The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-04-27
A Special Train Out of Topeka
Over Entire State.
GIVE OUT FINE SEED.
Kansas Farmers Are to Be Told
What Is Good and Bad.
Elaborate Preparations Being
Made for Trip.

Kansas is second in the total produc-
ton of wheat in the United States. But
IN the yield per acre Kansas is thirty
second. Why is this-and what is the
reason?
This is the secret of the agricultural
standing of Kansas in the world. These
totals push Kansas TO the front but the
acreage yield leaves Kansas trailing
behind scores Of states that have no
pretensions of being agricultural cen
ters.
H. M. Cottrell agricultural commits
s1oner of the Rock Island Lines, is in
Topeka arranging for a wheat train to
cover the entire state of KanSas-and
the one idea of this train is to tell
the Kansas farmers the secret of their
low standing in raising wheat by the
acre
The headquarters of the Kansas lines
OF the Rock Island are in Topeka and
the agricultural commissioner is here
for the purpose Of lining up a trip that
will run right into the pocketbook of
the Kansas farmer.
A half dozen expert lecturers will be
hired by the Rock Island. An entire
train will be equipped, providing ac-
commodations for people who listen to
the lectures. Plans will be made to pro-
vide the best wheat seed obtainable
for planting in Kansas. Everything
will be done to show the Kansas farm
er-with his motor car chugging out
side-that there is even a more profit
able manner of raising wheat
The men, women and children will
receive instructions in this train. One
car for the men will be provided with
lecture rooms. They will be told how
to prepare the ground. handle the soil
and the losses of poor seed and poor
preparation.
The women will! be shown that poor
seed loses so loaves of bread to every
barrel of flour; that it loses Is loaves
to every 48 pound sack; that they should
encourage and demand better flour and
better bread. Sample loaves showing
the different kinds of bread will be on
exhibition.
The children will be given samples
of wheat seed showing all forms of
the bad and the good. They will be
taught how to tell them apart and
then when they get home a hurried
the chance to see what kind of wheat
their father raises
| It is estimated by Commissioner
| Cottrell that ton of flour is lost to
every 1000 bushels of wheat by the
poor seed wheat used in the state at
this time.
| The climate, the soil and the gen.
eral conditions in Kansas make it
! possible for this state to raise more
wheat than any other state in the
}country The only thing this state
lacks is more care and better seed
wheat on the part of the farmers.
The one great trouble. according to
Professor Cottrell is that the soil is
allowed to lie idle too long, allowing
all the moisture to evaporate.
| Last year in Oklahoma the Rock
Island ran a special wheat train and
| in ten days spoke to $4,000 people
and caused to be planted enough good
| seed to plant 100000 acres in that
state alone. The only trouble was that
the people couldn't find enough good
seed to plant.
The exact route of this wheat train,
which will start out of Topeka in the
| late summer, has not been deter
mined But it will include the follow
ling towns, and all Intern ediate
points:
Topeka, Mcfarland, White City,
Alma, Herington, Mcpherson, Medora,
Hutchinson, Pratt, Greensburg, Dodge
City, Bucklin, Meade, Plains, Liberal,
Holton, Horton, Manhattan, Clay Cen
| ter, Clifton, Clyde, Cuba, Belleville,
Mankato, Smith Center, Phillipsburg,
Norton. Colby, Goodland, Marion, Pea
body, Wichita, wellington and Cald-
well.