s 451 Sc3 ^ Glass .__SA5V Book ,K^A6 mimmMimmm c iimiiMBMiMimiggia KansawKansas b-^ ■ \ i . ^ ^-C*'* V. ■ " ■■ ■"' *-^ ■■ AGRICULTURAL SERIES No. 8 AGRICULTURAL SERIES No. 8 UNITED STATES RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION UNITED STATES RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION i? ■ ,;v;nl -V l-< O /A TE ri T T M T T T The Purpose of This Booklet How the Railroads Can Help the Homeseeker This booklet is issued by the Agricultural Section of the Ur.ited States Railroad Adn inistration, J. L. Edwards, Man- ager, Washington, D. C. The information was compiled by the Agricultural Repre- sentatives of the following railroads serving the State of Kansas viz: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. C. L. SEAGR AVES, Supervisor of Agriculture .... Chicago, 111 . Chicago, Burlington & Quincy R. R. J. B. LAMSON, Agricultural Agent Chicago, 111. Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific R. R. ALEXANDER JACKSON, Agricultural Agent ... Chicago, III. Missouri Pacific R. R. George K. Andrews, Commissioner of Agriculture, St. Louis, Mo. St. Joseph & Grand Island R. R. (Union Pacific R. R.J Salina Northern R. R. (Uncn Pacific R. R,) Union Pacific System, R. A. SMITH, Supervisor of Agriculture Omaha. Neb. The articles on the State's more important industries and possibilities are contributed by recognized authorities. The purpose of the booklet is to help direct ambitious and industrious home-makers and producers, desiring to better their condition in life, to localities where they should meet with suc- cess, in proportion to their resources and ability. Our mission is to help industrious men and women to become farm owners and to enable them to lay the foundation for a home and, eventually, independence for the family. Bear in mind that none of the railroads mentioned on page 16 of this booklet have any interest in the sale of lands, nor are they engaged in the land business. All, however, are greatly interested in the development and general prosperity of the districts served by their respective lines. The interests of the railroads and the communities served by the lines are identical and interwoven. Prosperous communities mean prosperous railroads. A well-satisfied settler is a good asset. A misplaced man is a liability. Our interest does not cease with the location of the settler. We are deeply interested in his suc- cess. We stand ready at all times to help the newcomer with his problems. Much valuable knowledge of farm practices and op- portunities has been gained by observation and experience which will prove helpful to farmers. This is available to all inquirers. The Railroad Agricultural Representatives have for years made a careful study of conditions, and keep in touch with their territories. Owing to limited space, detailed information is not attempted in this booklet, but should the reader desire any special informa- tion on any subject connected with any branch of farming or stock raising, in any locality in Kansas, it can be secured by. ■ writing to or calling upon the address stamped on the last page of this booklet. State fully just what is desired. Prompt and dependable in- formation will be furnished. Topeka, June 25, 1919 As the ages of states and nations go, Kansas is young. Natur- ally, her resources are largely undeveloped. With most of our land arable, and less than half of it under the plow, manifestly a most inviting field is presented in agriculture, the State's chief industry. Opportunities are no less abundant than when Govern- ment land was available for homestead, or the difference in the price of land is more than offset by the present-day advantages of civilization — as schools, churches, transportation and markets. Kansas' leadership in agriculture, her inestimable wealth of underground treasures of coal and salt and lead and zinc and oil and gas, with a fertile soil and health-giving climate, form an incomparable combination attractive alike to the homeseeker and the investor. Come to Kansas and share in the large pros- perity that comes through the development of the resources which have been so ably featured by the several recognized authorities in this booklet, which I have carefully noted and fully endorsed. .y^^^^>^ Governor Topeka, Kan., June 25, 1919 Were the land of Kansas equally apportioned among the present inhabitants of the State, each man, woman and child would have a tract of about thirty-three acres. As a matter of fact, the Kansas farms average 244 acres in size. The total area of Kansas amounts to 82,158 square miles, or 52,531,200 acres. Belgium is only one-seventh the size of Kansas; Servia is less than half as large; Roumania is 25 per cent smaller, and so is England, with Wales included. Denmark or Switzerland is little more than a fourth as large, and the Netherlands are not one- fourth. The states of Pennsylvania and Indiana, or Maine and Ohio united, or all New England, with Delaware and Maryland for company, could find resting room on her ample bosom. According to the latest census Kansas had 1,734,000 inhabitants. If the population to the square mile in Kansas equaled that of England before the war, Kansas would have fifty -five million people; if as great as that