New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-08-24
Volunteer Wheat
Suddenly Enriches
Farmers of Kansas
Fifty Crops in One County,
Grown From Seeds Which
Fell in Previous Harvest
ing, Yield $4,000 Each

TOPEKA, Kan, Aug. 23.-Stories of
sudden wealth in the Kansas wheat
belt are numerous this year, due to
the unusual acreage of volunteer
wheat crop grown from seeds which
fall in the previous harvesting. Off
cially estimated, there was 1900. 900
acres of volunteer wheat in Kansas
this year, or about sixth of the total
harvested acreage. This wheat yielded
probably 100000 bushels, or repre-
senting a monetary value of about
$l0O.00O,000- The total Kansas crop of
wheat is estimated officially at $780,
100000 bushels.
The large acreage Of volunteer wheat
is due to the fact that great deal Of
this acreage was deserted as wheat
land by the owners after last years
none too bountiful crop had been har-
vested. The 1919 acreage was in ex
cess of 100000, by far the record for
any state in the union. A wet fall
caused the kernels of wheat which had
fallen to the ground during the har-
vesting to terminate.
Finding the voluntary crop making
stand, farmers did not disturb the
growth, and with ideal wheat growing
weather this spring the volunteer
wheat made yields fully as bountiful
as the rest of the crop
Crops Bring $4,000 Each
Irnumerable stories Of deserted
acreages" producing $4,000 to $4,000
worth Of wheat come from western
Kansas, where the bulk of volunteer
wheat was grown. Others tell of farm
ers who purchased farms this year and
paid for them with the returns of this
years wheat harvest.
illustrating the Sudden wealth"
general throughout the western Kan
sas countries. where land has been
cheap and favorable seasons few and
far between, a recent canvass of wheat
Yields in the vicinity Of Oakley, small
town sixty miles east Of the Colorado
line, in Logan County. showed ut least
fifty farmers whose wheat crops this
year are worth more than $4,000 each;
at least twenty-five have more than
$4,000 of wheat each and every farmer
has a good crop.
Thirteen counties. most of them of
northwest Kansas, this year are yield
ing 43,70l,637 bushels of wheat. ac-
eording to the latest official estimate
By the State Board Of Agriculture.
The one big drawback to the Kansas
wheat growers prosperity this year
is the lack of facilities in which to
transport his wheat to the market CEN
ters. Cars still are scarce, especially
in the central and western parts Of
the state, but the situation is not
as desperate as it was two months ago,
grain dealers report.
Great Corn Crop in Sight
Favorable summer rains have prac-
tically assured big corn crop in Kan
sas this season. The crop has been of
ficially estimated at 140, 100000 bushels.
and the official forecasters now assert
that the continued favorable weather
means the yield will mount still high
err. The Kansas Weather Bureau here
reported that it is the first year in
its thirty-three years existence that
Kansas had bumper" wheat and corn
crops the same year A banker who
has lived in Kansas ffty-two years is
authority for the statement that in
that time such q favorable crop COM
blnation never before occurred.
Similar conditions prevail with the
oats and barley crops, which have been
harvested. The state raised 10000 900
bushels of barley-four times the aver
age yield of the last twenty years.
Alfalfa and grain sorghums. to which
millions of acres are devoted in Kan
sas, likewise are producing bountful
crops. Kaw Valley potato growers re-
port one of the best crops ever grown
AS one editor of western Kansas puts
it. The horn of plenty appears to have
been dumped right into the lap of Kan
sas this year"