The Washington herald., 1918-06-13
WHEAT And OIL
PRODUCTION Is
MUCH LARGER
Holland Gives Figures on
Oklahoma and Kan
sas Yields.

In one of his addresses to the
pioneer farmers of the Northwest.
James ]. Hill stated that he believ-
led IL would be possible so to i'm
prove the cultivation of wheat that
an average at least of thirty BUSH
els an acre could be harvested. He
saw; mo reason why the virgin lands
" the Northwest, which science had
shown to be very richly fertilized
by nature should not be able to
yield as many bushels per acre as
the farmers of England secured from
their wheatlands, although the Eng
hsh lands have been cultivated for
a thousand years or more.
Were Mr.. Hill alive now he would
take pleasure in listening to reports
which were brought to New York
today which tell of wheat cultiva-
ton this year in Oklahoma and Kan
sas- These reports were made by
men who are competent to give ex-
ceIlent Judgment. and who have re-
Gently visited the Oklahoma and
Kansas wheat fields.
Wheat Fieds.
Never was there such a crop of
wheat ready for the harvesting
machines as the soil OF Kansas and
Oklahoma is now providing. This
Is partly due to favorable climatic
conditions.
Rain has been plentiful. but not
excessive. Furthermore, the farm
srs are mastering the science of
wheat cultivation, so that, with IA
vorable climate and with the most
tightly developed methods Of Guilt
sation. the farmers Of Kansas and
oklahoma are to be able to harvest
on an average fifty bushels Of
wheat per acre. Heretofore. thirty
JusheIs has been the maximum of
wheat production in the Kansas and
Oklahoma wheat belt.
1t is safe to report. these men say
hat the most plentiful wheat har-
vest ever secured in the Kansas and
Oklahoma wheat belts is speedily
TO be garnered. Practically all eli
matte danger is past The wheat is
ripe and is ready for the machines.
Cutting is already begun. and prob
ably by the first OF July or perhaps a
lew days later. the authorities at
Washington will be able to report
that the Kansas and Oklahoma
wheat fields have yielded a harvest
sggregating several hundred million
bushels.
Promise of wheat Harvest.
These reports from the Kansas and
Oklahoma wheat belts. supplement-
ing as they do favorable reports
which reached New York on Monday
of last week from the Northwest
tend to confirm the belief that the
wheat harvest of this year in this
country may reach possibly as much
as 200. Oo0. 600 buBSei-.- - 49, -.
The OkIah how and Kansas wheat
~ Gi- his way yielding new
Seafth which will amount to mil
lions and at the same time is serv-
ing to relieve the apprehension that
Ee may be unable to provide a sufi-
cient amount Of wheat for our SOL
diers and our allies.
In addition there is the extraorti-
nary circumstance that far beneath
the soil as much as 1900 feet, in some
cases even l,0oo feet more, there are
now known to be enormous pools
Of oil. and these will be availed of.
Therefore. while the farmers are gar
nering wheat. their neighbors will
be securing oil. and in that way some
apprehension lest there be a shortage
of oil may be removed
Oil Production.
Some of the experts have estimated
that, unless new supplies of petrol
cum are discovered and exploited, our
resources in oil may be exhausted
perhaps within fifteen years. certain
" within twenty years. The men
whose judgment Is worth needing
and who are familiar with the oil
production business have recently
said that no one can tell now whether
or not there may be new oil fields
developed which will more than make
good the shortage which exists in
other fields.
Yet it is possible now TO report that
our oil production is gaining. In the
month of March. for instance, which
Is the latest month in which statistics
were secured. there was considerable
gain, especially in the Rocky Noun
tain district. There the production
was somewhat in excess of a million
barrels.
This is an increase over the Febru-
airy production of nearly three hun
bred thousand barrels. But it is Okla
hOma and Kansas-and. in fact in
some of the districts of those states
where the wheat harvest is sure to
be the greatest on record-that the
largest gain in oil production was
secured in the month of March. for
the oil fields Of those two states
yielded two million barrels more. and
thirty-three thousand barrels of oil