The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-06
GOOD EXPERIMENTS IN KANSAS.
It's Farmers Always Ready to Make
 Them with Good Results.

Kansas City (Mo.) Star.
 The advance of Kansas to the first place among the wheat producing Com monwealths again calls attention to the wonderful productiveness of that State. It Is also calculated to make one reflect on the remarkable history of agricultural experiments by the Kansas farmers. In the early eighties there was high pres sure wheat growing. but 1t did not reach the volume, nor even the relative import ance, of the crops of the past few years. The crop of 1901 aggregated more than 90, ,000, 900 bushels by far the largest of any State in the Union. This crop is valued at more than $60000,000.
 Wheat raising in Kansas has passed
 through many experimental stages. as has the growing of many other agricul-
 tural products. At first 1t was supposed that only spring wheat could be produced with profit in the State. This idea was l dispelled by the demonstrations of T. c. Henry, known as the Wheat King" who owned at one time 6O.OOO acres of land near Abilene. Henry introduced winter wheat. One year-1S76-he raised more than 100000 bushels, which he sold at about $1.20 per bushel. He revolutlonized | wheat raising in his State. At prt sent
 the spring wheat crop is an inconsider- | able item in the total product.
 In spite of the fact that Kansas has | led the prairie States in agricultural de-
 velopment. and has held the center of
 the stage for many years. there have been | times in the experimental processes when
 its people suffered disparagement for | their foolish and unprofitable methods.
 It used to be said that a Kansan would plant anything; that he had to be shown that a thing would not grow before he would believe his State could not produce 1t. For example, there are said to be 2,5OO varieties of apples. State reports show that at least 2,000 of these have been tried in the Sunfower State, many of them proving utter failures of course. but the best varieties being established indi Scrf rninata To h1f nOnplI- sive method of demonstration.
 A story is told of Secretary Mohler of the Agricultural Department that he once visited the French market in New macaroni. He was inquisltve about the curious-looking food product. He was told of the various uses to which the
 article could be put. He declared that
 Kansas" and expressed his determina- ton to try it.
 Tn recent years the Kansas farmers | have learned through their own exp ri-
 ments and through the useful informa- | ton of the agricultural schools what
 crops are best adapted to their soil and l climate. what parts of the State are best | for this or that variety, when to plant
 and sow, how to fight crop enemies, etc. | This practical schooling applies to cereals, | fruits and cattle. It is wholly probable l that the present preference for wheat | over corn will be permanent, since it has been demonstrated that as fine winter
 wheat can be raised in Kansas as in any | other part of the world, and with much | moro certainty of success than attends | the raising of corn.
 | It seems improbable that the world s wheat supply will become overlarge as a
 result of this change In Western States. l The product of the Eastern States is
 growing less and less As an illustration:
 Two counties in Kansas produced this
 wear more than |, ,000. GOO bushels of wheat
 more than all the New England Stat s T..tA f,k
 kansas, Montana and South Carolina combined.