Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1904-05-10

New York and Pennsylvania Lead in
the Production Of Grain-In
Other Countries

Buckwheat is raised I'll states
growing as far south as Georgia
aud AS far north as Maine. Last
year New York stood at the head
Of the column of producing states
with a crop of 3,2SO,l5S bushels,
with Pennsylvania a close second
with Bliss, 402 bushels. Third on
the list was Maine, with only 10.
100 bushels to her credit, while lit
tie Delaware came trailing in the
last with $3.50 bushels, saws the
Country Gentleman. Theavera ge
price realized by the farmers was
56 cents per bushel and the aver.
age yield was Is bushels to the
acre. Basing their calculations
on comparison Of crop fertilizers
and labor expert agriculturists
estimate that il is more profitable
TO raise buckwheat at 80 cents Der
bushel than wheat at 81. 1t is.
therefore, not surprising that the
farmers Of the older states are
giving more and more attention
to this cereal every year.
The four counties of Armstrong.
Indiana, Westmoreland and But
Ter in Pennsylvania have earned
for themselves the title of the
"buckwheat belt.n In no other
equal area in the United States is
SO much of this crop raised. MS
these four counties produce prob. |
ably four-fifths of all that is raised
in Pennsylvania. The production
of New York is greater than thai |
of the Keystone state, but is more !
generally distributed and not con
hned to comparatively restricted
area.
The buckwheat cake is a pecu-
liarly American institutions
much so as the pumpkin pie, roast
turkeyand other tOOthsOme delica-
cles dear to the heart of the cpl
cure. The crop is cultivated i'm
many lands, but the housewives of
no OthercOuntry have learned how
to prepare il i'm such manner as
to tickle the palate of the lover of
good living. In Great Britain If
is considered unfit for human con
sumption, and is used only as food
Tor pheasants and poultry. 1t is {
cultivated in India, where it is
used on bart" or feast DAYS, being
one of the foods that are lawful
on those occasions. 1t is served
to the Russian soldiers as a part
OF their ratiOns. but is prepared
IN such manner that il is said
that no one but COssack or n
starving man caneatit. In France
1t is called "sarasin." and is used
as food by the very poorest of the
peAsantry, The French name is q
bit of fOssilizcd history, being d
reminder of the fact that the grain
was introduced by the crusaders,
who obtained il from the Saraccns
Of Asia Minor. r~~"7rzf -
In Germany this grain is fed to
cattle and poultry but is not high
~ esteemed as food for human
beings. Beer is there brewed ;
from it and il is sometimes used
in gin distilleries The German
name is "buchweizcn.' or beech
wheat so called from the resem
blance of the sharp. triangular
grains to beerhnutS. In Japan if
is extensively used as an article
of diet and the Japanese variety
is one Of the most highly esteemed
and most extensively cultivated
by American farmers. the Japan
ese variety being considered more
productive and hardy than the
European or "silver hull" The
grain is supposed 10 be a native of
the basin of the Nolga. the shores
OF the Caspian sea and parts of
central Asia. Probably it was in
trOduced into China and Japan by
marauding Tartars centuries be.
fore it became known to Euro
peans.