The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-07-24
Mr.. Wilson's Plan to RevOlu-
tiOnfze KansasWheat Growing.
Thinks Farmers Should Raise
the Macaroni Kind.
GOODFORTHIS REGION
Especially Adapted to the
"Semi-Arid'' Lands.
Mr.. Coburn's Records Prove
FaIlacy of Statements.


been hammering away at the "macaroni
wheat" proposition, with the expecta-
ton of causing Kansas farmers to raise
this kind of spring wheat instead OF
the Turkey red winter wheat, should
take the trouble to Investigate the rec
ords at the office of the Kansas state
board of agriculture, they would not
be especially encouraged at the way
their campaign has been bringing
grain to the mill.
Secretary James Wilson and his ex-
perts think that Kansas should take to
raising macaroni. or. goose wheat. be-
cause that is the kind of wheat which
is especially adapted to "semiarid" re-
gions. g $3.50
The governments principal expert
dian wheat growing is 1T present prac-
tically nonexistent," and also that
conditions of heat and drought, etc..
exactly similar to those fiat prevail in
the Inacaroni wheat region Of east5Rus-
STA exist in the more arid regions OF
the great plains, including western
Kansas and therefore macaroni
wheats are advisable for western Kan
So s. But long before this considerable
areas of winter wheat were grown
there, and it has steadily continued to
increase in popular favor, as is sub
Stimulated by the official statistics. for
sas, or those counties wholly or in part
west of the Tooth meridian.
A tabulation by Secretary Coburn OF
the board of agriculture shows 81 on
these counties constitute practically
one-third of the states. area, In 1896
these counties returned s455,818 acres in
hard winter wheat and five years later
or about the time ,the-macaEoni wheat
propaganda was first seriously attract
ing the public's attention, the same
counties had of winter wheat more
than $4,000 acres. In 1896 its area there
was 1,064,94 acres, and in 1907 1t had
increased to 1854, SOP acres.
The 1907 acreage is larger than that
of the preceding year by more than u
per cent, and IS three times the area
of 1896 The 1906 area represented an
increase of nearly 80 per cent over that
of 1901, five years before.
Among these 81 counties many show
phenomenal increases for the decade
ending with 1906 For instance, the
northwestern corner county, bordering
Colorado and Nebraska, emphasize their
esteem for hard winter wheat by in
creasing their area 900 per cent In the
ten years; the wheat raisers of Clark
county evidently think well of 1t or
they likely would not have enlarged
their area 80 per cent as they dld;
Decatur county farmers now SOW more
by 645 per cent and the increase of 260
per cent in Ford suggests no decrease
of appreciation. The winter wheat area
in Cove county is 200 per cent more, |
and the growers in Graham county |
show up with an increase of $40 per |
cent Gray county reports a gain of
40 per cent and Meade 215 per cent; |
Norton county more than 101I per cent; |
Rawlins county, 974 per cent; Stevens, |
44O per cent, and Trego nearly 40 per
cent The aggregate yield of the 81 |
in 1906 was 1O,062.350 bushels.
and of this the one county of Ford
produced over 1,00O. 900 bushels.
At no time in the past ten years has
he whole states annual area of spring
wheat, including all varieties, saggre-
gated so much as 100000 acres ~
opinion that the farmer of ordinary
business sagacity will grow the grains
hat bring him the greatest profits. and
maker it may be fully assumed is the
crop having the largest area devoted to
It's culture.
Mr.. Coburn says: Measuring APP
probation on this basis, the hard, red
winter wheat is the most popular pro-
duct of the cultivated soil in western
kansas; If macaroni spring wheat is
preferable the grower is the one who
Will likely discover the fact and take
advantage of ii. If the spring wheat
would hardly continue to sow the win
.erT wheat because of any mere senti-
nent that may be attached to its past
n having helped him u to a. a. com
while others at long range may
assume to do a large part OF their
linking for them, Kansas growers, at
east, not infrequently use their own
Directions from Washing
on or elsewhere are not hlindly fol-
owed merely because they are labeled
expert and issued from the farmers
'fficial headquarters The evident and
rowing appreciation of hard winter
yheats where macaroni has been in
istently recommended for years may
Tot be decisive as to the milling quail
les of these wheats, but serves as an
indication of their COM
,arative standing with the western
Kansas farmers up to the present
ime. In fact one of the remarkable
of the states development
las been the extension westward of
is o-called wheat belt, and in which
he hard winter wheats are almost ex-
lusiyely grown. From the growers
themselves, and the milling world as
20 de-