Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1902-02-13

The advance OF Kansas to the tirst
place among the wheat-prOducing COM
monwealths again calls attention TO
the wonderful productIveness OF that
State. 1t Is also calculated 70 make
one reflect on the remarkable history
OF agricultural experiments by the
Kansas farmers. In the early SOS there
was hlgh-pressure wheat growing. but
It did not reach the volume. nor even
the relative Importance. OF the crops
of the last few years. The crop OF
1901 aggregated more than 90.000.0O0
bushels. by far the largest OF any
State In the Union. This crop Is val
ued at more than $50.000.000.
Wheat raising In Kansas has passed
through many experimental stages, as
has the growing Of many other agri-
cultural products At first 1t was sup
posed that only spring wheat could
be produced with profit in the State.
This idea was dispelled by the demon
strations Of I. c. Henry, known as
the ''wheat king" who owned at one
time 10000 acres OF land near Abilene.
Henry introduced winter wheat One
year QST6) he raised more than ZOO
600 bushels, which be sold at about
$1.2O per busheL He revolutionized
wheat raising In his State. At present
the spring wheat crop is an lnconsid-
erable item In the total product.
In spite OF the fact that Kansas has
led the prairie States in agricultural
development. and has held the center
OF the stage for many years, there have
been times in the experimental pro-
cesses when It's people suffered dis
paragement for their foolish and un-
profitable methods. 1t used to be said
that a Kansan would plan anything;
that he had to be shown that thing
would not grow before he would be-
lieve his State could not produce it
For example. .'there are said to be $500
varieties of apples. State reports show
that at least 1000 Of these have been
tried in the Sunfiower State. many Of
them proving utter failures, of course,
but the best varieties being establish
ed through this indiseriminate but con-
elusive method of demonstration.
A story Is told of Secretary Mohler
of the agricultural department that he
once visited the French market in New
Orleans and there for the first time
saw macaroni. He was inquisitive
about the curious-looking food prod
uct. He was told of the various uses
to which the article could be put He
declared that he believed "the stun
would grow in Kansas" and expressed
his determination to try 1t.
In recent years the Kansas farmers
have learned through their own exper-
iments and through the useful infor-
nation OF the agricultural schools
what crops are best adapted to their
SOIL and 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 school
applies to cereals. fruits and cattle. 1t
Is wholly probable that the present
preference for wheat over corn will be
permanent since it has been demon
strated that as fine winter wheat can
be raised In Kansas as in any other
part of the world and with much more
certainty of success than attends the
raising of corn. says the Kansas City
Star.
1t seems improbable that the worlds
wheat supply will become overlarge as
a result of this change in Western
States. The product of the Eastern
States is growing less and less. As
an illustration: Two counties in Kan
sas produced this year more than H.
100000 bushels of wheat-more than
all the New England States and Jer-
sey. Delaware. Alabama, Arkansas.
Montana and South Carolina combined.