The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-05-13
THE MACARON nj PROBLEM

-. & ss.siI~
THE MACAR0NI PROBLEM
sss The most interesting and important
feature in the northwest crop situation
this year is the problem of the durun I
or macaroni wheat. No one knows how
much of it has been sown. There are
no official figures yet covering any
northwest crops, but private advices
show that the farmers, encouraged. by
large yields and high prices last. sea-
son., have turned towards .durum in in
creasing numbers and Minnesota and
the Dakotas are spotted with it. Some
Investigators think there is three times
as much as last year. The. most. con-
sentative calculate that 10 per cent Of
the total wheat area is IN snacaronl,
and more make it @25 per cent. If it
be the case that Of the acreage 20 per
cent Is smacaroni, then, even with a
total crop Of 200, 0oo,o Oosbushels in the
northwest, the spring wheat would be
less in quantity than iii many an or
binary year, for the fifth part in nlaca-
roni could be trusted to:4turn out 49,
100000. bushels, leaving, l60,000,0OO.
bushels spring wheat. az III ssa@s<i Fl.
There is q steadily growing market
for this wheat in our scountry, and in,
time, no. doubt, home requirements will
! readily absorb a crop of 40,0O0,O00
! bushels, or more. But home 5eonsump-
ton as yet very small and the ratio of
Increase, relative to the ratio Of: increase
| in production, is even smaller. The
country using: a little moro macaroni
wheat every year, but tit. is increasing
| Aha no. .~t ..s.
! : If, as. now seems likely, the north
west produces 4o,000,0o0 bushels of
macaroni wheat, it VIII have to sell it
abroad. Elsewhere in TIL e journal
appears an article, written by Rollin
+. Smith, from Marseilles, giving his
impressions. Mr.. Smith gives figures
covering production in competing coun-
/ tries and relative prices. 1T amounts to
/ this; in: a nutshell, that If Russia, north
! Africa and other producing countries
fail in their crops as they did last
i year the American farmers will again
/ profit handsomely: If these countries
I produce heavily and the American crop
i comes out in proportions suggested by
acreage believed TO- have been put in,
something will give way. The price
4 will suffer-. =. - s<'s. :
:. AS. it is a good rule not to cross
bridges until one domestic them, and as
7 the .Minneapolis effect Of this will not
be seen until next autumn and numer-
Gus. possibilities intervene, the grain
trade need scarcely worry. Neverthe.
less, this macaroni problem is the all
important one. The elevators cannot
buy it and hedge 1t as readily as they
can the spring wheat and this will. be
consideration with them In hanal
ING it. - = a.: IL "a yST@ V. 81 .
,Speculatiiveely there would appear to
be a slightly bullish >sigpi6eance :ste
this since there wilI naturally !be less
contract spring wheat for delibery il
proportion to the inroads into the acre
age made by the macaroni. In the con-
naercial way it will be bearish, for Il
macaroni is: cheap, millers: WILL use. Il
to the greatest possible extent, turnine
away from higher priced spring wheat
: The millers can use a" small portion O
it at times. r. IS .'s5,-'s -.
t. Another interesting consi Iteration, j
I lthe controversy sure to arise,t It tn.
! thing works out as predicted and price
= Of macaroni fall: ;, This would be- fin
= for: the critics of the government. Hos
r ftilitv to the introduction Of macaron
g wheat in the; northwest found Hleader
h ship in two places in Minneapolis an.
9 many criticisms have already appeared
I These commentators will indeed hay
: something to say next fall If prices g
= down and the farmers are left with
= load to carry. 49, .'r,-s.
n "a would seem as If something NOR
IS Of practical experience is necessary be
fore macaroni wheat finds it's place. I
y It be true that the farmers have ovel
l. done the matter, theywill have to sui
fer. and it is doubtful If the govern
Ement can be blamed. Durum wheat wa
introduced principally because; of it
: Notwithstanding qualities. The go,
y eminent did not advise the farmers
f SOW It broadcast, but dwelt rather upo
1, its availability for lands farther ives
n where the rainfall is insufficient, whe1
g spring wheat is an Uncertain crop, an
g macaroni wheat not only safer, but llk
!. q IL to Yield heavier. The basic. purpol
= Of the government appears to have bee
T. a. lan6ab1e that minor .disadvantag'
ns ara relatively unimpor tant: i The IA
j. that certain lands, not safe for sprll
er wheat. can be made to grow good Gro!
y Of 'macaroni, is standing propositiut
" " making for wealth and prosperity
~ those sections year after year.
. - We do not remember that in all, t
re- literature the government put out .
ed ever count enanced the sowing Of mac
q roni wheat in place Of spring wheat,
IT heavy land, in old settled grain-gro'
S inc counties, where, this year, NAL
. !. farmers have put it. in, while the m
tfA IN charge Of the Minnesota Sexperime1
). al. station of ST. Anthony Park ha
NJ ~ particularly. cautioned farmers not /
B do it. i. i. IS. s
10 But last year the farmers who SOW
f Ia macaroni had good Yields, and wi
Of the combination Of crop failure abro
,se and high prices, they profted. Otf
yul farmers, ignoring the basic prlncil
M - IIL.SI u % cro,,a in To do Ill