Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-04-17
e. N. CARVER TELLS WHAT II
COSTS.
Experience Of Decade in Continuous Sns %s
Wheat Production Has Caused NO
Diminution Of Yield Conditions
Described.

A fine report on wheat growing IN
Kansas has been published BY the
State Board Of Agriculture. In IL aP'
nears this excellent article by G. NJ
Carver Of Grant township on the re-
sults Of his wheat farming in this
county:
"Ten years is the compass OF my
experience in winter wheat raising III
Kansas, and 100 acres, valued at thirty
dollars per acre, has been the average
annual area sown. My land, when
is "bottom," has produced an aver
age yield for the ten years OF twenty
five bushels per acre. No difference
has been noticed between the yleia
produced by land seeded to wheat as
many as seven years in succession
and the yield from new land fer'll.
izers have not been used Most OF
our stubble is burned. We do not
deem plowed-under stubble as OF any
particular value year by year. al
though its accumulated strength
might in time appreciably add to the
fertility of the soil. Flowing is done
as soon as possible after harvesting
to moderate depth, and we try to
avoid using a disk harrow we use
three.section steel harrow, with
plank laid across for the driver to
stand upon. With six horses hltched
to this, the volunteer wheat and
weeds are cut out without loosen
ing the soil too much. One and one
fourth bushels Of hard Russian wheat
are sown, commencing about Septem'
ber 20, by means Of hoe-drill. Our
growing wheat is never rolled or har-
rowed. We think that raising wheat
too long in one locality without
change of seed may have tendency
to weaken the straw, but believe it
does not diminish the yield OF grain
We have sown seed from other
localities without deriving any appre-
ciable benefit. The binder and head
er are both used in harvesting, but
the crop can be harvested cheaper BY
means of the header With a binder,
cutting can be commenced earlier, or
as soon as the straw becomes yellow
at the bottom. The entire crop
should be cut when far enough ad-
vanced to fill the grain, on account
of minimum waste at that stage. We
prefer to thrash from the shock, as it
saves handling, and ordinarily makes
better quality of grain. Wheat tests
heaviest at threshing time, and, il
sold then, loss by shrinkage is avoid
ed. Where one can farm to any ad-
vantage, wheat.raisiDg as perma-
nent business should pay. We pas
ture our wheat fields as soon as good
growth has been made in the fall,
and until late winter, but never in
the spring. As rule it proves bene'
fetal, but of course it would not do at
all some seasons, particularly when
suffering from dry weather. Wheat
pasturage is worth about one dollal
per acre. Apparently, injurious in
sects have not been affected in any
way by pasturing. A field pasturec
most il the fall Of 1900 was damaged
more from Hessian fly than Others
not pastured at all. | estimate th'
cost Of one acre Of wheat at $S.O5 al
follows:
m.,u No
FLOWING 49, " p"
Narrowing twice. ................".... q
Seed, five pecks), and seeding ......." 0
Cutting with binder) and shocking. 1
Threshng twenty bushels and putting
In bin or ar......,.,,...,,,..,...,.'. z
Wear tear and interest on tools,..,,.. b
n