Sisseton Posten. [volume] (Effington, Sud Dakota [S.D.]) 1902-19??, 1906-04-13


ing cereal, based upon its real worth
as a staple product for the Northwest
ern farmer, is still to be demonstrated.
What Is it worth? What is the real
truth as to its milling value? How
much more will it yield per acre than
fife or blue stem? What are the eX-
port prospects this coming fall and
winter? etc, etc. All these questions.
and many more, have been fired at the
writer during the past ninety days.
especially the last one, referring to
exports.
Explicit or complete answers cannot
bs given, but review OF the crop
years of 19o4.5 and 1866 with other
facts of present knowledge bearing on
the subject will undo ibtedly prove OF
value to the Northwe stern farmers in
permitting them to arrive at independ.
ent conclusions
The we'll known facts about durum
wheat are that 1t was imported and
festered by the United States agricul'
tural department for semiarld regions
Of the Dakotas and other Western
states, but that 1t will grow and pro
duce a good yield in sections Of normal
or abundant rainfall was evidenced by
the crop grown last year in localities
favored by rainfall more than nor
NAL.
What the final result OF continued
sowings in sections of excessive rain
fall and its bearing on the quality OF
durum would be his not yet been
demonstrated, but that heavy soil and
excessive rains are injurious and de-
teriorating In their effects, tC GER
tain extent, goes without question. Its
adaptability for such sections and un'
der such conditions has never been ad
vocated by the. agricultural depart
ment. While the full effect upon the
quality Of durum wheat grown in diff.
ferent localities and under different
conditions has probaoly not been de-
termined 10 anyboiy's satisfaction,
there is question about the foreign
sr's desires IN the matter OF quality,
and this point must be strongly EN-
phasized They do not want anything
poorer than Ne. 2, and would not have
taken anything but No. this year,
could enough Of it have been fur.
nished
On the present crop Duluth has
handled eight million bushels and Min
neapolis about one million bushels,
other than what was reshipped to Du
luth. Practically all OF the durum re-
oeived at Duluth has been sold for ex-
port, and the remarkable feature of it,
at the present time, is that durum
wheat at the seaboard Is selling for
export at prices better than can be
obtained for spring wheat in the same
position, and is in good demand II
this demand keeps up until the open.
Ing OF navigation it is probable that
durum at Duluth will be selling even
with or higher than the corresponding
grades Of spring wheat.
All the causes that have contributed
to the extraordinary demand for du
rum are hard to analyze at this time,
coming more or less as a surprise TO
to a shortage of Russian wheats OF the
same quality, but this can hardly hold
good, as Russia has been very large
shipper OF wheat ever since last Au.
gust. with no suggestion of a shortage
Of any kind
1t was also intimated that 1t was be
Ing used exclusively for making mac
aroni, this being assumed because OF
the fact that the Mediterranean ports
we're the largest users of It, although
there is room for doubling that any
such quantity OF wheat Is used for
macaroni
Whatever the reason for the de
mand. 1t seems likely that II will con-
tinue to sell in the worlds markets
at very close 10 the price of other
wheats. On March the price of Rus.
sian wheats and durum was identcally
the same in European markets. So 70
sS cents per bushel Durum has come
to stay. and must be reckoned with
hereafter among our permanent wheat
crops OF the Northwest IL domestic
mills refuse 1t, the demand abroad will
no doubt continue to absorb our sur
plus to the detriment Of our other
whests. AS regards its yield over
other wheats there Is no question but
what 1t has the advantage by from
three to eight bushels per acre, all
conditions considered.
The only suggestion that the writer
would max is that when seeded in
ssotions en- joying an average rainfall
of twenty o thirty inches it should be
put on the lightest soil to be found, on
the hills a, ad not in the valleys or low
lands. Insi ST on seed that is absolutely
Tree OF 9th er wheats, and If possible to
obtain II U Sc nothing but No. durum.
Flaxsesd.
Owing to the low prices prevailing
tor flaxs, ,ed last fall there seems to be
, tender ICY to cut 1t out. and in this
the writ er believes a mistake will be
made
The comparatively low prices at
which the last crop was marketed
wers n OF due to the size of the crop
itself, Lmt to the fact that the accum-
ulat ed reserves carried forward from
the large crops of 1902 end 1903, which
had been artifeially held off the mar.
ket, were reIeased, and did more than
any thing else to depress the price,
The Sc reserves, with the crop Of 1904