The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1916-02-10
MONTANA OATS LEAD OTHERS.

| He dlltlltlOIi VI gIlS uCDdILllCuI
having been called to the desirable
itv of securing recognition of the
superior quality of Montana oats in
the grain exchanges OF the country
the question was taken up with the
secretary OF the Minneapolis Cham
Der of Commerce in a letter ad-
dressed to him on January %, 1916,
with the result that on January q,
that institution commenced sending
out daily quotations on Montana 2
| White oats.
The fact that the first quotation
on 2 White Montana oats shows a
value OF about cents bushel more
than the kind they have previously
quoted proves that the above action
| will be immensely profitable to the
| farmers Of the state
Before attem pting to show the
farmers of the state how to derive
the full benefit Of this change, a
that have previously existed will be
made. Several features of the oats
situation have worked out to the
formers disadvantag e. In the first
place local dealers buy by the 100
pounds and sell at the terminal mar
ket by the bushel. This leads to
confusion and not all know how to
els figure out the relative prices.
The standard weight of oats per
bushel everywhere is 80 pounds
Therefore, to determine what quo
tation in bushels means for 100
pounds, multiply by 3 IS, that being
the number of times 80 goes into
| 100. An illustration will be taken
from a Great Falls daily paper Of
January 20. In that issue the Min
neapolis closing price on White
oats was shown to be 55h @ 58A
This applied to Montana oats only
although the word "Montana" was
omitted Multiplying the average
price, SIC, by Is, gives $1.7SA as
the average closing price yer 100
pounds. Allowing for this grade
s1.00 per 100 pounds, showing that
the dealer is making profit Of As Is
cents per 100 pounds, or 15.4 cents
per bushel. Not only is this an ex-
orbitant profit but it is reasonable
to assume that choice oats of the
same grade would have sold even
higher than the best price named in
the closing. On the same day a
Montana daily paper carried the ad-
vertisement OF grain concern
which offered S1.45 per 100 pounds
of Montana White oats at stations
with a 30 cent rate. This is plain
statement OF facts which can easily
be verified and is not made for the
purpose OF showing the advantages
or disadvantage of any particular
locality. This condition. buying by
the 100 pounds and selling by the
bushel still exists but we'll be rem
edied if it is possible to do So In the
meantime. farmers should bear in
mind that bushel of oats is al
ways 80 pounds, regardless Of the
test weight
Another condition that is taken
advantage of is the fact that the
daily Minneapolis quotation on 8
White oats does not mean Montana
oats, but the kind grown in the mid
die western states and that Montana
8 White oats command a premium
of several cents over the quoted
price. This premium may fluctuate
somewhat but will usually be found
to be about midway between the
price of 3 White and Montana
White
The requirements for White
oats in both Montana and Minnesota
are given herewith from the official
grades of both states:
"No White oats--Shall be 81
per cent white, dry, sweet, shall con
tain not more that / per cent of dirt
and l per cent Of other grain, anC
weigh not less than 20 pounds tx
the measured bushel."
Therefore, in order to get thu
grade OF White, oats must b.
clean. A tanning mill, with a ca
pacity of % to 80 bushels per hour
can be bought for $35 to $40, and i
will be apparent to everyone tina
such mill will be an exceed
ingly profitable investment. Not al
Montana oats will grade 2 White
even if clean, but it is believed tina
a very large per cent of them cal
he brought to this grade.
The question will be asked-wha
remedy has the farmer if the deale
refuses to pay prices which will
weld only fair profit? The answe
is-cut out the dealer until he treat
YOU fairly Farmers can ship thei
own grain and get just as much TO
# as the dealer can and those de
string to do so are requested t
write to the department for furthe
information. Also send in sample
to be graded-one pound is enough
W. n TEMpT FT0N