The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1903-07-24
MAKES FARMING A SUCCESS.
System by Which Jacob Trachsel
Raises Big Wheat Crops.
soil Cannot Furnish Moisture for success
sive Yields Of Theat-AIternats Crops
or Let Soil Rsst-TheOry Borne
Ont by Experience.


Ont by Experience.
Two thousand three hundred bushels
Of red wheat was waving upon the stalks
In the 155 acre field Of Jacob Trachsel
as he started to head the grain Monday.
The eye OF the reporter for this paper
became bewildered at the billOwy ex-
panss Of the whitened field. Grain was
on every hand and the Well-6lled heads
of wheat nodded their reward for the
industry and correct method applied.
With the exception Of 20 acres Of spring
sowing, this entire acreage vas drilled
in to winter wheat last fall, and if the
growing grain received enough rainfall,
we'll and good, but if it did not the roots
drew upon the surplus in the soil which
had been allowed to accumulate moist
ure the year before. And this is the
reason why Mr.. Trachsel has managed
to reap a bountiful crop ever since he
instituted his present system of farming
number of years ago.
The I55-acre tract Of wheat stands on
an average above the knee and Mr..
TrachseI says the yield will not be less
than 10 bushels to the acre, which will
amount to 1925 bushels.
Mr.. TrachseI lives about six miles
southeast Of GoOdland. His farm is
comprised of $50 acres of land. Besides
the 155 acres of this years wheat crop
he has $50 acres in good agricultural
condition which ne ploWed this summer
and it is being prepared for seeding this
fall The remaining Ia acres is given
over to pasture, orchard, garden and
buildings.
The method which Mr.. TFaehsel en-
ploys has been built up by his own OBJ
seFvation- 1.-The gFasshoppeF taught
me lesson some years ago." said be,
"and while am aware that the grass
hopper is known more for his gluttony
than for his brain power, / did not
throw away mis- teachings on that &C
count.
Zone spring I put out large acreage
to corn. moderate amount Of rain
had fallen and the crop was doing nicely.
But little pinch of drought came and
with it the grasshopper. He had
ravenous appetite for corn and in spite
of all 1 could do he ate up large patches
here and there ard in those places there
was no crop, while il. other parts Of the
field heavy stand Of corn remained.
s'The next year drilled wheat in that
field. The country was not blessed
with even a moderate amount Of rain
that season. The summer vas hot and
cry. And when harvest time came !
run out my reaper and cut good crop
Of wheat on those very places where the
hoppers the year before had eaten up
everything, but the rest Of the field
amounted to little and 1 did not cut it.
"This put me to thinking. I noticed
similar conditions with the same results
In the neighborhOOd, and deduced the
conclusion that good crops can be raised
in this country if the land be given
time to get back the moisture which
the crop takes up, and that land bur
dsned with heavy crop every year be
comes absolutely dead. 1t has no change
to conserye moisture and can not there
fore produce vegetation. I have since
proved this proposition beyond doubt,
and with a single exception have never
failed to raise an abundance of grain and
large yields Of corn"
Mr.. Trachsel was feeding his horses
ground wheat at the noon hour, and be
seemed to to take pleasure in giving to
mis- faithful animals out Of the abund-
arce. "You have wheat left from last
Year," remarked the reporter as he
opened the doors Of several bins. ''Yes;
only about 800 bushels now. It is Of last
: years crop and weighs 50 pounds strong
to the bushel. And m9st Of the farmers
didn't have any wheat to reap lastyeaF.T
aFour system OF agriculture viii sure
ly be a boon to the farmers Of northwest
Kansas, Mr.. Trachsel, when they and il
out and put it into practice"
"They are welcome to it. If I had
not worked along that principle in years
past, I should not have been able tC
build this big red barn, 40 feet square
and two stories high, or my frame resi-
dence and the other buildings which
you see. But I have left out a point
in my method Of farming. Ordinarily
wheat and corn viii alternate fairly wen
So that the same ground may be bring
ing in something every year. But wher
soil is left to inEigorste itself and il
Skinner faIlowed and narrowed to keel
all weeds down it win generally producl
two successive wheat crops. Retenti9i
Of the moisture is the secret and Rhen
ever heavE rain cemes the falloEe'
land should he narrowed te break gl