The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-08-04
The Future of Durunl.

When macaroni was first introduced
into the west, and after crop or two
of it had been raised, it was found
as we all remember, that there was no
we'll established market for it, 1t was
taken at the elevators of course. but
it was with reluctance on the part OF
the buyer, and the grower had to ac-
cept a heavy cut in price under that
paid fer bread wheats, or feed it. The
millers did not take kindly to it, prob
ably more for the reason that they
did not understand handling it and
did not have the proper machinery,
than from any adverse feeling for it,
But even with this severe handicap,
1t continued to grow in favor and in
crease in acreage, as many preferred
the increase in yield and the added
certainty of crop in dry years to the
higher figure offered for the bread
wheats. Not all, but many. There
were not wanting of those, though,
who despaired of the margin in price
between the two wheats ever being
materially narrowed, and who pre-
ferred to cater to the higher price and
take chances on dry years.
True friends of macaroni, however,
INDUCED the hope that this grain
sooner or later would come to its
own, and that 1t would ultimately
stand on a par with bread varieties.
Some hoped for the saving factor to
come in the way of the discovery of
some method of milling it SO as to
make bread -four, and much progress
has been made in that way, and there
are now mills through the nakotas
that are equipped for handling it, and
some there are who handle that alone.
In the way of educating a national
taste for durum bread, however, we
have not made as much progress as
was hoped for by many. There is no
accounting for taste, and in this it is
not unlikely that added progress will
be made year by year. Prof. Jas. II.
Shepard, of South Dakota, and other
experimenters have carried on scien-
tific milling and baking tests, and so
far we have failed to hear of any that
have cOntended that bread made from
it lacked in either palatability or in
nutrition, and this fact lends color
to the hope that 1t will finally find
favor on the American table.
Since its first introduction millions
of bushels of macaroni have annually
disappeared in the American markets.
And this disappearing element has in
creased as time went on, and has
given rise to the suspicion in many
minds that perhaps the large milling
interests had discovered some means
of mixing it with flour made from the
bread varieties. II this suspicion is
founded on fact the millers could
hardly be expected to herald the an
nouncement abroad as such course
margin and bring durum more nearly
to the level of other wheats. But
this will be the natural effect OF It
whether or no, and every little helps.
Demand. however, gradually 1t may
come, will stiffen the price.
The department of agriculture and
others who were active in the intro
duction Of durum. early promised
foreign demand. the promise being
predicated on the supposition that as
soon as the macaroni-eating nations
discovered the superior quality of the
American product that expectation
would rapidly follow. There was
some little disappointment in this line,
aid many became impatient and dis
paired Of the future. Such, however,
rallied to take note of several potent
factors. First, we have not as yet