Evening star., 1923-09-24
MONTREAL GETTING
BUFFALQ'S GRAIN
Freight Rates Cause Change
IN Shipments-Night Shifts
Successful on Farms.
BY j. c. RoYLE.

Gpecial Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, September 24.-Grain
Is moving in increasing volume from
the head of the lakes to Montreal,
while the shipments for tidewater.
through Buffalo, have fallen off as
compared with other years. Grain
shippers of the northwest declared
today the answer was to be found, to
large extent, in the freight rates.
Wheat is being carried from Port
Williams and Port Arthur to Montreal
for 8 Il to 10 cents a bushel, whereas
It costs 1876 cents to send a bushel
of wheat from those ports to New
York by water and rail for export
For domestic consumption the rate is
almost cents higher, the rail
tariff from Buffalo to New York for
such shipments being 20.s7 cents per
LOO pounds. Rates on barley, oats,
corn, rye and fax seed show approx
mately similar ratios.
Inc 81. Lawrence river was stripped
OF its fleets during the war. and up to
this year the tolls from the head of
the lakes to Montreal averaged be-
tween II and 13 cents a bushel These
were nxed by the vessel rate from
Fort Williams and Port Arthur to
Georgian bay, plus the rail rate from
pay ports. So many small boats have
been put in commission along the ST.
Lawrence, however, that a regular
charter rate now is published.
The present small canals along the
st: Lawrence are being extensively
used and the Great LakeS-St. Law
renee Tidewater Association. with
headquarters in Duluth, is pressing
Tor immediate further extension of
the st. Lawrence canal system. Mem
oerS OF the association say that with
the completion of the new Welland
canal lake carriers will be able to
make their way into the st. Lawrence
and that still larger tonnage of
grain will be carried.
Considerable opposition is being
expressed against the st. Lawrence
ship canal project in this state. This
IS based on the ground that New York
state would be required to pay % per
than because the canalization of the
st. Lawrence would tend to divert
traffic from New York waterways and
from New York harbor.
Farmers Put on Night Shifts.
Early to bed and early to rise, prac-
ticed over hundreds of years, has not
seemed to make the farmer wealthy,
so many of them are trying night
shifts instead of early retiring to
make their equipment more effective
and their overhead expense less:
Prof Andrew Boss, agricultural
production expert and head of the
farm management department of the
Minnesota Agricultural College, said
today that while night shifts were
not practical at all seasons, for fall
plowing and harvest emergencies it
was further step toward efficiency.
Even in the last five years." he
added. modern mechanical inventions
have increased the efficiency of farm
ing operations to an exceptional de-
gree. Night farming is practiced
widely throughout the northwest
Night blowing DECREASES the soil
preparation period by about ne-third.
II does not appear practicable on
small farms, but with big acreage
1t is marked step in the changed
order of things"
Frequently reaping and shocking
at night is impractioable because of
dew. but even this has been done in
many eases this season.
1T is true that the farmer is be-
coming more intelligent buyer"
Prof. Boss continued. but too fire.
quently he still buys equipment
which, while practicable. Is not need
ed by him. In the case of the tractor,
for example, research indicates that
such a machine must be used from
400 to 500 hours per year to earn
money on the investment, and many
farmers cannot use tractor that
much"
g. Quality of 1923 Wheat.
The quality of the 1923 wheat crop
has been determined by a survey of
eighty-two -four mills in Kansas,
Oklahoma. Texas, Nebra ska, Missouri
and Colorado. 1t requires four BUSH
els thirty-six pounds of hard wheat
TO produce a barrel of flour, four
bushels twenty-siX pounds to four
bushels thirty and half pounds of
mixed wheat and four bushels TWEEN
ty-five pounds to four bushels forty
two pounds of soft wheat.
Tho situation of farmers and stock
men throughout the west is showing
steady improvement. according to
Frank w Mondell, former representa-
tive from Wyoming and now a mem
bar of the War Finance Corporation,
who has Just completed a tour
through the intermountain states.
The situation was best, he said. where
farming was diversified He added
that one of the most hopeful signs
of the times was the growth of CO.