The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1920-08-24
KANSAS GRAIN CROP
MAKES RICH FARMERS
VOLUNTEER WHEAT" ON DE-
SERTED WESTERN KANSAS
FARMS, GIVES PROFITS.

TOPEKA, KANS.-Stories of sud-
den wealth in the Kansas wheat belt
are numerous this year, due to the
unusual acreage volunteer wheat
crop grown from seeds which fall
in the previous harvesting. Official
| ly estimated there was 100000
acres of volunteer wheat in Kansas
this year, or about sixth of the
total harvested acreage. This wheat
yielded probably 40,0O0,O0O bushels
of representing a monetary value OF
about 100000. The total Kan
sas crop of wheat is estimated offici-
ally at 150,000,0 900 bushels.
The large acreage of volunteer
wheat is due to the fact that a great
deal of this acreage was deserted as
wheat land by the owners after last
years none too bountiful crop had
been harvested. The 1919 acreage
was in excess 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 harvesting, to germinate.
Finding the volunteer" crop max
ing stand, farmers did not disturb
the growth and, with ideal wheat
growing weather this spring, the vol
unteer wheat made yields fully as
bountiful as the rest of the crop.
Innumerable stories of Sdeserted
acreages," producing $4,000 to $685.
900 worth of wheat come from west
ern Kansas where the bulk of the
volunteer wheat was grown. Others 8
tell of farmers who purchased farms
this year and paid for them with the
returns of this years wheat harvest.
the Sudden wealth" gen
eral throughout the western Kansas
counties, where land has been cheap
and favorable seasons few and far
canvass of wheat yields in
the vicinity of Oakley, small town
so miles east of the Colorado line, in
Logan county, showed at least 80
'armers whose wheat crops, this year
ire worth more than $50, 900 each; at
east 25 have more than $4,000 of
wheat each and every farmer has a.
rood crop. Thirteen counties, most
# them of northwest Kansas, this
,ear are yielding 43,701 ,637 bushels
f wheat, according to the latest Of
icial estimate by the state board OF
griculture.
The one big drawback to the Kan
as wheat growers prosperity this
ear is the lack of facilities in which
0 transport his wheat to the mar
ct centers Cars still are scarce,
specially in the central and western
arts of the state but the situation is
OF as desperate as it was two
lonths ago, grain dealers report.
Favorable summer rains have
ractically assured big corn crop
Kansas this season. The crop has
cen officially estimated at 100000
20 bushels and the official forecast
IS assert that the continued favor
Die weather means the yield will
cunt still higher. The Kansas
Gather means the yield will mount
ill higher The Kansas weather
lreau here reported that it is the
rst year in its 33 years existence
at Kansas had bumper" wheat and
rn crops the same year. A banker
ho has lived in Kansas So years, is
lthority for the statement that in
at time, such favorable crop COM
nation never before occurred.
Similar conditions prevail with the
It's and barley crops which have
EN- harvested. The state raised 20,-
1000 bushels of barley-four times
e average annual yield of the last
years.
Alfalfa and grain sorghuras, to
nich millions of acres are devoted
Kansas, likewise are producing
untiful crops Kaw valley potato
overs report one of the best crops
er grown. AS one editor of west
n Kansas put it: "The horn of
snty appears to have been dumped
yht into the lap of Kansas this
ar"