The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1883-10-25
a mAaEiFlCENT YIELD or WHEAT
And some PRACTICAL LESSONS TO
&c DRAWN FROM N.

a mAaEiFlCENT YIELD or WHEAT
And some PRACTICAL LESSONS TC
&c DRAWN FROM tT.
ChieaEs Farmers Review
The Saline County JOURNAL, ,Saiina
Kansas, In its issue Of September IS
published q column Of reports from
farmers In that county, received In re
sponse % an invitation sent out By the
JOURNAL, giving their acreage In
wheat the past season, kind Of land on
which raised, and the yield per acre.
These reports analysed present the
following Interesting facts and figures:
Total number Of acres reported, 2,634
average number Of acres in wheat by
each farmer, SIS; number farming on
bottom land, Il; on second bottom, 3 ;
on upland, 81 average yield per acre
Of the whole, 28.7 bushels average
yield per acre on bottom land, 28S
bushels [; On second bottom, 28 4, and
on upland, p bushels. This showing
will be admitted by all 70 be q mag
niicent one for this country, In which
the average yield Of our wheat crop,
taking several seasons In successisn, Is
but q fraction above y bushels per
acre, while In England the average
yield Ia average seasons, Is stated by
the Mdrk Lane Express, the highest
authority on the subject, Is 29.5 BUSH
els, or 2.S bushels IN excess Of this ex-
ceptiOnal yield in this one OF the best
wheat-grOwing countries In the whole
country. It may be that III reports had
been received from all the farmers in
the county the average yield per acre
would fall below that reported by the
4S farmers who responded 20 the invi-
tatiOn Of the JOURNAL A further eX-
animation Of the figures shows the
variation in yield per acre reported.
The highest yield on bottom land was
AZ bushels, and the lowest "a bushels,
difference OF IS bushels. On second
bottom the extremes are 2055 and 80
bushels, q difference Of 1915 bushels.
On upland the highest yield was 35,
and the lowest sc bushels, a difference
Of 2S.4 bushels. The next lowest Yield
on upland reported was IL bushels,
giving a difference between it and the
highest yield Of "A bushels per acre
The writer Is well enough acquainted
with Saline county 10 know that there
Is q remarkable uniformity in the
quality Of each Of these three classes
Of soils One acre OF bottom is about
as good as any other acre Of bottom To
be found In the county, and the same
Is true OF the second bottom and up
land. No difference in climate cOndi-
tons could account for this great dr.
ference in yield, for Il is all embraced
In the limits OF one county, and no
mention Is made Of any local storms
which Damaged the crop. The differ
enee can only be accounted for in one
way. II was the result Of good or poor
farming, and this includes the prepar-
RtiOn Of the ground, selection OF seed,
and manner and time Of seeding. Had
all been equal TO the best In each OF
the three divisions IL would have given
an average yield per acre for the whole
OF S7.66 bushels, an increase OF nine
bushels per acre over the present aver
age. This would have given 10 each
Of the As farmers with his 54.s acres.
an increase Of 493 bushels, and would
have increased the crop on the 1884
acres by 1884 bushels worth TO the
farmers 81, ,748, or $3.50 10 each, which
would have been q nice sum TO have
realized above what his crop has given
him, allowing each only an average Of
the whole. We have been at the pains
"a present the above analysis and cal
culatiOns for the purpose Of illustrating
the losses which the country annually
sustains through poor farming. and to
emphasize the importance Of using
such improved methods that in every
case the highest possible results shall
be attained. Only by such means can
the farmer attain the full measure of
success. The day for poor farming Is,
1t Is to be hoped, passing by. InteH-
size farming must be the motto Of the
farmer, giving such care and attention
to each crop grown as shall secure the
maximum yield possible.