Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-03-09

ARE CHANGED
BY U. 5. Gov v
arr - f.~ q
Standards are Less Exacting
Should Stimulate Pro-
duction of Wheat.

nSeQarADle foreign material n rye
admixture, reported in today's Wash
ant victory wheat growers of the
spring wheat belt have o since the
new federal standards. to which there
a been much objection, were estab-
lished. This action unquestionably is
a. result of the hearings held In Bis
marck. Fargo and elsewhere in the
wheat belt last winter by Charles j.
Brand, chief of the division of stand
ards.
The Bismarck meeting was particu-
larly satisfactory in that a clear I'M
Outstanding Of the farmers objections
to the existing standards and their
reasons for these objections was
reached without there being injected
any Of the animus SO apparent at the
Fargo hearing, when a Townley ele-
ment predominated. Mr.. Brand stated
at the close Of the Bismarck hearing
that. some of the concessions demand
ed unquestionably would be made.
Rye Most Important.
Probably the most important con-
cession reported from Washington is
an increase in the permissible. per-
centage of rye. AS was clearly proven
here, because Of the large rye acreage
cropped in North Dakota last year,
SIlu pdIllCulol1y OCCdQSC VI luS ".SA"
dryness Of the harvest season,
much Of the land when sown to wheat
this summer will contain a consider
able percentage Of rye seed which was
scattered by the winds last fall. 1t is
almost impossible to prevent this con-
dition. The government has urged,
and North Dakota farmers have will
lingly co-operated in the planting of
an abnormal wheat acreage this
spring. And Il very large percentage
OF this wheat will go in on land from
over which rye see already is largely
scattered through natures methods.
The easing up ON restrictions as to
inseparable foreign material and an
adjustment OF the moisture content
regulations will be especially ncour
aging to North Dakota farmers.
Where a rotation Of crops is practiccd.
as is now very generally the case in
this state, it is an absolute impossi-
of grains. The same applies to n
mixture Of different varieties Of
wheat. While such mixture, under
the new standards, has served to
greatly reduce the grade and the price
which the farmer can obtain for his
wheat, it has been contended that such
mixture in no, wise reduces the -four
making qualities of the grain. In fact,
1T ewas4proven on the testimony Of
millers at.thet hearing here that good
~ dark northern spring was re-
duced With a considerable quantity Of
durum and other wheats as a means
of improving the quality of the -four.
Public Hearings Will Be Held.
Washington, D. c., March 9.-Ten-
tative revised standards for wheat
under the grain standards act were
announced yesterday by the secretary
of agriculture. The standards are
less exacting. especially with reference
to moistures, mixtures Of wheat OF
different classes, inseparable foreign
material, and rye mixtures than are
the present standards. Before final
action is. taken upon the standards,
five public hearings will be held to
afford the grain trade opportunity to
discuss the proposed standards. One
of the hearings will be in Minneapolis
on March 81.
Change in the former standards is
largely due to war conditions. which
have brought about fixed prices for
wheat and substantial elimination OF
competition in its marketing.
Milling and baking industries have
been put upon. a new basis. Under
present abnormal conditions, mix
lures of different classes of wheat. ad-
mixtures of rye, and other factors, do
not play so important a part in the
marketing Of wheat as under pre-war
conditions.