The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-02-21
- = & 2 2 r. 80 80
FOR DURUN WHEAT.
Lisbon Farmer Has Strong Argl.
ments IN it's Favor.

In the Weekly Forum of February 9
Knue Steenerson OF Upham, N. D.,
asks: SIS the durum or macaroni
wheat a fake?" and gives six objec-
tiOns to the raising of 1t.
The propagation and raising of mac
aroni wheat as far as it relates to our
states originated in Ransom county,
having been introduced by an immi-
grant from Canada who brought about
pint of the seed with him In the
spring Of 1883. Several years later M.
A. Carlton, cerealist of the department
Of agriculture at Washington, D. c.,
visited this section and pronounced
this wheat Of the Arnautka variety.
From this propagation of this pint and
thirty bushels of seed of the Kubauka
variety. obtained from the department
at Washington, by myself and Hon. H.
8. Oliver in 1902 came all the enor-
nous quantity of macaroni wheat
grown annually in Ransom and ad-
joining counties. AS to the six objec-
ton of Mr.. Steenerson I will answer
them seriatum:
First-It requires half bushel more
Of macaroni seed wheat per acre than
of fife or blue stem, as the berry is
much larger, but with us 1t yields from
four to twenty bushels more per acre
than other wheats, hence we consider
the extra half bushel a, good invest
ment.
Second-It stands up better than
any other wheat or grain grown here.
The straw is exceedingly stir and
never lodges unless grown on heavily
MANFRED land. When the yield Is
heavy the head must be large and we'll
filled, and the weight causes 1t to lop
over when ripe, but the straw seldom
goes down. Last year hard storm
leaned all heavy macaroni wheat to
the southeast, but with the exception
Of an occasional piece that yielded
over forty bushels to the acre, 1t was
cut without any difficulty or waste.
A few extra heavy fields had to be cut
enc way.
Third-It does yield much more
than any other wheat. The heaviest
yield of fife wheat recorded in this
county is Az bushels per acre in
1883. The largest yield of macaroni
is So 2-3 in 1904. This wheat was the
Arnautka and was grown on twenty
acres of half corn, ground and half
summer fallow. On an average in this
locality the Arnautka wheat outyields
the fife and blue stem, about six co.
bushels to the acre, when all condi-
lions are favorable to the growth of
wheat of all varieties. With unfavora-
BILE climatic conditions, such as drouth,
rust or blight, the Arnautka wheat will
outyield the other wheats two to one,
on an average. Two years ago when
black rust was general over a large
area, especially to the south of us
whole fields of blue stem and fife were
not worth cutting, white the Arnautka
on land adjoining yielded from sixteen
to thirty bushels per acre. The Ar
nautka macaroni wheat stands up bet
ter, is not affected by rust, blight,
smut, hot winds or Hessian fly.
Fourth-If you will raise enough of
it in any locality SO it leads the mar
ket the elevators will take care of it
for you.
Fifth-The fault of the market is not
in the wheat itself, but in the wheat
ring" and millers: Last year or 1905
the estimated crop of macaroni wheat
in the northwest was about 100000
bushels and over 100000 bushels was
shipped before the close of navigation
direct to Marsailles, France, and Med
iterranean seaports and there sold for
cent bushel less than Manitoba
No. l hard; the wheat that commands
the highest price of any American ex-
ports. To buy it at the elevators in
North Dakota at price from II to
20 cents less per bushel than other
wheats and sell it in the markets of
the old world at the same price of No.
! northern fife is to put it in plain
English-a, clean steal from the North
Dakota producer. The remedy is to
raise more macarOni and get after the
wheat thieves. The eastern millers
use our macaroni to mix in grinding
with soft wheats from Kansas and the
south to tone up their flour.
Sixth-Knute must be hobo or a
tenderfoot, as the only complaint we
have heard of its "being mean stuff
to handle on account of the boards
comes from the "hobo" shocker, or kid
gloved tenderfoot, but the real reason
of the complaint is that the lazy
scamps had rather get $2.25 day for
shocking ten bushels to the acre wheat
than forty bushels. The bundles are
lighter. The boards of maearoni
wheat are not troublesome like bar
ley. They are not half so harsh.
would like to take large contract to
raise macaroni wheat at 20, cents more
bushel than other wheat.
To sum it-up the reason the farmers
in this locality like to raise durum
wheat Is that from an experience of
twenty years they have learned that
It is a far better average yielder, be-
ing much harder and more vigorous
in growth, free from rust, smut. blight,
etc, and the ravages Of the Hessian
fly. It stands climatic adverse con-
\ ditions far better than other wheat and
will stand in the shock through heavy
rains for long time without bleach
|: ing and sprouting. Mixed one-third
by measure with speltz and oats it
makes an excellent feed for growing
and fattening hogs and cattle. re-
/ fer to the Arnautka variety Of maca-
roni.
There are several varieties of durum
wheat. We have raised thesArnautka
100 u