Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1900-12-15
FARM AND GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO
ACRICULTURISTS

Some Up-to-Date Hints About Cultfva-
tion the Soil and Yields Thereof-
Horticulture. viticuiturs and Fioricul-
Our wheata.
G. B. Hoffman says: There are
four great divisions of wheat in the
United States-the spring wheats. the
hard winter wheats, the soft winter
wheats and the California white
wheat. Each of these divides and
suDdivides into many kinds and va
rieties. Among the spring wheats is
the northern hard, chiefly grown in
the Dakotas. The softer varieties
grow in Wisconsin,, Michigan, Me-
braska, and, to a limited extent, in
Kansas. The soft or red varieties
are numerous and are grown in
every winter wheat growing state.
Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania,
Kentucky and Ohio grow superior
quality. Michigan, Wisconsin and Illi-
nois winter wheats are not as good.
The California white wheat is a spring
wheat and is grown almost exclusively
in all the mountain states of the west,
extending down to the tropics on the
cool mountain plateaus Of Mexico. 1t
is white wheat, makes light -four,
deficient in strength, but excellent for
Graham.
Kansas grows both hard and soft
winter wheat, and a very limited
quantity of few varieties of spring
wheat. Kansas is the only state that
grows hard winter wheat in quanti-
ties worth mentioning. This is unique
and deserves consideration. In fact,
upon this 1 think depends the suprem-
acy which Kansas Ids over all other
states, and will continue to hold in
the production of wheat.
Russian wheat, as 1t is commonly
called, although it has several other
names in different localities, as Tur-
key, Hard Wheat, Hungarian, ETC., was
first brought to Kansas by the Rus
sian Mennonites, who came to the
state in large numbers 20 or 25 years
ago. For years after its Introduction
It was disparaged by naiIIers and grain
buyers, but its hardness and almost
unfai1ing yield caused it to be grown
in eYer-increasing areas in spite of the
lower price it comm 1nded. Finally,
about 16 years ago, some of the pro-
gressive millers discovered the supe-
rior qualities Of this much-despised
which required a general remodeling
of their entire plants. and began the
manufacture of Kansas hard-wheat
fours, since become famous in the
worlds markets as superior to any
other grade manufactured in the Unit
ed States, and equal to the world-fa-
nous Hungarian hours made from the
choicest wheat grown in Hungary and
Bohemia. The best variety OF hard
winter wheat is the Crimean.
What kind of seed shall 1 sow?'
is a question the importance of which
is underrated by many farmers. Seed
wheat should be pure-that is, of one
variety. 1t should be well-matured,
full-grown, and free from smut or
other parasitic or fungoid growths 1t
should also be free from weed seeds,
especially chess ("cheat'') which, be-
ing exceedingly hardy and prolific,
will take the field if it has half a
chance, and is exceedingly difficult to
eradicate when once it has infested
nelghborhoOd- Poor, shriveled
wheat, if sufficiently matured to
sprout, will, under favorable condi-
tions, produce a good crop, but will
surely cause the variety to run OUT
in a very few years if continued SOW
ing of inferior stuff is induiged in. A
farmer should have a seed patch on
which he grows wheat for seed. This
he should give the best care, should
plow deep and early, keep it free from
weeds, use the best varieties and the
purest seed, and from the products of
this sow his larger fields. He might,
with much advantage, plant different
varieties and sow his general fields
only with such as have proven them
selves suited to that locality. He could
at comparatively small cost, exchange
seed with other farmers from time to
time, and in that manner grow the
very best quality and largest quantity.
Changing seed from one locality to
another is desirable; even from one
neighborhood to another; still better
from distant partc; usually from
northern localities to southern is bet
ter than from southern to more north
ern.
Abandoned Farms.