of Belgium, 54,600,000 people; similarly, if on a par with Massachusetts, we would have 37,000,000 inhabi- tants; if even with Ohio, 10,000,000, or with Illinois, 9,000,000. When the resources of Kansas are fully developed, the State will sustain a vastly increased population. No state, perhaps, offers greater opportunities than Kansas, or promises more to those who will intelligently till. q7 •^ ••• 2 Secretary State Board of Agriculture U. S. RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION 1 he most profitable farm is the one that produces a diversity of crops and live stock. Kansas offers exceptional opportunities for diversified farming Kansas A Debt-Free State Walter L. Payne, State Treasurer Kansas has no outstanding indebtedness, except current expenses for the present month. The School Fund of Kansas owns municipal bonds as issued by the municipalities of Kansas in the amount of $10,674,170.23. Valuation of all property in 1918, $3,418,798,220. Tax levy, for 1918, 1^^- mills, which produced in taxes, for the current tax year, $3,999,995. For current expenses and legislative expenses we have so far drawn, in this current tax year, 1919, $1,400,173.39, leaving a balance available of $2,599,821.61. In addition to this amount, there is produced each fiscal year, from fees and licenses collected by the several departments, approximately $1,250,000, which goes to the general revenue of the State. The interest collected by the School Fund upon the bonds held and owned by the State, produces approximately $450,000 per calendar year. W. M. Jardine, President Kansas State Agricultural College Kansas is known as a great agricultural State. It is true that Kansas is rapidly reaching for first place in oil production; that only one other state outranks Kansas in the production of lead and zinc ores; that only two other states produce more salt than Kansas; that natural gas has long been a commercial product of the State; and that there is coal enough under Kansas soil to furnish power for all her manufacturing and mining industries and for domestic purposes for numberless decades. It is true that Kansas has manu- facturing industries worth not less than $330,000,000, including meat packing, flour milling, and beet sugar making. Yet, in spite of all her mineral resources and manufacturing interests, Kansas bases her reputation for usefulness before the world on agriculture. Probably the chief assets which have operated to make Kansas a great agricultural State are richness of soil, long growing season, adequate rainfall when properly utilized, and nearness to market. We can grow wheat, corn, oats, barley, rye, sorghum, alfalfa, cow peas, soy beans, potatoes, sugar beets, garden truck, and fruits of all kinds common to a temperate climate. An abundant supply of feeds and pasture has encouraged the development of the live-stock industry. Cattle, hogs, sheep, and poultry furnish a KANSAS — THE STATE BOUNTIFUL Kansas ranks fourth among states in cattle growing and probably the largest factor in making it a great cattle state has been the vast extent of her pasture lands ready means of marketing as a finished product, forage crops of Kansas farms and the by-products of grain farming. The largest stock markets of the country are within easy reach. It is hard to beat the combination of wheat, corn, alfalfa, sorghums, silos, pastures, cattle, and hogs as a means of producing wealth. The Cr Kansas Famous Wheat is the crop that brought fame to Kansas. Not only does the State lead in the extent of produc- tion, but also in the quality of her hard red winter wheat. The record crop of 180,000,000 bushels, in 1914, will probably be exceeded in 1919. Not less than 11,000,000 acres have been sown and the total yield will probably exceed 200,000,000 bushels this year. Kansas farmers are showing great interest in the new strain of hard, red winter wheat, called Kanred, which has been developed by the Kansas State Agri- cultural Experiment Station at Manhattan. In tests covering a number of years this improved wheat has given an average increased yield over Turkey Red and Kharkof of from 3.4 to 5.2 bushels. Fifty thousand acres were planted to Kanred wheat the fall of 1918. It is planned that the total yield shall be used for seed and it is expected that there will be enough to seed 7,000,000 acres. Corn Also a Wealth Producer While it is the tremendous wheat crops that have made Kansas famous, com has been one of the State's greatest sources of wealth. In total yield and value, corn has had the lead of wheat in not less than nine years out of ten during the entire history of the State. The two-hundred-million bushel mark has been exceeded several times. Sors^hums as Life Insurance While wheat and com are the great sources of the productive wealth of Kansas, the sorghums which were introduced about the same time as alfalfa, have come to form the State's life insurance. The sorghums are undisturbed by the ordinary dry spell. If a drought sets in they settle down to a state of siege and when the time of stress ends, as it always does, they pick up, show new life, and renew their business of making feed for Kansas live stock. In other words, sorghums possess the ability to resist droughts. The