Smyrna times., 1904-12-21
AGRICULTURAL EVENTS.
new Movement of Crops Durum
Wheat-IrrigatiOn Abroad.
By B. BENJAMIN, Jr.

- L. Ao4-4NJ<AA <AA11Nt Jr.
washington, d. C.-Otficial statistics
place fully so per cent of the agricul-
tural exports of the United States to
the credit Of cotton. grain and grain
products and meat and meat products.
some information ON the methods and
routes used in exporting this vast
amount of farm produce has lately
been got together by Mr.. Ward of the
bureau of statistics. While this infOr-
nation is perhaps of most value to
prospective importers. - is certainly
interesting to farmers generally to
Know how the big crops are moved to
distant markets.
Ohe OF the most surprising facts thus
established is the Importance of the
| gulf ports i'll the grain trade. If the
wheat exports for the year ended June
30, 1904, are alone considered it will be
found that the gulf ports outdistanced
all 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 i'll wheat exports through New
| Orleans and Galveston has within re-
cent years been very rapid, whether
viewed from relative or an actual
standpoint
! GalVeStOnS 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
only to about 3,5OOOOO bushels. Since
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 those 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 production OF
100000 bushels in 1901 it has leaped tC
6,0OOOOO bushels in 1903. Previous tC
1901 it could hardly be sold at eleva
tors and mills at any price and was in
| deed seldom grown and in small quan
titles for stock feed only. 1t is now
mentioned by CerealiSt NJ. A. Carleton
as a striking fact that 100000 bushels
of a grain formerly rejected should bC
sold at fancy price toward the closC
of the winter, long before the new sea
son opens. Most important of all, mucl
the larger portion was sold to the mills
for making bread flour. The increase
in the demand for the wheat has beer
particularly strong in Buffalo and ;
few other points in the east, original
| ing solely in the desire to use the fou
| for blending with other kinds in bread
| making. In France, the greatest breat
eating country of the world. a larg
! quantity of durum wheat is used 70
bread.
A prediction Of from fifteen to twen
ty million bushels has been made TO
the crop of 1904. This amount of
wheat that does not encrOach upon tn
! regular production of other kinds is
Z large one to be added to the genera
production of the country, and it leave
out Of consideration the enormOu
) areas Of semiarid and even arid dis
tricts adapted To this grain that hav
{ not vet been touched by agriculture
Under irrigation the crop succeeds yer
: well. but over by far the larger porto
of the dry districts irrigation will b
unnecessary. which can be said Of te'
drought resistant crops.
Mr. Carleton states that this whef
will be sold during the coming year {
Kansas City, Omaha and Galveston q
well as at Minneapolis and Duluth, an
there will he d large increase in pr
- duction in the districts tributary
these points. Originally exploited
W this country almost solely as "mac
Il roni wheat" durum (meaning hard
d now ranks among the breadmakers.
y italian irrigation Methods.