The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-08-06
Secretary COburn Discusses 1t
at Length.
Fight For Recognition of the
Hard Winter Varieties.
WONDERFUL GAIN.
Increase in Acreage Little
Short of Phenomenal.
Four and a Half Acres to Each
Person in so Counties.

The fact that Kansas is officially
shown to be the producer of more high
grade wheat than any other like terri
tory in the world and has this year
grown what is probably the largest
crop Of best quality in our history.
makes information about her wheat
growing in great demand. The follow
ing is from the pen of Secretary +. ID.
Coburn to the Northwestern Miller. lit
gives ideas concerning this years crop
as far as statistics are available at
present.
1t is difficult for any one who has not
been in touch with or directly observant
from year to year of the progress and
expansion of wheat-g growing Kansas,
from its small beginnings forty years
ago. to comprehend how it is that the
state has gradually come to occupy the
foremost rank as a producer of hard
winter wheat, or how in quarter of n
century what were known soft
Wheats have in nine-tenths of the fields
BEEN displaced by the red, hinty sorts
introduced from Russia yet Ia every
day parlance grouped under the general
head of Turkey" wheat.
Forty years ago the Kansas area
SOWn to wheat of all kinds, winter and
spring, hard, medium and soft, white
and otherwise, was less than 10000
acres For ten years ending with 1900
the average has been 4.278.1 ITS acres.
and the yield per year. counting the
good with the bad, has been more than
46,272, 600 bushels, while in the year 1901
there viii be harvested approximately
5000, 600 acres of winter wheat alone.
yielding generously of grain grading
for quality as high on the whole as any
preceding crop grown The largest area
previously sOWn to winter wheat was
4909,972 acres. from which the crop OF
1898 was harvested, and the states
largest wheat product was n 1888, O9l
bushels in the year 1900 Crhe United
States agricultural report says the
yield was S2,4SS, 655 bushels).
Notwithstanding these wonderful ag-
greg1<e outputs, the wheat crop ia
Kansas is subject to vicissitudes, as It
is lSeWhere-though possibly to a less
degree-as is readily suggested by the
variation of the average per acre yield
from less than four bushels in 1895 TO
more than 22H bushels in 1882 In 30 of
the 80 years FOR which definite igures
are available, the average yield for all
the acres soWn has been above 10
bushels per acre, and for is years has
been 10 bushels and above.
Kansas is virtually the only portion
of America producing the famous hard
red wheat in considerable quantities,
in which. as in many other things. the
state is unique. The seed Of this wheat
was introduced about 25 years ago. be-
ing brought hither by Mennonite immi-
grants coming from the country in
southern Russia near the Black sea,
who, apparently, understood much bet
ter than Americans its hardy prOduc-
y
lowing its Introduction II was dis
paraged by American millers and grain
buyers who claimed that its hinty
character made it so difficult to grind
as to materially lessen its market value.
The farmers, however, persevered in
sowing it and the production steadily
increased, although they were COM
PEELED to accept in the markets from 10
to Is cents per bushel below what buy
ers and miIlers were willing to pay for
the softer and much better known vari-
a.. !.
bushels per acre. They persistently
argued that it was more profitable to
raise a wheat that would reliably yield
them, one year with another from l6
to 40 bushels per acre, even though sell
ing for but 20 cents per bushel, than
to raise a crop selling for 30 or
SO cents per bushels and yielding per-
haps only II or Is bushels. This, in the
course of a few years, compelled millers
to devise ways and means for more
successfully and economically convert
ing this hard wheat into flour. and
there were brought into use processes
for softening the grain by steaming
and mOistening before grindingi these
are now in general use and are consid-
cred Indispensable wherever Wheats OF
this class are Toured.
This has required a general remodel
ing of such mills as were already built,
and the construction OF the later mills
on plans in some respects entirely diff
ferent from the old, and now. out of
all this, results the Kansas hard wheat
the worlds most exacting markets as
superior to nearly all others wherever
made in America, and conceded equal
to the flours made in Hungary from
Wheats grown in that country and iu
Bohemia This either for use alone or
for blending with and giving quality
to other pretentious makes represented
as being peculiarly choice because OF
being made from extra fancy grades
of spring wheat grown elsewhere
The best of this wheat is perhaps
m ost largely grown In the central
third of the state from east to west
and in attitudes ranging from 1900 feet
in Marion county to 2100 feet in Ed
wards. an average close to or slightly
below 500 feet. The four largest
wheat producing counties. Sumner
Barton Rush and Mcpherson. have an
altitude for each respectively averag-
ing about 1850, 1900 2.075 and .450 feet
These Wheats do not retain their pc
culiar characteristics so well when
grown in the extreme eastern and
southwestern counties. showing q ten
dency to assume more the qualities OF
soft wheat and this is true, but 10 "a
much less extent elsewhere, wherever
they are grown in Kansas. This fact
has for some time suggested the desira-
bility of procuring fresh seed from time
to time from their original home IN
Russia and for a year past con-
certed novem ent Of the Kansas grain
and milling interests has been carried
on for importing direct ships cargo
of seed in time for distribution amons
Kansas farmers for the present sea-
sons sowing. This imported seed, IN
tended to be as perfect as money Wouid
buy is due to arrive at an early date
but win not be on general sale as Z