Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-03-28
For the Essex County Hera n
Winter Wheat in Kansas.

"hO1b StOp buau uuI-
ing the past two years, although last
season the yield Of winter wheat, in
this section of the country, was about
twenty bushels per acre. The wheat
interest is, at this time, suffering
from one of those seasons of depres-
sion which is the inevitable result
of exclusive reliance upon single
crop, a poor yield being obtained
last year, taking the State togeth-
er, and a still poorer result the year
before, though previous to that a bad
yield was hardly ever known, when
put in reasonably well.
Wheat culture is very profitable
here; to give force to this l will give
an example. At the present price of
land, the first crop. as a general
thing, will pass for the land and the
cost of of $40 breaking and fencing.
Take an eighty acre farm for instance,
at cost often dollars per acre. The
breaking of this would cost, if hired,
two hundred and forty dollars, fence
ing with oak posts and Pine lumber,
would cost about three hundred dol
lars; sum total, thirteen hundred and
forty dollars. Call the yield of wheat
at twenty bushels per acre, though l
am told it generally goes much higher /;
this at Sl.25 per bushel (the pres
ent price, and can be counted
on for winter wheat) would be two
thousand dollars, giving a margin of
six hundred and sixty dollars for ex-
penses-such as harvesting and
threshing. have given an example
simply of what is being done every
year by men Of energy and persever-
ance.
At Louisville, Pottawatomie county
of this State, year before last, gen
tleman raised on upland prairie, which
had been eight years under cultiva-
ton, Tappahanook wheat, which
yielded forty-two bushels per acre.
and this though firm yield, is moth
ing unusual for new land just broken.
People generally put their wheat in
with drill, at the depth of about
three inches which insures it against
the winter, sowing in the month of
September, and harvesting in Junee
The past year several headers hav.
been introduced here for cutting
grain, which | believe are generally
liked on the account of the rapidity
with which grain can be secured with
them, five men being able to put
twenty acres in the stack in day
and ut about half the cost of doing
it with ordinary reapers. We also
use what is called the Marsh Harvest.
er which carries the binders on the
machine; two men in this way being
able to do the work of about four mer
as usually done with q self rake, and
wasting much less grain. The
threshing is all done out of doors
with power OF ten horses, or by
steam and at a cost of four and hall
or five cents per bushal for wheat and
three for oats.
At this point we have a fine flour
ing mill and much of the wheat is
ground that is raised hear about, anc
the -four shipped East; thus keeping
clear middle men and holding much
money in the country that would 9th
erwise go to the cities.
In closing | will say few words
in regard to the adoption of our lane
for raising wheat. The soil is ricl
and very productive, easily worked
and at the present being mostly new,
is free from weeds which trouble the
older States so much. l have often
thought what blessing it is TO wheat
producers, that Canada thistles does
not grow West of the Mississippi
River. II. VIZ.
Sabctha, Kansas. March 1G, 1874.