Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1915-09-02
|A MINNEAPOLIS
MILLER'S LETTER
On Uses and Value Of 0,luRl
Wheat.

The DEVILS Lake journal has the
following in regard to the millers'
estimate of value of ,durum wheat:
&c. NJ. Fisher, presidest of the
Ramsey County National bank, who
is also an extensive farmer, has TAX
en- considerable interest in the Ca use
OF the low price of duran wheat
Commonly known as macaroni), as
compared with the price nf other
varities OF wheat. A large number
of farmers who seeded durum wheat
this year are greatly disappointed at
the low price OF that grain, partic-
ularly for che reason that prior to
seeding this spring Che price was
nearly twenty-four cents a bushel
higher than No. northern.
''Mr. Fisher has received letters
from the most extensive handlers Of
durum wheat in the United States on
the subject, and the following letter
written by Albert c. Loring, presi-
dent of the Pillsbury Flour Mills
Minneapolis, will, we are
sure, be Of great interest, mot only
to the farmers Of Ramsey county,
but throughout the whole state:
Mr.. c. NJ. Fisher, President Ramsey
County National Bank, Devils
Lake, North Dakota.
Dear Sir: Your letter has the writ
er's attention, and so far as we can,
Will give you the situation sas tt 'ap-
pears from our standpoint.
Durum wheat is used only in this
country and in Europe, with a slight
exception, for the manufacture of
durum wheat products s-so-called-
macaroni, spaghetti, noodles and like
articles being the largest use to
which it is put. The market for it is
in the countries bordering ON the
Mediterranean, with the exception
that the Scandinavian countries use
semolina (the large hard grains re-
tanned in the bolting machine after
the fine -four has passed through it, /,
for manufacture of bread, and take,
certain years, quite large amount
of the product from this country.
Tle 'valMe :uf Murun"Sis influenced
very largely by this trade and is
subject, like other commoditnes, to
the law of supply and demand.
The agricultural department, ;as
as we understand it, in first intro
duciug this variety of wheat, were
Influenced largely by the fact that
they believed lit would grow in semi
arid countries much more successful
ly than the so-called bread varieties
of wheat, and as an economic propo-
sition the government were exceed
ingly 'desirous of finding. a wheat
that would stand drought and de-
velop under such conditions as the
other varieties used could not with
stand. Last year, on account of the
war, the Mediterranean countries
were cut off from Russia and other
countries supplying this wheat and
the demand was in excess of the sup
ply, and 1t went to a price at one
time some "a cents above No. l
spring wheat, which clear
ly demonstrates that the proposition
is purify one of supply and demand.
There is NO exporting of spring
wheat or durum at present, that be-
ing Influenced very largely by the
prices at which new wheat is being
offered, and as the foreigner Is a
most excellent merchant, he is buy
ing September and later wheat at
prices that are more attractive to
him, in which case the reverse con-
dition is shown. September Mime
apofis closed on August 6-the day
of the letter-at $1.05 S-S; while
durum in Dututh for the same month
was $1.19A, being 1893 cents
premium, Influenced by the same
cause chat was in effect last year,
VIZ: the war. Should the Dardan-
elles, by any chance, be thrown open,
and the wheat of Russia he tributary
to those markets that had previously
sought this market for their require
ments, Immediately, no doubt, dur
um wheat would again fail to price
below spring wheat. as the crop
of the Northwest indicate
q production of durum in excess of
the amount to be used for macaronf
purposes in the United States.
however, the war continue
for longer period,-so long as the
are closed, the demand
from the Mediterranean ports would
be in competition with the United
States for this material and undoubt-
edly it would sell at a premium as
before.
Under normal conditions, durum
wheat cannot be expected to sell at a
price in excess of high-grade. -four
wheats, or, more properly
speaking, those wheats which make
flour that meets the requirements
and tastes of the people of the Unit
ed States. Durum wheat can be
made into -four, and is made into
-four, when there is demand for it.;
but it does not make a -four of any
where near the commercial value of
The blue stem and higher grade quail
tiles. 1t makes a heavier loaf of
bread, Of quite a marked yellow col
or. It's chemical analysis is such
that 1t does not produce a -four that