to be as perfect as money would buy, should do 

 much towards lessening the chances of any 

 possible deterioration in quality that might other- 

 wise result. 



It would be an error, however, to convey the 

 impression that no soft winter wheats are grown 

 in the state, as in the central and eastern portions 

 such varieties as Fulcaster, Fultz, Early May 

 and others similar are not uncommon. 



Spring wheat is not a prominent item in Kan- 

 sas agriculture and its growth is given little or 

 no attention outside a few northern or north- 

 western counties bordering Nebraska. 



The following table shows the acres, product 

 and value of wheat (winter and spring) in Kan- 

 sas, for each of the years given: 



Years. Acres. Bushels. Value. 



1897 3,444,361 51,020,(301 $34,385,304.69 



1898 4.624,731 60,790,661 32,937,012 28 



1899 4,988,952 43,687,013 22,406,410.00 



1900 4.378,5*3 77,;339,091 41,974,145.00 



1901 5,316,482 90,333.095 50,610,505.75 



That Minnesota is a great wheat state all the 

 world concedes, and according to the Year Book 

 of the United States Department of Agriculture, 

 Minnesota had in 1900 a considerably larger 

 acreage in wheat than Kansas, but the Year 

 Book gives on the same page the Kansas yield 

 as greater by more than 60 per cent, and its value 

 greater by 40 per cent, and the year 1901 wit- 

 nessed the feat repeated with ease and empha- 

 sis. 



Not all portions of the State are adapted to the 

 best production of wheat, and it is an interesting 

 fact that forty-eight of the 105 counties had 90 

 per cent, of the wheat acreage in 1901 and con- 

 stitute practically the wheat field of Kansas. 

 The area sown in the remaining fifty-seven 

 counties was less than the acreage sown in the 

 two counties of Sumner and Barton. It is like- 

 wise of interest to know that practically one- 

 half of the wheat product for 1 90 1 was harvest- 

 ed in a block of fourteen counties comprising 

 the central third of the State, or the coun- 

 ties of Sumner, Barton, McPherson, Re- 

 no, Rice, Harper, Ellsworth, Saline, Mitchell, 



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