336 
Wisconsin State Agricultural Society. 
WHAT KIND OF WHEAT SHALL WE RAISE? 
BY J. W. WOOD, BARABOO. 
The successful culture of wheat on land which has lost its virgin 
fitness, is doubtless the most desirable result which can be accom¬ 
plished by the farmers of Wisconsin. The business of wheat-grow¬ 
ing overshadows all other agricultural interests in the State. It is 
our great cash-crop for export, and places more money in the hands 
of a greater number of people than any other agricultural product, 
if not more than all others combined. We may be discouraged 
with our meagre success, and say that we will pursue other branches 
of farming, but wheat is the great staple of the civilized world. 
We may be overshadowed somewhat at present by the new lands of 
the west, but time will place us all on a common level, and intelli¬ 
gent culture alone will lead the way to success. It is not the scope 
of my present paper to discuss, in any degree, the methods of grow¬ 
ing it. I take it for granted that wheat will be raised in our State, 
and that its culture will maintain its relative magnitude, as com¬ 
pared with other industries, even to the end of time. I simply 
wish to call attention to a “ new departure ” in wheat-growing, 
based upon what is termed the u new process 11 of grinding, by which 
u patent flour ” is manufactured. That there is a new departure 
which it becomes us, as intelligent farmers, to recognize, is manifest 
by examining the market-reports for flour in any of our principal 
cities. The quotations, as given in the New York Tribune, for 
January 1, 1876, read in part as follows: 
Per barrel. 
For extra Minnesota. $5 70 
For city mills, extra.$5 25 to 6 25 
For winter-wheat, choice family, city mills, extra. 7 50 to 8 75 
For choice brands Minnesota patent. 9 50 to 10 00 
For very choice extra St. Louis . 9 00 to 9 25 
From these figures we can see that there is a grade of flour worth 
nearly double the price of good common flour, and we can learn 
