The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-07-20
WHAT EDITORS SAY
PREPARING FOR WHEAT.

Now that the harvest is practically over and Okahomas
wheat crop is in shock stack we have good chance
to stop a minute and figure what happened 10 US
There's nothing the with the state whole Tor
total yield of somewhere around jOOnOW bushels IS
be sneezed at But IT Will he noticed that merely
all OF this j000WO bushcl crop raised on about two
million acres OF land in the old established wheat districts
of northern and central Oklahoma More than three mil
lion acres were planted wheat last fall IN Oklahoma
About six hundred thousand we're abandoned thH
spring as entirely worthless and the remainder OF that
odd million would scarcely have been worth cutting
except for the fact that huShe o wheat this year
worth about a. much the markets ot the world as
three bushels usually bring.
OF course it has been tremendously dry and the fail
ue of this million to- produce decent crop IS laid
to the fact OF little moisture Moisture is indeed the
limiting factor in crop production We cannot raise
wheat without rain.
But III venture the guess that might have raised
much better whca, than we did ON that million acres with
even the rainfall which came The fact OF the matter is
that plenty of folks took chance" They high prices
for wheat in the distance and with this vision hung up in
front OF them as prospective prize they hogged
available acre last fall regardless OF the condition type
Of soil and almost regardless OF the time o year. saw
whea, being planted in western Oklahoma in December
last year in soil so hard and dry that it did bear
even remote resemblance to real seed bed and where
there chance that the wheat would prout before
spring il at all Much OF it sandy land that was
never meant to grow wheat under the best possible
conditions
can speak ieengb about such things because I
have done these very tricks always got stung whenever
tried il; even as the folks in western Oklahoma have
beeu stung this year And have had the satisfaction (l
more than Of seeing some other man, farm ad
Joining mine raise good crops OF wheat years when
wheat was almost il not quite losing proposition, The
reason stood right out-even II stands out thousands
OF western Oklahoma farms today failed IN the work
which ought to have done before the seed put in
the ground
One farmer friend expressed II only the other day
when he wrote 1--WE going raise much this ycar
hut we have chance to learn lot" And the lesson IS
that everywhere in the plains west, early and good prep
araton Of the wheat land pays. The battle with the
weather is much ot a gambling proposition anyhow
that it would seem the part ct common to discount
make safe every angle o that gamble that is possible
We know that moisture he held In the soil through
cultivation We know that four years of five at least
the final yield oi wheat is in direct proportion to IN,
amount oi moisture IN the ground planting time IN th
fall Why add to the always heavy gamble by hknl
an additional chance OF planting late ON dw hard soil
Ii is certain that the demand or wheat will be create
than the supply this year II Is also pretty safe he
that the demand Tor the crop o next year whether th
continues ends will be great enough to Absorb
every buShcl ol wheat az profitable price. From h
standpoint OF immediate profit IT Is probable that no
p crop will give better returns next than wheat, pro
,e ylded We succeed IN raising the wheat Reducing th
acreage this fall point where the man and team poWc
oi the folks really handle II will most certainly p
w the margin oi safety With year that is anvhin
crop and no crop In case experience and expert
mcnts have shown through years that every month
delay IN plowlng the fall wheat ground from this time
st means reduction of from three five bushels IN mex
er years Weld all Other things being cQuaCarl William
,e IN the Oklahoma Fatmef Sockmar
81 Statistic, show that death claims, three girls to ever
va four boys So after ALL talking is not faal-Ncmph
TX Commercial. Appeal
u" With over Ao0OOOOo being spcu, on war aviation ~
can we'll speak Of riches akns smssP-Nehita Beaeo