The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-13
A N WHEAT RECORD.
A Former of that state Has Raised
= Bushels on Three Acres.

IS bu>nels on Ihree AGres
Grinnell Special in Kansas City journal.
Joseph c. Ort. a w~ell-known farmer OF
Cove county, holds the championship for
the largest yield of wheat per acre in Kan
sas. The record was made on shis years
crop. From three acres of ground he
threshed 22S bushels of wheat witch tested
sixty-two pounds to the bushel This was
an average of seventy-six BUSHELS TO the
acre. From a 100-acre field. exact meas
urement, he got 4.4l6 bushels; machine
measure. which weighed out 4.553 bushels
at the elevator. This was an average for
the 100 acres of 45.6 bushels per acre by
weight.
Occasionally Kansas has raised small
patches OF wheat which went from forty
to fifty bushels 10 the acre. but, never be-
fore has a yield OF seventy-six bushels per
acre been reported. AND the chances are
that never again will such a big yield be
reported. At least Mr.. Ort Is not afraid OF
losing the banner anyways soon. The ac-
curacy of the report is vouched FOR by Mr..
Ort, the threshing outfit and the elevator
firm which bought the wheat.
The three-acre tract which made such q
phenomenal yield was formerly en- old cor
raj. Last year Mr.. Ort converted IL into a
truck patch and fertilized II heavily and
plowed it. After the vegetables were gone
he fertilized it again and plowed II four
inches deep and seeded IL TO wheat after
variety OF seed and sowed one bushel to
the acre. The seed was home grown. IL
was planted about the middle OF September.
ter. In the spring ne narrowed tne wheat.
1t stooled TO perfection and stood very
heavy on the ground.
When harvest time came he reglized that
the three-acre tract would make a big
yield and for the purpose OF lndiag out ex-
actly what the yield would be cut It with a
header ard stacked IL separately. AS stated
above 1t threshed out 22S bushels, or sew
enty-six bushels to the acre.
The 100-acre field was plowed fcur inches
deep in August, 1902, and narrowed twice.
Red turkey wheat. home grown. was sown
on Ii, one bushel to the acre. This land adj
joins the three-acre tract and Is OK the same
character OF soil. but IL wasn't .fertilized.
Mr.. Orth did not pasture this tract either
during the winter and In the spring har-
rowed IL.
cut with a header and stacked. When
threshed IL measured 4,4l6 bushels at the
machine and weighed out 4.ts3 at the ele-
vator.
Some idea OF the magnitude OF, the yield
Of the two tracts can be gained hy a COM
parison with the average yield of wheat
Kansas has had remarkably good luck
with her wheat crops for the rsast seven
years. During that period, which includes
the present. year, her wheat acreage ag-
gregated "a. 9lS. $50, and on this area she
produced 467, 770, 300 bushels of wheat. This
makes an average OF 1874 buehelf per acre
for the past seven years. Mr.. Ort's three
acre tract yielded six times the average
crop, and his 100-acre tract yielded three
and a half times the Kansas Average.
Wheat is selling at Grinnell fer from GO
10 So cents per bushel. The cost Of thresh-
ing Is : cents per bushel and 4 cents per
bushel for delivery to market. This leaves
80 cents a bushel for Mr.. Ort for his own
labor In raising and harvesting the crop
and for interest on the Investment Nm land,
or SIS per acre for the three-acre tract and
$3.50 per acre for the l0O-acre fell.
Mr. Ort Is a thorough farmer sind equipS
his 4so-acre farm with the bess of ma
chinery and good heavy teams. His Is an
upland farm. He came West from New Jer-
Sey In 1856. His family consists CT himself
and wife. MI. Ort came West for his
health. He located I'm Cove county and en-
gagged extensively In farming aud stock
raising. He has gradually loppeii OF the
stock raising and In recent years has de-
This section OF Kansas produced q phe-
nomenal wheat crop this gear. Many farm
ers got enough for their crop net TO pay for
their land twice over. The stori3s OF the
tremendous crop are almost Unbelievable.
Nine out of ten farmers who are the bene-
fciaries OF the big yield admit they would
not believe the stories II they were not on
the ground TO see them with their own
eyes. Mr.. Ort Is the king bee OF Kansas
wheat growers, so far as yields FER acre 10
concerned