The Globe-republican., 1893-01-13
Possibilities Of Wheat Raisin. il
Southwest Kansas.


the secretary of the state board of agri-
culture. but is applicable To- all of west
ern Kansas west of the ninety ninth me-
ridian. The amount of wheat raised in
the sixteen counties this year is at least
5000. 900 bushels. Not one-tenth IF the
land is in cultivation, and nearly one
half of that in other crops beside wheat,
such as corn. sorghum. cane, barley. oats,
rye and vegetables. If, by the poor plan
| of cultivation and planting generally fol-
lowed by the average farmer-tbat is. by
blowing the ground from two to six
inches deep about once in three years,
then drilling in without further cultiva-
ton the second year, and the third run
ming over once or twice with the disc
harrow and drilling in about three pecks
to the acre, so much wheat can be raised,
how will it be when the demand of the
world makes it necessary to raise the full
capacity of the land and it is all put I'M
der as high state of cultivation as it is
capable of being put-that is, by blowing
deep. say eight to twelve inches, once in
three years and by lighter blowing each
other year, by thoroughly pulverizing
and rolling the ground before or after
planting the wheat either with hoe or
press drill. and, by this manner of cult
walton, put at least one bushel of wheat
to the acre and | am satisfied that the
number of bushels Of wheat can be dOub-
led on every acre of land not now so cnl-
tivated. The report of our secretary for
the month of November fully bears me
out in this statement. as he gives the
statements of a large number of farmers
from nearly every part of the state of the
large yields OF more or less acres. nearly
every one showing the large yields were
on land well and deeply cultivated. In
my own experience l find it to be the
case. The largest yield in this (Ford)
county, siXty-One bushels to the acre,
raised by Judge Weston near Ford City,
the ground was plowed deep in July and
August and planted in September.
If, by this manner of cultivation. such
results can be realized, what will be the
possibilities of this southwest Kansas
when the world demands the wheat and
the other ninetenths of the land is put
Kansas can raise 10000. 900 to 100, OOO, 600
bushels of wheat and will do so as soon
as there is a demand for it throughout
the world at remunerative prices. For.
although we can raise wheat at fifty cents
per bushel and live, we cannot lay up
much money or pay off very large mort
cages. If the price Of wheat should 90
up to one dollar per bushel at the rail-
road stations in southwest Kansas. we
would astOnish the world the next wear
or two after and likely break the price
down to fifty cents again. We believe
out here there is no limit to the raising
of wheat: nor do we believe that alter
mating crops is essential to the result. as
we find by good cultivation, the older
the land is the better the crop-say ten
to twelve years. rs long as any land has
been cultivated to wheat here.
Although rs great a statistician as c.
Wood Davis says the ''limit of wheat
raising has been reached in America l
do not believe that it has hardly begun
to be realized how much we can raise.
Even if the population in this part of the
state should not increase in proportion
to the demand of the world. we can, with
the modern appliances that are now be-
ing used. Snch as the steam pillow that
can prepare fifty acres of ground per day
and plant it. and rs we fully expect soon
To have the aid of electricity to aid us.
we will try and fully meet any demand
the world can make for bread.
And when some system of irrigation
has been systematized and put into prac-
teal use for the purpose of irrigating
land and not to irrigate the pockets of
corporations with foreign gold, the.quan-
tity of whent raised will be only limited,
in my humble opinion, by the demand
the world will make for it at fair prices.
l believe the demonetizing of silver has
very little to do with the price of wheat.
Supply and demand is the only reason
for wheat to be low or high, as witness
the price of hogs. For although the de-
mand from Europe, brought about by
reciprocity may have raised the price one
cent per pound, il certainly has not raised
it three to five cents per pound. There
fore. look forward hopefully to see the
price of wheat 60 once more to one dol
lar per bushel on the plains of Kansas
and to see the most wonderful crop of
wheat raised on these broad plains that
will sink into irsignificance anything that
has gone before. JOHN L. FINLEY.
Dodge City, Kansas.
-
Death and Disease.
Gen. B. F. Butler died at l 80 a. IN.
tho 11th inst very uncomfortable IF