Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-07-25
zapotlan, Mex, July 10, 1902.
To the Editor of the Democrat:

Inc COnVenleuCeS OF mOuern trdNei
are so perfect, the season Of year one
may select for tour. is Of small con-
sideration. Heavy vestibuled trains
move swiftly through regions where
formerly there were long, tedious des-
ert wastes and the aboriginal Ameri-
can held undisputed possession. Hours
are now as days were then. The en-
tire length Of the State of Kansas Is
spnnned in little more than nights
ride. Forty hours after leaving Kan
sas City your train rolls into Ell Paso,
a distance of 1,150 miles. You have
scarcely noticed the changes in pass
ing across rolling prairies and over
the SUBMITS of lofty mountains, be-
fore your train brings up on the Mex
lean border. You marvel at such an;
nfhilation of space. The Santa Fe
route Is certainly time killer. Kan
sas presented a moving picture in
green and yellow. With its Western
border lying under the shadow Of the
Rocky mountains this premier State
stretches to the East like an immense
inclined plain, of splendid prairie land
which produces bountiful harvests.
In 1901 four counties in Kansas pro-
duced more wheat than the entire
production of wheat in the States of
Illinois and Missouri in the year pre-
vious. Kansas has become famous
for producing hard, red wheat. The
seed of this wheat was introduced by
Mennonite immigrants % years ago,
from near the Black sea, Russia. For
several years its use was disparaged
by all the millers and grain-buyers,
who claimed that its use was not pos
sible on account of its hard. flinty
character, which made it difficult to
mill and reduce to flour. After long
experience and experiments, the mill
ers were successful in producing a
superior grade of flour which has now
become famous, both for use alone and
for blending purposes. In order that
there might be no deterioration in
quality there was direct importa-
ton of cargo of seed wheat from
lssia which was distributed among
the farmers in season for planting the
crop of 1901. Outside of few coun-
ties near the Nebraska border, little
or no attention may be said to be
given to planting spring wheat in
Kansas.
Kansas hard wheat is shipped to
other States for blending with soft
wheat from the Northwest. Mime
Sofa is conceded to be one of our best
wheat States, but since 1900 Minneso-
ia takes her hat off to Kansas. In
that year with considerably greater
acreage for Minnesota, Kansas pro-
duced 60 per cent heavier yield and
40 per cent great value. Just by way
Of emphasizing her supremacy. Kan
sas more than repeated these results
in 1901. 1t is erroneous to presume
that all of Kansas is equally as well
adapted for wheat growing and in
this respect it is interesting to note
that As of the 1O5 counties of the
State produced 90 per cent of the 'tota
production of 1901. These countie:
constitute practically the wheat bell
of Kansas and are made up of the
middle tier of counties reaching iron
the Indian Territory line through tC
the Nebraska line in the central por'
tion of the State. 1t is farther showI
by the U. S. Crop Reports, that l.
counties which constitute the centra
third of the State harvested one-hal
of the enormous yield of 1901, tn,
total of which amounted to produc
tion Of 9O,333, ,695 bushels having {
value of $50, $3.50, ,505.75 produced from
5,316,4S2 acres.
Famous as Kansas has become as
wheat producer, corn is king, for thi
crop is source of greater wealth ant
profit than any other crop and in espe
cially favored seasons its value oftel
equals the combined values of all 9th
er crops. Still Kansas only ranks fiftl
in corn production, while occupyin
first place in wheat production. Tn
greater importance attached to cor
production is its ready conversion int
beef, pork poultry, dairy and othe
products. The States that outran
Kansas in growing corn are her i'm
mediate neighbors Of the prairie cour
try.
Two forage crops have found grea
favor among Kansas farmers. Thes
are the legument plant, alfalfa, an
the non-saccharine sorghum, Kaffi
corn. AS diversified weather crol
alfalfa is considered superior to clover
Having the appearance and presentin
many of the good qualities of rec
clover it thrives on soil where Glove
would starve. This perennial legu
men has long, penetrating roots whic
reach to great depths and afford
unusual power of resistance to pre-
tracted droughts.
1t has also attributed to 1t nutritiv
qualities of very high degree an
unsurpassed value in making a suits
BILE balanced ration, either for fatteI
ing cattle or for dairy cattle in pr,
ducing milk. Its heaviest yield is sal
to be from four to six tons annual!
per acre, which is produced from tn
rich bottom lands of the Arkansa
river valley, where in some instance
; as many as five cuttings are mad
in one season.
The blossom Of the plant is rich
honey and along the way during III
ride up the Arkansas valley, ever
al nI4 ILL