Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-12
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
THE NORTHWESTERN MILLER,
william c. Edgar, editor. The Mil
Ter Publishing Company.

THE NORTHWESTERN MILLER.
William c. Edgar, editor. The MIL
Ter Publishing Company.
Have you seen the famous Red
River valley in springtime, it's full
length mantled in a green softer than
the emerald wears, more living than
the Jade? Have you seen it in mid
summer, clad from top to toe in sump-
tuous garments of russell and gold
Have You ever, at one or the other of
these seasons. followed the rich and
famous valley as it runs 300 miles and
more, from lower Minnesota through
North Dakota and on well up into
Manitoba? One Of the rich wheat
helds OF the world. this valley, which
through the agencies of soil and sun
and husbandry has proved so great a
factor in the building of this section
oI tne northWcst-setting the pace OF
It's swift growth, proving the quality
OF us settlers, shaping the character
OF It's DEVELOPMENT, linking it in an
eVer-expanding neighborhood of COM
mon interests and interchangeable Ac-
tivitieS. Odd, that this particular
length of land steps out in so clear a
distinction from thousands of others.
me explanation goes back to the an
cestry and early history Of the Red
River valley.
once upon a time in that Long ago
which nowadays we glibly designate
py thousands Of years, even millions
certainly in some far prehistoric
pasta huge lake stretched where
the valley now lies. This lake COW
cred more than d hundred thousand
square miles. an area larger than that
OF Ill the great lakes rolled into one.
The Red River valley is the bed of
that ancient lake. In the slow cen
turles lying in between the two,
mighty glaciers passed that way
grinding, securing, leveling the face
or the land, carrying, in sum, vast
loads of silt, laying it down upon the
sunken bed of the lake. And these
two soils worked out. together, a
special chemistry of their own, be-
coming one in the process. This soil
possessed q clear affinity for the
wheat sown within it, quickening the
seed to SURPRISING productivity and
excellence.
Here the husbandman himself steps
IN for deserved recognition. a north
Europe man, he, wayWise to the soil
and its culture. A sturdy, hard-work-
ing man whose forefathers in the old
country had also plowed and planted
and harvested the land. The soil, the
wheat and the farmer constitute the
basic partnership upon which the
rapid growth and phenomenal pros
perity of this section depend To this
initial partnership have been added
supplementary ones. At
the call of the wheat cities have come
into being. these, in effect, immense
Hour mills and grain warehouses;
huge plants for the making of ma
for the farm and for better
processes of converting the. wheat
into flour; miles of factories for turn
ing the wheat into food products of
endless variety; laboratories for soil
analysis and test and experiment;
agricultural colleges; special publica-
tons for current Information and
larger contracts; distributing centers.
too, these cities, long professions of
carriers passing to and from by land
and water.
Upon occasion one or another of
these allied enterprises comes to
pause for a. reaccounting of aims and
achievements. Such an occasion is
represented by the volume at hand.
In this case the Northwestern Miller
is making a celebra tion-a half GEN.
fury in the service of wheat capped
by golden anniversary. Dressed in
its best, SO to speak, with banners
flying mad bands playing, this ami
VerSary number marShalS the years
and proclaims the progress of the
great wheat industry of the west.
Certainly, the big book offers a fine
front of holiday bravery. Paper and
type and decorations make an imme-
call is from the illustrations that
separate into two friendly companies
Here are reproductions Of the fine art
of painting and sketch, setting out
some point of history, some incident
of special moment and interest, some
artists conception of the beauty and
meaning Of the subject. These pic
lures stand in good fellowship beside
examples of the practical
art that belongs to the business of
Indeed, the section given
over to this purpose possesses high
quality in both form and content. The
pictorial part of this book is specially
attractive, tempting one to point out
this picture in color or that one, this
etching or that, as having particular
point and appeal. Fairer, however, to
express appreciation of an illustrative
ensemble of unusual merit
X x X X
The body of this anniversary num-
Der is. in view of its commemorative
purpose, definitely calculated to pre-
sent a comprehensive survey, one
that covers not only the high points
in the half-century career of the
Miller itself. but one
that includes as well such earlier
facts as are needed to round and IL
illuminate the stery of the great wheat
industry of this region. Here are his
torical sketches and bits of biography;
plain records of special achievement
in this field; waymarks set UP to
cultivation; notices of judgments and
awards in recognition of superior ac-
complishment- Here are, besides.
stories and poems, all bearing upon
Sea" is a characteristic Eden Phiilpott
tale. 1.-THE Miller of Sans-Souci," 1.-The
Grist." indicate the drift and point of
the stories. THE Red Mill" THE
Wind in the Wheat" "A Blessing for
Bread" and Famine" give the COM
verse. "a Short History of Flour
Milling" 1.-The Development of Bak-
ing" war Bread in Retrospect" add
features Of definite information and
discussion. Editor William G. Edgar,
supported by half a hundred illustra-
lions, tells the story of the North
western Miller.
+ X
The sketches OF biography. gathered
from different parts Of the. book and
brought together for the purpose of
comparison, throw an interesting
light upon the development OF at least
one phase of the wheat industry.