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Show DURUM WHEAT AND THE EXPORT EX-PORT FLOUR TRADE. I Before Special Agent M1. H. David starred on his tout of investigation American -millers knew in a general way the cause of the decline of our export flour trade with Great Britain. They knew that the disastrous crop ! of 1904, the growth of the British milling industry and irregular arrivals of consignments all contributed to the falling off of American flour exports. ex-ports. But wc venture the belief that-few that-few if any millers regarded the mere growing of Durum wheat in this country as an actual causo of the dc- I'. clinc of our foreign flour trade, how- I ever much they may regard it as a menace, Yet this is what Mr. Davis says: , It may 'bV stated that hc introduc- j tion and large production of an in- ' fcrior wheat in the Northwest, known as macaroni or Durum wheat, has had much to do with loss of trade in American flour. To a considerable extent the confidence of foreign buyers buy-ers has been shaken by the thought i that possibly a considerable pcrccnt- ' age of this Durum wheat might find its way into the flour. So far it has not appeared to any marked extent, ! but the fear is upon the buyers, and every means to reassure them should be ta,ken by exporting millers. We confess that we don't exactly see the logic of the alleged state of affairs. If American millers had used Durum wheat to any extent in the export trade, which Mr. Davis seems K to deny, wc could understand how it might affect trade. But wc don't understand how the mete fear would dcUr the hard-hearted flpur buyers of Great Britain, so long as they knew they were getting quality. The flour buyers of Great Britain arc as shrewd business men as there arc anywhere. And they know that Durum wheat is imported into Great Britain and largely large-ly ground in British mills. We cannoc believe that Durum wheat could affect af-fect our export trade, in any way unless un-less it were made into flour, which, Mr. Davis is careful to state, has not occurred to any marked extent. If it is a nircrc "fear" that is on the buy- crs, millers will have no trouble in overcoming that. Durum wheat won't hurt American flour abroad if American millers won't grind it. Probably the Agricultural Department Depart-ment will get after Mr. Davis for his statements as to the inferiority of Durum. The inevitable controversy will be interesting, even though it will be thrashing over of old straw. The Agricultural Department can no more make millers grind Durum than Mr. Davis can make the farmers stop raising it; and there you arc. American Ameri-can Miller. ' . - |