The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-09
TALK OF WHEAT.
Kansas Farmers Exchange Views
on the Subject.
Advocate a More Careful Village
of the Soil.
LEARNBYEXPERIENCE
How Flowing the Land In
creases Yield.
An Experience in Far western
Kansas.
LEARNBYEXPERIENCE

The morning session of the Kansas
State Board of Agriculture was taken
up with the reading and discussion OF
wheat Growing in Western Kansas,
by G. r. Werner of Colby and a pa
per, Twenty Years Experience and
Observation of Agriculture in West
ern Kansas by w. A. Smith of Hays
City In handling the subject: Wheat
Growing in Western Kansas" Mr..
Werner said:
Western Kansas with its gentle
rolling prairies is a most fascinating
region to the wheat growing farmer
and to be a resident of that part of
the country means that the farmer is
a wheat grower. The temptation is
irresistible for in no country do such
ideal conditions exist for the cultiva-
ton of wheat.
zone man with five head of horses
and a gang pillow can easily break five
acres a day, never encounter1ng a
stone or a stump to dull his pillow or
ruffle his temper. Last year there
were sixteen steam pillow outfits
breaking land in Thomas county at
the same time turning over thirty
five acres each every working day.
ITO get the full benefit of new land
It is essential that it be covered with
of burning off a land before it is
plowed should be severely condemn
ed as it materially reduces the yield
of wheat, sometimes to the extent of
one-third of the full yield The great
difference in the yields of adjacent
fields of wheat may be attributed di-
rectly to this fact or because the
blowing has been done too late in the
season. A field should be plowed in
April or May and never under any
circumstances as late as the middle
OF June.
81 finished seeding one field of 200
acres the 26th of last September US
ing three and one-half pecks of good
81 pound wheat to the acre and pas
tured the field until the middle of
March though the season was unfa-
vorable for the growing of wheat. The
yield amounted to 4,717 bushels of 81
pound wheat OF 231A bushels to the
acre The part of the field where the
earliest breaking was done yielded at
least seven bushels more of wheat to
the acre than the part which was fin
ished later.
do you wonder why we emphasize
blowing at the proper time when the
yield shows a difference in returns of
seven bushels of wheat to the acre
which means about Sc Late blowing
is a wf1ful destruction of the natural
resources of the state whereby the
gone but the detrimental effect will
show itself on the land for years to
come.
Wages are always high at harvest
time and 1t costs nearly as much to har
vest a poor field of wheat as it does
ers join hands at harvest time and
work together and in this way we have
no trouble in handling the ordinary
yield of our fields. We nave discarded
the use of binders, nearly all of the
wheat in my part of the state being
handled by headers
THE fault in the western part Of the
country seems to be that every far
mer sows more wheat than he can
possibly care for and this causes a
large waste in growing as we'll as at
harvest time. We are in hopes how
ever that a gasoline engine for farm
ing purposes will be designed that will
aid us in caring for larger fields than
are now planted.
I'VE have experimental some with
the Campbell system of farming and
find that 1t largely increases the yield
per acre but find that 1t is Impractical
when applied to the larger fields of
western Kansas. There is no such a
thing as a crop failure where the
Campbell system is used and the farm
ers of the state owe a debt of graft
tude to Mr.. Campbell which they can
never pay"
In discussing Twenty Years Exper-
fence and Observation of Agriculture
in Western Kansas" w. A. Smith of
Hays City said:
When / first came into western Kan
sas in October 1887, and for want OF
better preparation began sowing wheat
in weeds as high as the horses backs
I must confess 1 was somewhat skepti-
cal as to results; but later as the crol
matured I was SO firmly impressed with
the fertility of the soil and its posi-
bilities under favorable climatic condi-
tons that I at once decided to do al
in my power for it's future develop
ment.
Another year came to hand. I con-
tinued along nearly the same lines be-
gan to investigate conditions and put
into operation plans to overcome ad
verse surroundings but with no great
er success. I soon saw that there were
certain immutable laws of cause an6
effect over which I then had no con
troll; and, that in the solving of thi!
problem, rested the future success o.
this country. namely: the breaking III
of the sod. the formation of might!
sponge for the combining and retaining
of the moisture, but this could not b,
accomplished at once. I must avail
myself as far as possible of presen
means.
The third year I fitted 300 acres O
wheat and 100 acres Of corn. AS tn,
season advanced and the summer cam,
on I was rejoiced to see the wonderful
growth made, but this was of short dur
alton. The drouth came on, hot wind;
with their withering, scorching blast
too hot at midday for human endur
ance. The work of destruction was soo1
complete. Wheat that a day or tw'
before gave promise was brown ant
withered; corn, the cop of which coult
not be reached from the saddle Will,
riding through 1t, lay burned and life
less It seemed that the drouth, no
winds, and chinch bugs had conspiret
to drive US out. Men who had invest
ed their little means in land, other
with their homestead and timber claim
united with one band of sympathy
suffered and endured alike The meek
eyed, COW and the helpful hen were tax
ed to their utmost. Many man will
tell you that had 1t not been for thes
life sustainers and interest payers, the.