The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-15
KANSAS NEWS.
Facts Regarding Western
Wheat Fields Are Given.
Trego County Crop Stories Al
most Beyond Belief.
ALFALFA A FEATURE.
Thomas County Pastor Guilt
waited 500 Acres of Grain.
Gave Him $4,000 Bushels of
Wheat and $4,000.

w eh-1ACChSy5 NALL, MdTCH l0.-f1eIe
are some facts regarding certain Kan
sas wheat fields which have proved to
be Veritable gold mines:
TREGO COUNTY.
F. Stradel purchased in 1902 a section
of land. He sowed 312 sod acres of
winter wheat; harvested next year
over 5000 bushels of wheat, or an aver
age in excess of twenty-six bushels per
acre; sold wheat at SIS cents per bushel,
or an aggregate of over $4,000 raised
also 1900 bushels of sod corn-twenty-
1Ve bushels per acre. Mr.. StradePS first
crop, on sod land, realized him about
$l,2O0 above the actual cost of the land
itself
Thomas Simoivish bought in 1897 480
acres at So per acre on time payments.
His assets consisted of 1866 in cash, a
wife and five children. One good crop
followed another, and last year this
Austrian immigrant to Trego county
threshed 1873 bushels of wheat and
thousands of bushels of oats and barley
from about 300 acres. His entire 4S0
acres are now paid for and fenced, a
comfortable family residence, big barn
and good outbuildings have been erect
ed; an $1,000 threshing machine and a
fine bunch of cattle have paid for them
selves, and Mr.. SimOiviSh has 81 500 to
his credit in the local bank, while his
cultivated area for 1904 will reach $50
acres.
E. Miller purchased in 1901 100 acres
at 81 cash per acre. His harvest pro-
ceeds have enabled him to acquire adj
ditional acres until he now owns ore
and a half sections of land Mr.. Miller
purchased last year a 50, 500 threshing
machine and held over from his crop
of 1903 1000 bushels of wheat and 1000
bushels of oats.
F. Kruht had $50 acres in wheat last
year, which averaged thirty-fo bush
els per acre. Mr. Kruht's steam
threshing machine-by the way, hand
ling in Trego county 40 900 bushels of
wheat and scoring the worlds cham
pionship by threshing 4.0T0 bushels in
ten hours.
John Hixon bought in 1901 a half sec
ton of land at $3.50 per acre. Since
him enough to not only pay for the
original half section, but to also pur-
chase an entire section additional, to-
gether with a bunch of dairy and beef
cattle, now numbering 100 head. Mr..
Hixon's last years wheat crop covered
400 acres, yielded an average of thirty
two bushels per acre, tested fifty-eight
pounds per bushel, and sold for an APP
Proclamation of $4,000.
j. H. Dietrich harvested last year 241
acres of wheat, with a yield of from
twenty to forty-one bushels per acre,
the average returns being thirty bush
els per acre at 81 cents per bushel. Th1S
farm has recorded an average of eigh-
teen DQSllciS pei stC1C VI WACeAb AOb liz
past six years on land originally cost
ing $3.75 per acre, and is now of fifteen
fold return over the first cost of the
land itself and farm improvements. The
Dietrich home also boasts a fine or
chard of apple, peach, pear, plum. april
cot and cherry trees, together with all
the berries and a lovely locust grove.
Mr.. Dietrich has satisfactorily tested
macaroni wheat, and will have large
acreage of this great grain this year.
w. Bower of Collyer has sown 100
acres of rnacaroni wheat, and expects
most profitable return. 1t being esu-
mated in this connection, thai Trego
county will have this year 400 acres in
macaroni wheat with an aggregate har-
vest of 10000 bushels.
In 1897 r. c. Wilson purchased at $lO
per acre 10 acres of land, with depths
to water ranging from twelve to thirty
feet which he seeded to alfalfa The
first year after seeding Mr.. Wilson net
ted 1886 from his alfalfa, and in 1900
sold out to H. Bartlett, an investor from
Athens, o., for $25 per acre Mr.. Bart
lett cleared enough money from his
1901 alfalfa harvest to more than reim-
burse him for the entire cost Of the
land.
Trego county abounds with instances
similar to the above in successful alfalfa
culture Three cuttings per year are
secured, with an aggregate yield of five
tons per acre, while the market price
ranges from Sc to S11 per ton, it being a
local axiom that al1dlId Will return 10
per cent per annum on every $40 invest
ed in it's cultivation.
Trego county last year produced in
round figures 900 worth of wheat
from 5000 acres, an average of nearly
twenty-one bushels per acre, with
cash value of $726,000, while the adjunc-
tive products of alfalfa, corn, barley,
rye, oats, potatoes. millet, sorghum,
Kaffir corn, poultry, eggs, garden
growth live stock and wild hay swelled
the total of county values to 81. 1896, 900,
or an average of over $1,000 for each
family of now county residence, or in
farther and f1attering analysis, cash
return of 1856 for each man, woman and
child of present Trego county popula-
ton.
Wa Keeney, the seat of Trego county,
is offering liberal bonuses for the erec-
ton and operation of up-to-date flour
and feed mills and a hotel, the mills to
| have capacity of $50 barrels of flour
! per day and commensurate chop feed
| equipment, While the hotel should have
sixty rooms and a construction cost of
| 10000.
! In the above flour and feed mills con-
| nection it can be noted that new grain
| elevator is projected for this year at
Colono, Union Pacific station just west
| of Wa Keeney while the chop feed de-
mand of the county is Of urgent an
nual expansion.
THOMAS COUNTY.
The Rev. w M. Sedore diligently tills
| his own fields as we'll as his Masters
vineyard, cuItivating last year 500 wheat
|