The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-02-21
WHEAT CULTIVATION IN
AMERICA.
A Sketch or the Beginnings
and Progress OF This Crop
16O2-loO7.

cOlOnlSl, GOsnOld. S0wed the first
domestic wheat crop, in 1902, on
the Elizabeth Islands, off the
coast of Massachusetts, he laid
tue foundations OF large part
of the Importance we now pos
sess in the International com nun
ity. His little experiment, per-
formed As au incident of an ex
ploring trip. turned out so we'll
that less than a decade later we
tind the jamestown colonists en-
gagged in wheat growing, and by
1918 several hundred acres of
wheat were reported by the Vir-
ginis colony. In spite of its
early promise the returns were
not sufficient to tempt growers.
aud in l65l premiums, in the ma
ture of bounties, were Offered by
the crown III order to encourage
wheat cultivation.
Owing to the circumstance
that tobacco was more Profit
able crop. wheat growing Ian
gui>hed Tor ahUu; a century, that
l.. untIl II was introduced into the
Mississippi Valley 10y the West
cru Company about the year
Ills. Even here. ON the rich
alluN ial lands. IIe cereal appears
10 nave fared i'll Whereas corn
WAS INCREASING from fifty 10 a
huudred fold. wheat gave returns
OF only from i.e to eight fold
that l. To LAY, fTUm seven 10
twelve bushels 10 the acre. Early
chrouiclers tell Us than the plaut
rAu 10 straw and blade. fire.
quently maturing without filling
uut tue head.
THE FIRST OF OUR WHEAT EX-
( PORTING
The whea shipping industry,
which today rivets the attention
( OF lie bread eating world on this
country. really began in 1746.
In that year 600 barrels of -four
we've received % rive. AZ New
Oileaus from the banks of the
Wabash. 4 little while before
the Revolution. the eastern colo
MES began 10 raise moderate
amounts. although 1t does not APP
pear that they had any surplus
for export. except IN few years
of famine abroad. when some Ie
lief wheat was exported. Ii is
interesting 10 noe that there are
records of exports from Pennsyl-
vsula. New Jersey and New York.
prior TO the Year 1928. during
periods of scarcity or famine In
Great Britain. France. Portugal,
Spain. aud the Indies. The re-
gl0n west of the Hudson River
was called on. from the earliest
times, 70 ship grain TO New Eng
land, since the rugged. rocky
soil of the Massachusetts, Bay
Colony. at best. produced less
than the amount required for
local consumption.
THE ORIGIN OF THE HESSIAN
FLY PEST.
We are daily receiving reports
OF damage and danger from the
I Hes>ian Fly; hence. il is apropos
TO recall the fact that this pest is
certainly a perennial reminder OF
be official visit of General Howe.
the representative OF II. Z. NJ.
George III. in 1776. II appears
thar General Howe numbered
among bis retinue a certain cou-
tingent of soldiers from the
I Grand Duehey of HeSSs. and
their luggage aud munitions of
war were packed in straw from
the wheat fields of Germany.
! Tue egg aud the larvae Of the
7 fiy. which has since become so
famous. were thus introduced on
Long Island close TO the then
most productive wheat region of
the colonies. snd though tue Con
tiuental Army was able in course
of time to expel she foreign sol.
diery, We have no record. as YET.
OF any treaty OF Yorktown 10
which the Hessian Fly Is sig
natory.
The spread of the pest pro
crossed a. she rate of thirsy miles
. year - euriouSly enough. the
same rate 10 abserved in the cot
ton bOlr weevil-until the entire
region from the Atlantic Ocean
TO the Mississippi River was raw
aged. aud the census of 1850
notes tue abandonment Of an ex-
tensive wheat area in an effort TO
destroy the Hessisn Fly.
WHEAT NOT AN EASY CROP TO
RAlSE.
The unfortunate notion that
wheat is an easy crop. prone to