Great Falls tribune., 1922-04-18

Montana flour has gained repu-
tation that has made 1t choice prod
uct and has created demand for it
in it's finest grades in Chicago. New
York and Boston, J. III. Reid, assistant
to the manager Of the Royal Milling
company, told members of the kiwanls
club in talk at the luncheon meeting
at the Rainbow Monday. He said that
75 per cent Of the Royal bran is mar
keted in the New England states from
Boston as the central market, meet
ing the demand for a choice bran.
He predicted that Montana will be-
come the equal of Kansas as wheat
state within the next decade, produc-
ing 1OO,OOO.OOO bushels of wheat a
year and said he considered the re-
cent failures as a period found in the
development of all grain states and
valuable in teaching the lessons of
better farming.
Can Produce Finest
1--WE have often heard the express
sion that Montana as wheat pro-
ducing state is in its infancy he
said. ''rhe fact is, we have hardly
started We have been just expert
mentkag, demonstrating what we can
raise The result is that we have
shown the world that We can produce
the finest hard wheat grown any
where but because of methods pur-
sued not enough of it.
"This last year will undoubtedly
prove of untold benefit to agriculture
in Montana 1t has certainly develop
ed the fact that if we expect to raise
wheat successfully on dry land. we
must practice better farming methods
Many have learned their lesson and
this year will no doubt prove by in
creased yields the wisdom of proper
cultivation of the soil.
Montana on Home Stretch
Looking backward in the history
of the Dakotas and Kansas, it seems
that before state is brought into full
production, it must go through per-
iod of depression. 1t does seem that
Montana has just finished making
such journey-has rounded the
stake. and is now on the home
stretch, and will be sure winner.
According to figures reported by
the Montana crop reporting service,
our production of wheat in 1921
amounted to 2S.16s.OOO bushels. Had
it not been for the lack of moisture
and the hot weather, our production
would have been considerably larger.
Winter Wheat in Good Shape
''It is TOO early to prophesy what
our production is going to be this
year but we do know that about 800,
600 acres of winter wheat came
through the winter in splendid con-
tiition and we do know that the ground
was never in better condition than it |
is this spring for the planting of !
crops. Much depends on the weather |
during the next four weeks as to the !
acreage put into spring wheat. but |
with anything like seasonable weather.
! think we are justified in placing our
estimate on the spring, wheat acreage
winter and spring acreage of 2,5OO,OOO
which, with, an average yield Of only
16 bushels, will give us crop Of 40
100000 bushels.
'The average yield for the 10 years
prior to and including 1921. which in
cluded the drouth years, was 1929
bushels to the acre. running as high as
24.7 bushels in 1911 and as low as 4.S
bushels in 1919. The average yield 10
years prior to 1917, the commencement
of the dry period, was 22.15 bushels,
so you will see that the estimated av-
erage of 16 bushels is conservative.
With favorable conditions. the yield
may run 20 bushels to the acre or
better.
Expect so Per Cent Increase
Il firmly believe that with the i'm
proved methods of cultivation, which
are fast being established, and with re-
newed confidence, that we can reason
ably expect an increase of 80 per cent
in the wheat acreage in 1923 or g.
10000 acres. meaning 60,O0OOOOi
bushels Of wheat alone.
'While Montana cannot yet be con-
sidered a flour milling state. still we
have quite number of mills within
the border" he said. According to
the last tabulation, there are 81 mills
1855 barrels for each "a hours or |
4.265. 900 barrels for year of 300 !
working days. Some Of the mills are
small country plants that operate for t
only part of the year. ]
Falls Can Feed State
Montana would ordinarily consume I
about $4,000 barrels of flour in 2 /.
year. We have capacity right here
in Great Falls to take care of the en- !
tire state requirements and still have
a surplus. But with this divided
among 81 mills. commercial mills such
rs we have here must look outside the
state for the greater part of their /
market. Since it's infancy, Great Falls G
has been connected with the millinx /
The Royal Milling company L
plant now has capacity Of $500 bar Il
rels day and the Montana Flour Mills t
company capacity Of $500 barrel, t
p day to be marketed from Great Il
Falls. When operating at capacity. d
these mills employ about 200 persons
These, with commission houses. en- t
ployes some $50 persons in Great q
Falls '
Plans for the campaign for the mu- q
licipal band sponsored by the club were t
announced by Morris Handler. All / t
members of the club will meet Friday 9
at 8 o'clock at the Rainbow, 4
when districts for canvass will be as O