The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-04-18

and, allowing an average of three cents
per bushel for hauling to market,
amounts to 25 cents, making therefore
a net profit Of 2 cents per bushel, or,
with Is bushels as an average yield,
net profit per acre Of 1918 have now
4S0 acres of land paid for a residence
in town worth s., 500, and besides, when
L left my farm four years ago to go
into bushes here, I had SO 600 in cash
to invest in a lumber yard. my present
business ] do not claim that I am in
debted to wheat farming alone for all
that / have accumulated, as [ have had
some live stock, but it certainly has
been an important factor in my pros
perity."
Here is a story from Sumner county,
the banner wheat county of the state.
1t shows the profits of a man who owns
wheat land as an investment for rental
purposes. 1t is the testimony of c. H
Felt, of Rome:
L came to Kansas. in 1898. and bought
a section Of land, for which 1 paid $l6,-
$50; 1 was then So, 600 in debt. I have
made a specially Of raising wheat;
have one COW and one horse, but not
pig. l rent my farms for one third of
the crop, delivered at market In 1894
1895 and 1895 ] realized enough from my
snare OF wheat to pay off my indebt-
edness. These were among the worst
wheat years we have had in Kansas.
In 1897 my share of wheat came to
$4,O53.9I with which I bought a half
section of land. In 1898 my total crop
was 1927 bushels. IN 1901 my crop was
2s ,S32 bushels From the proceeds Of
my farm-one- third the crop-(wheat
raising alone) / have bought $40 acres
of land in eight years. besides paying
a debt of $1,000. I now have ], 280 acres
OF land, two sections, which is worth
a least $1,000 a quarter, making $40, 900.
and deducting the S16150 which 1 paid
for the land first bought leaves $23, 800.
This represents the profit there has
been IN wheat farming in eight years.
Yes. this is the best wheat state in the
union. tenants follow dirpC-
tons they pillow early, about four inches
deep narrow twice. and sow from Sep
TENDER 10 to October TO- use a disk
drill, and SOW one and One-fourth BUSH
els per acre For harvesting, 1 use
both the binder and header: which
snail have the preference depends upon
circumstances. If a farmer has a large
crop 10 harvest he needs both. / never
burn the stubble, but pillow under. I ex-
of the SOIL
Here is an interesting story, with an
object lesson attached, by John De-
man:
II came from Belgium to America in
1870. In 1877 came to Edwards county
ana located where I now live. fifteen
miles south of Kinsley, bringing 81, 400
with me. I commenced raising wheat
the first year, and have continued to do
50 ever since. During the first ten years
L made no money, and often lost, being
stranger to the soil and climate. and
ignorant of the methods Of farming
adapted to this region. Besides, there
has been a great change in the climate
When we first came here we could hang
a quarter Of beef in the open air any
time IN summer and it would keep fresh
untll 1t was all used We cannot keep
1t now twenty-four hours in the open
air; there is so much moisture in the air
The frequent dews We have now were
unknown then. In most recent years I
nave learned how to farm, and the wealth
ar hA++ Al, -.
years have increased my Wheat-grOW-
ing from $50 to 500 acres. There was
only one Of these years in which | lost
money, the profits in other years vary
ing, sometimes being large and others
small I had $40 acres in 1901 yielding
lO,O9O bushels, machine measure, and by
weight II $50 bushels. I stored $3.50
bushels; sold the remainder at an aver
age OF hfty-three cents per bushel. The
entire crop netted me- above the cost of
production, $4,000. I do not advise
wheat raising as a speciality. I raise
wheat as a side issue Raising cattle is
1908, but used a double lister instead
one man with six horses can list twenty
acres day I level up with the cult
YatOr- do not harrow, always using
the disk drills for sowing With two
drills can put in thirty acres a day.
In harvesting use a u foot combined
machine-hinder and header. AS soon as
the wheat begins to change color I start
II with the binder; cutting IS acres day
with SIX horses. The ShOckerS follow. and
when the wheat is fully ripe we take the
header; cutting and stacking 30 acres a
then the headed wheat in the stack as
soon as we can get at it. thrashing on an
average LOCO bushels day. I hire teams
during thrashlng time to haul 200 bushels
from the machine each day to Kinsley. Is
miles away, the nearest market, and put
when fed alone is better than sorghum
alone for wintering cattle; that is for the
entire winter; II could have only one
would take the wheat straw. However. it
Is better to mix them. During the winter
OF lyOO mad $50 cattle on wheat pasture.
They grew fat enough to make good beef.
! burned my sorghum and other rough
ness 1 kept the cattle on the wheat until
the LIST of May. pasturing very close NV
neighbor said l had ruined my wheat. but
I had five bushels per acre more than he
did the following harvest. He would not
pasture his wheat nor allow others to do
So The large growth of his wheat took
all the moisture out of the soil in the
spring, and the plant suffered later in con-
sequence My wheat not having grown
very much in the spring. had sufficient
moisture to carry the crop through, even
with but little rainfall after May l. Forty
acres of my wheat yielded 40 bushels per
acre. Good wheat pasture is worth 81 per
head month for five or six months of the
than injured by it. I like Kansas and
would not exchange it for any state in the
to spend it, l went to the exposition [
Paris also visited my old home in Bel
gium and enjoyed it very much. My son
IS now in Europe
Another Rush county man who has be-
come rich raising wheat is William Wilson
of La Crosse. He says:
= came from Illinois to Kansas in 1876
and homesteaded the quarter section upon
which I now live. five miles west of La
Crosse l commenced wheat farming at
once, sowing IS acres the first year. Have
grown wheat every year since. and, find
ing it profitable. have increased my acre
age from year to year, until last year
had 500 acres in wheat. The average yield
for the past five years has been 10 bushels
per acre. and for. the entire p years the
yield per acre probably three bushels less.
The average yield per acre has not been
high. but the cost Of growing wheat in this
country is comparatively light. so ] have
found it profitable. and for this reason
have so largely increased my acreage l
sowed 800 acres for the crop of 1902. / pillow
every third year only. When don't plow
the wheat is drilled into the stubble
ground without previous preparation, with
disk drills Besides wheat raise forage
.cr.nras-enl.lrnllIa q fir and earraa