Kansas Agri- cultural Experiment Station is earnestly endeavor- ing to develop to a still greater degree this valuable characteristic. It has been shown through feeding tests at the Agricultural Experiment Station that the grain of sorghums is equal practically pound for pound to corn in feed value for live stock. A Great Live-Stock State The live-stock industry has kept pace with the growth in crop production. The State ranks fourth among states in cattle growing, being one of the four states whose cattle number not less than A small part of one of the many oil fields in Kansas. The oil industry furnishes employment for thousands of men and oil centers offer splendid markets for truck, dairying and poultry products 2,000,000. Probably the largest factor in making Kansas a great cattle State has been the vast extent of her pasture lands. Of the 52,000,000 acres of land approximately 20,000,000 acres are grazing lands cov- ered with native grasses. In western Kansas the buffalo grass, native to that region, cures as it stands and furnishes nutritious feed which the cattle harvest themselves in summer and winter feeding. Kansas winters are comparatively mild and the winter feed requirements for animals are low. Dairying is a grow- ing industry in the State, Kansas being among the first eight states of the Union in number of milk cows. Not less than 74.6 per cent of all farms in the State produce hogs. More Kansas farms produce hogs than any other class of meat animals. Kansas can grow hogs possibly as cheap as any other state because of the extensive alfalfa fields and the abundance of bran and shorts, by-products of the milling industry. important industry. Truck gardening can be done profitably near any large city furnishing an adequate market. Several nursery stock growing enterprises are located in the Kaw Valley. irrigation In the Garden City and Scott City districts the growing of sugar beets and the manufacture of beet sugar constitute an important industry. The beets are grown by irrigation and the water is secured mainly from wells by pumping. Throughout the Arkansas River Valley from Colorado to the Oklahoma State line there exists a large quantity of underground water varying from seven to forty feet beneath the surface. Pumping for irrigation is no longer an experiment and not only sugar beets but all kinds of farm and garden crops are now grown in the Arkansas River Valley by means of water secured through pumping. This sec- tion is destined to great agricultural development. While all parts of the State are adapted to crop and live-stock production, the diversity of the soil and climate makes possible many different types of tarming. The northeastern section and parts of the Arkansas River Valley are admirably adapted to apple growing. The Kaw Valley and the eastern Arkansas River Valley furnish ideal conditions for potato pro- duction, and since Kansas potatoes are ready for market in July and August, an in-between season for southern and northern potatoes, potato growing is an Kansas is no place for the laggard, but for the man who has stuff in him, who possesses an average amount of intelligence and is willing to work and save, the State offers all the essentials for success. It is true that today and henceforth greater efficiency must be exercised in the business of farming in order to make a profit. Farmers must take a lesson from the fact that much of the wealth of the large industrial organiza- tions has been created through the utilization of K A N THESTATE BuuiNiihUL Kansas ranks third in the Union in the production of salt, but leads in oil. lead, zinc and coal. Her industrial centers furnish home markets for the farmers' produce by-products formerly considered worthless. In like manner the by-products of grain farming, such as corn and sorghum stalks and wheat and oats straw, must be given a market value through feeding to live stock. The silo must become an essential part of farm equipment. All that is needed is to put into practice sound principles of farming. The man that harnesses up with his own intelligence and industry the natural resources of Kansas in climate, soil, and geographical location, will get on without difficulty. iukl: The State, for the purposes of this booklet, has been divided into three sections. THE EASTERN, and oldest part, includes the following counties: Doniphan, Brown, Memaha, Marshall, Washing- ton, Atchison, Jackson, Pottawatomie, Riley, Clay, Wy- andotte, Leavenworth, Jefferson, Shawnee, Wabaun- see, Geary, Dickinson, Johnson, Douglas, Osage, Mor- ris, Miami, Franklin, Lyon, Chase, Marion, Linn, Anderson, Doffey, Bourbon, Allen, Woodson, Green- wood, Butler, Crawford, Neosho, Wilson, Elk, Cher- okee, Labette, Montgomery, Chautauqua and Cowley. This, as a whole, is a highly developed agricultural and live-stock section. Lands in the Eastern Section range from $60 to $200 or more an acre, dependent on soil character, improve- ments, distance to railroad and markets. CENTRAL KANSAS, which includes: Republic, Jewell, Smith, Phillips, Norton, Cloud, Mitchell, Osborne, Rooks, Graham, Ottawa, Lincoln, Russell, Ellis, Trego, Saline, Ellsworth, Barton, Rush, Ness, McPherson, Rice, Harvey, Reno, Stafford, Pawnee, Hodgeman, Sedgwick, