Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1905-11-02
OURUM GAINING GROUND
This Popular Wheat to be a Staple
Crop for North Dakota.--.The For
eiqn Grain Inferior in Quality.

f! After being condemned by market
buyers who recognized it only as a
competitor of spring varieties, decried
by millers who refused to grind it,
durum wheat is becoming firmlv estab-
lished as a staple product, of Dakota
sod. Slowly it has plodded through
an unfavorable environment, opposing
disadvantages and proving its hardi-
ness uy winning the favor OF producers
Many arguments appeared against it
and some, perhaps were unreasonable
but it's advocates based their argu-
ments on the broad, general and eco
nomically sound proposition that if
durum would increase the productiv-
ity of the northwest and add to the
out turn Of new wealth every year, it
would be good thing, all minor argu-
ments against it Notwithstanding.
But the farmers have stuck to it
although faced with difficulty and,
with prices relatively lower than for
other varieties, there was much dis
appointment created over money
returns Notwithstanding the greater
yield.
Today the creation of a foreign
market disposes Of the last objection,
i. e. the price; there is now differ
ence of only cents between the price
of durum and the best varieties of
Fife or Blue-stem. Recently a ship
ment of some six million bushels of
this wheat left the Twin Cities for
Marseiles, France-the world center
of the macaroni flour industry. 1t is
needless to say that Dakota durum
grades high when it is being taken
into the confidence of the French who
until very recently, refused to use
American grown durum at all. The
durum wheat being bred and grown
in the Dakotas is Of very superior
quality and the French have undoubt-
! edlvhot been slow to recognize It's
excelling tendencies. The truth of
this statement regarding quality was
| very effectively exposed at a recent
comparison of American and foreign
grown durums made at the Agricult-
ural college.
It had been President Worst's
desire to compare our North Dakota
grown durum with the best grown in
Europe. Pursuant to this wish Presi-
dent Worst wrote to Mr.. Skinner, the
American consule at Marseilles, for a
sample Of what was considered to be
the best variety Of durum wheat. He
was surprised upon receiving the SAM
pie to find it mixture Of wheat, oats,
barley and rye with no uniformity Of
size or shape and, in appearance, very
inferior to North Dakota durum, the
mixture indicating that the French
are very careless in the threshing and
growing of their grain. Mr. Skinner
said that in the Marseilles'market a
good sample of durum must be free
from black spots and streaks Of white.
Mr.. Skinner also stated that there
| is practically an unlimited market in
Marseilles for good quality durum
and that it is a most profitable out
let for Dakota grown grain. In refer
ring to the use of American grown
durum in that market he said that
several years ago there h&d been a
shipment of wheat but when used it
had to be mixed with 80 per cent Of
French durum (which is Asiatic or
| African grown In other words only 10
per cent OF the American grown
wheat could be allowed in q sack Of
Marseilles -four. More would SEEM
ingly have detracted from its value.
In President Worst's opinion the
reason for the manner of using the
wheat is that the French had
little confidence in the quality Of the
American product. But it is also
probable that this particular expor-
tation was an extremely poor sample
of the quality of American durum.
The last two years, however, have
seen q radical change In the attitude
Of the French and Marseilles now
clamors for the American grain.
This fact will be joyfully received
by the farmers OF the Dakotas, for it
means that next year will see an i'm
mense increase in the acreage allotted
to durum and this excellent product
is to extend the fame Of these fertile
! prairies to far Off France.
J, Among the many varieties of durum
wheat being bred and grown here
there is one which is receiving special
mention and favor at the present
time. This is the variety known as
| No. $3.50 Kubanka Durum. This
variety has proved eminently success
, ful at the agricultural college, and In
the hands Of many growers: the fol-
lowing correspond dence and matter Is
very convincing Of Its merits.