The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-01-16
Agricultural College Expert
Says it Would Increase
Land Value Sl64, 600, 900
INCREASE WHEAT YIELD
Would Mean Ten Cents Per
Rushel Added to the Price
of Our Wheat

be raised $l6l, 1905 600 by the ST.
Lawrence deep waterway, that the'
farmers of this section could save
seven cents a bushel on freight and
handling charges on export gram,
and that the st. Lawrence waterway
would bring central North Dakota
within 400 miles Of the seaboard are
the striking statements made this
morning at the annual meeting OF
the Tri-Statc Grain Growers by DR..
A. H. Benton, marketing specialist
at the North Dakota Agricultural
college.
"On the basis of farm acreage of
20 million acres G92D this would
be equivalent to So an acre, or $500
on a half section, assuming 1T were
all in use and available for produce
ing Il grain crop with average
Yields" DR.. Benton explained. even
Il larger figure results from calcu-
lations on an acre of wheat. The
average yield of wheat for the past
few years is 10 bushels per acre.
An increase of seven cents Il bushel
would equal 70 cents. This capital
lztd at seven per cent equals YlO
an acre. which would be secured
without any actual increase IN cost
as the return from the electric pow
sr will pay the cost Of the canal,
Other Effects
The effect in other ways ~ dii1i-
cult to forecast, but the time Will
come when Ignite coal products, ns
4 Ia, fnal I'LL
be shipped to the east. This water
way will furnish cheap transporta-
ton Butter can now be shipped
more cheaply to eastern points by
lake than by rail, and if we should
ever become butter exporting ma
ton the camel will place the farm
err in this mid continent area on
more nearly equal competitive basis
with eastern farmers. The time may
come when we will be importing pro-
duets from foreign countries. We
then will have the benefit of cheap
water transportation for incoming
products
The combined savings are ut least
seven cents Il bushel on wheat, ac-
cording to DR.. Benton, made up Of
six cents on freight and one cent on
handling charges. The price OF
grain exported from North Dakota
and the spring wheat area will be
increased by this amount. The price
level of grain needed for consump-
ton will also be raised. DR.. Benton
believes.
When higher grades of wheat are
worth So bushel and lower grades
$3.50 bushel, the higher is worth
SO cents a bushel more to the miller
than is the lower grade. If the low
er grade were raised seven cents a
bushel the higher grade also would
go up as the millers would buy more
of the higher grade until the price
difference became the same.
Durum Wheat Benefit
North Dakota which raises 4
large proportion of durum wheat
would benefit directly because 90
per cent of the hard red. spring
wheat is handled at Duluth. Since
it is not valued OH the basis of pro-
tein or gluten content all durum
wheat would be directly affected by
reduction in the costs of placing
it on the European markets.
RYE is also an important grain in
this area, and between 40 and 90
million bushels are annually export
ed from the United States" said DR.
Benton Much of this is shipped
from Duluth. On this the farmer
in this section would again benefit
10 ha 81 h,,c hal
Barley is likewise on an export basis
some Is to 20 million bushels being
exportej annually The question
arises as to whether we will get the
benefit of the cheaper water haul
on barley and oats, for example
which are not so definitely on an ex-
port basis as rye, wheat, and durum
l think we will. If it should hap.
pen that barley and oats are not
affected like wheat and rye, farm
ers will grow more Of these and les:
Of the others, thereby making then
more scarce and thus affecting the
price.
What would an increase of sever
cents u bushel mean to North Dako
ia farmers? The average yield o.
grain for the five year period, 1920
1924 and the increased returns u
seven cents bushel are as follows
U. S. Exports Increased Revenu
100 to $50 .
million
bu. wheat 96,2OO.OOO@7c $6.734,OO
40 to so mil
lion blu.
rye 49,. .14,5oo, O00@7c 1.Ol5,Oo
So to 40 mil
lion blu.
oats -. $1,000, OOo@7c 100000
Is to 20 mil
lion blu.
barley $4,000 ,000@6c 1,452,Oo
Flax -. 100000 (no effecD
1851 ,OO
This $11,5O1, 900 can be attribute
to the savings that would resu
from increase in returns on graf
due to cheaper transportation.
Value OF Waterway
The value of the proposed watel
way was also emphasized by Wade
Connell, Duluth, who is associate
With the st. Lawrence-Great LAX
project. He declared that it col
less to ship grain from Argentine
New York, distance of 5000 mile
than from North Dakota to Ne
York. q distance Of only 1900 mile
and that it was cheaper to ship col
per from Montana to the Pacif
coast and thence to New for
fArouSh the Panama canal than