The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-11-20
Farming Of the uture.

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the subject close attention that the world
supply Of wheat VIII IN a few years be
below the demand, and although more land
viii be brought into cultivation for wheat,
! yet there will arrive a time when the yield
of wheat must be increased or the supply
! viii be inadequate. The average yield OF
wheat per acre in this country is 13 BUSH
els, While In Europe the average is 81
| bushels. In some sections of the United
| states 10 bushels per acre of wheat is not
unusual, for large farm, but the use of
! the same land for wheat year after yer
will result in diminished yields, In the fu-
ture unless some change occurs IN the
cultivation OF that cereal. The fact that
the average yield in Europe is two and a
haif times as much as in this country de-
monstrates that our farmers can at least
double their averages, which fnsures twice
as much wheat as Is now grown. The
fact is that in Europe the farms are small
and highly cultivated, while in this coun-
try land IS cheap and many sections not
thickly populated, but the systems Of Eu-
rope are worthy Of consideration, and
should encourage our farmers to expect be;
ter results.
At one of the experiment stations wheat
was tested in plots under various modes
of cultivation and II was found that when
the seeds were carefully selected, planted
in rows and cultivated with hand impie-
ments, the yield was at the rate of sixty
bushels per acre, and a case IS on record
where farmer In England planted wheat
in rows one foot apart, and the grains
six inches apart IN the rows, cuitivat.ng
between the rows and hoeing in the rows,
by which method he secured over 100 bush
els per acre: but such cases are the ex-
ception. The English field was first COW
Ell ed six inches with manure and the ma
nUre well worked into the soil, whine the
season was favorable. What the cost of
labor amounted to was not stated, but the
fact was demonstrated that wheat could
be cultivated like corn and the yield large
ly increased. At the present day there are
improved hand cultivators-that are aids
to hand work, and If the price of whea.
in the future warrants their use there
is no doubt that the average yield OF the
future will be much larger.
Before farmers can be induced to resort
to the intensive system of cultivating the
soil they must study the needs Of plants
and bring to their aid the use of fertilizers
but IN the application of more fertilizers
they Will eventually inausurate some meth
VI oA l-ItSdtfhS Tic sui pcIlOS4S
when the season is dry. That the farmers
VIII be compelled to increase their average
yields of all crops is a fact that is appar-
ent, as the larger the yields the lower the
cost Of labor, and they can derive better
results from certain proportion OF fer
tilizer or manure on a small area than
when the plant food is spread over a large
surface. When prices allow OF 20 doicg
there viii be no lack of labor to accomplish
the desired objects, but the farm should
not be devoted TO cereal crops only. 1t Is
a frequent occurrence for farmers near
large cities to make large prifits but they
do 80 by compelling the land to produce
to its fullest capacity of those crops that
bring the best prices, and in these days
Of superior transportation facilities dis
teuoe from market is shortened, being COM
plted by hours instead of miles, and the
farmer at a distance has Opportunities
which he should use to his advantage.