Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1905-02-02

lS'Say ihihci anu SiaAh hohuica III ehc
country well knows, the standard grade
of legitimate wheats are sadly in need
of rejuvenation. Efforts should be
made to keep up the quality of the
wheat which the trade actually uses
aud needs, which is in active demand
the world over, which needs no "Cerel-
list in Charge of Cereal Investigations So
to vaunt its virtues and value, because
its worth is already acknolwe edged
| wherever -four is made or bread eaten.
While the work of encouraging the
use of good seed wheat languishes and
experimental farms which provide it
are sorely handicapped in their efforts
by lack of governmental support and
help, large sums are being expended
annually in order 10 exploit the pre-
conceived theories of faddists aud salar-
led experimentalists ambitious some
thing different, something particularly
their own for the good, wholesome,
accepted food which not only this
nation but every other civilized country
has adopted. 1t is for this reason the
Northwestern Miller sincerely hopes,
when the presidential election is over.
the head of the nation will see to it
that a much needed house cleaning is
made is the Department of Agriculture,
and as a result, that a number of the
mischievous faddists and theorists who
now find it a congeniai roosting place,
will be Obliged to move on TO make
room for the improvement of agricul-
ture through established and theoretical
channels.
So misleading and misinforming
throughout is this bulletin on 1.-THE
Commercial Status of Durum Wheat"
that it is hardly necessary TO par
ticularize any of its mis- statements.
They are patent to anyone actually
familiar with the commercial side of
of the milling business. It's price quo
tations are nearly all artificial or incor-
rect. The statement that of the crop
Of macaroni wheat raised last year
''much the larger portion was sold to
the mills for making bread flour, lis
untrue. The plea that this wheat
should be called "durum''is both ludi-
crous and silly. When the macaroni
camrs,i began, it was known as goose
wheat. Yielding to the fearful demands
If the department which considered the
undignifed but appropriate title a hble
the trade renamed it macaroni. Now
the agricultural authorities implore
that il be called durum. Doubtless, if
they succeed in substituting their pet to
a still greater extent, they will insist
that il be called number one hard, for
already they go SO for as seriously to
declare that 'it should properly be on
sidered as a wheat of the highest class,
ranking with hard spring aud hard
winter" An edict from the government
compelling millers to accept it in lieu
Of such grades is all that is required to
elevate goose wheat to the cereal peer
age.
A testimonial from a Cleveland bak-
cry is adduced to prove the superior
qualities of macaroni -four. 1t appears
that the head baker who achieved the
satisfactory result Learned his trade in
Egypt" Doubtless a lineal decendent
of the chief baker whom Pharaoh
caused to be hanged. Had the depart
ment chosen to follow this testimonial
with another from a baker who was a
faker, it might readily have done so.
Some of its Wanted "test' of macaroni
-four indicate a close connection with
this type. Says this lovely bullitin Of
mis-information: by the autumn of
1905 there will be at least twenty five
important mills throughout the coun-
try using durum wheat The North.
western Miller does not know of a
single important MILL in the United
States which is using durum wheat.
Statements similar TO this have been
repeatedly made by the department and
this journal has often challenged it to
name the mills making -four from such
wheat. The department has declined
to respond. The Northwestern Miller
has had inquiries from abroad for the
names Of millers willing to offer -four
made from macaroni wheat for foreign
shipments. These were legitimate trade
inquiries. 1t has been quite unable to
discover a miller who was in a position
to fill such orders.
The Northwestern Miller found an
important mill" which had expert
mented with macaroni wheat and had
made . -four which department officials
pronounced Of the best quality. 1t
bought several sacks Of this; sent it to
its London representative and by him
il was distributed in sample lots 80 the
four buyers abroad. They were told
what it was and invited to examine and
naaa uuon Il. The reuorta ohtainod In