The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-03-26
WHEAT RAISING IS URGED
LOGAN BROS. POINT
OUT THE WHY
An interesting Letter From the
Company Received BY Mr..
George M. Palmer

george Ws TdtJHST
The following letter of interest to
wheat growers was received by G. M.
Palmer of the Hubbard Milling COM
pany from H. l.. Logan of Logan Bros.
Grain company, Kansas City, Mo-:
Kansas City, NO.. March II, 1920
Mr.. G. M. Palmer, President, Hubbard
Milling Company, Mankato. Minnesota
Dear Mr.. Palmer: Yours 18th here and
note that Kansas Grain Growers as
ISOLATION are putting out an estimate
| of 100000 bushels as prospective
wheat crop for Kansas and 100000
bushels for Oklahoma. The writer
feels that it is too early to forecast
a crop in Kansas for the reason that a
great deal Of wheat is, as yet, not ap-
pearing above the soil. How absurd it
| Is to make a forecast under such con-
ditions. .g,...l.g.s. : ...-g g.. g5
1.-THE writer recently crossed Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee
and Missouri. Saw this entire terri
! tory in the day time either going and
/ coming. There was very little wheat
above the ground three weeks ago in
these States. People in position TO
know in Kentucky and Tennessee told
| me that the area sown was SO per
| cent less than year ago and grow
| ing wheat in poor promise. Wheat GER
! tainly looked very unpromising in
| Ohio, Indiana apd Illinois and a re-
| cent report for Missouri showed con-:
dition of only So and acreage at least
| 30 per cent under that of year ago.
Conditions in Kansas extremely spot,
| ted There is million and half to
! two million volunteer wheat In the
| western part of the State which the
writer personally feels will be total
loss. This wheat has had no moisture
to speak Of and it is not we'll enough
| rooted to go thru the hot weather in
the summer time. 1t grows in thick
punches and requires a great deal
mere moisture than other wheat. Thee
is one chance out of ten that the
weather will be ideal thru the entire
season for this wheat. But the LORD
rarely gives us perfect weather in
| western Kansas. In other words! in the
| high attitudes where the wind blows
! and the sun bakes the soil. ...,.r
"Have just returned from three
days convention at Salina. which is in
the north central part of the State.
| Wheat from Salina west is we'll rooted
and the moisture sufficient. Plant also
| normal in the northern part of Kan
sas. But in the big belt from Hutcbin-
| son west and south. a great deal Of
] wheat, understand, has been blown
| out and that which is left is showing
no growth. One of the most depend
| able grain men here just got in from
California this morning and he con-
firms the story ! am giving you re-
garding wheat from Hutchinson west,
Kansas is 404 miles long east and
| vest and the big wheat belt begins
200 miles west of Kansas City. Hut
Crimson is 234 miles west of Kansas
City, so it follows that practically the
| entire big wheat belt of Kansas from
Hutchinson south and west is very un.
promising. Ideal weather can do won
ders. But to be perfectly frank with
, you, I think the percentage of chance
is very much against Kansas raising a
fairly average crop. Some, of the old
time grain men are putting prospec-
tive yield at 6s to 20 million and
am not crop killer and am hoping
| the state may come thru with much
better crop. Ideal weather could give
us ninety or even 400 millions, but
ideal weather for Kansas Is most un-
usual. This is because the altitude Of
the State varies so greatly.
"For instance here at Kansas City,
| which is on the eastern edge Of Kan.
sas. the altitude is 1000 feet above
sea level. When you get out into west
ern Kansas you are $500 feet above
the sea level and weather that would
be ideal for the eastern part of the
State would catch the plant in the
high attitudes Of the west in the milk
state and shrivel it up. In other. words,
wheat gets ripe in eastern Kansas
two to four weeks earlier than in
western Kansas and hot weather that
would mature the wheat in the east
would ruin it in the west.
Conditions in Oklahoma arc un-s
favorable and would not care to haz-.
ara d guess as TO INC crop ytclu,.
though present conditions ought not
to warrant more than twenty five
million bushels. I
What are you going to do forL
wheat up there with only twenty
eight million bushels on the farms
and Minnesota and the Dakotas re-
curing something like twenty three
million bushels of seed.
DO You appreciate the fact that
Kansas and Kansas City holds more
than one fifth Of the total supply OF
wheat in the United States on the
farms and in the visible supply. I'm.
settled financial conditions and with
the withdrawal of the government
guarantee seem to be the only bearish
factors in our Judgment They, how
ever, perhaps, should not be ignored.
Tell your farmers up there to SOW
wheat to beat the band. We will need
1t in this country his year and IT,.
prices go under $500 the farmers in
this part of the world will nave very
little money to spend. which means