well, but over by far the larger portion
Of the dry districts irrigation Will be
unnecessary, which can be said OF few
drought resistant crops.
Mr.. Carleton states that this wheat
w LII W oOAN I'LL LdS CAO SOAAiILS yOoA az
Kansas City, Omaha and Galveston as
we'll as at Minneapolis and Duluth, and
there will be a large increase in pro
duction in the districts tributary to
these points. Originally exploited in
this country almost solely as "maca
roni wheat" durum (meaning "hard'')
now ranks among the breadmakers.
Italian Irrigation Methods.
Irrigation has been practiced in this
country little more than fifty years,
while in Italy it has been practiced for
more than 500 years. DR.. Elwood
Mead, chief Of irrigation and drainage
Investigations in the department of
agriculture, spent the summer of 1903
in the valley of the Pc, and partial
report Of his observations has been is
sued as bulletin IA of the office of ex-
pertinent stations
The most striking points brought out
by the report are the large expendi-
lures for irrigation in region where
crops can be raised without it, the en-
during and expensive nature Of struc-
turgS and the efficient cooperation of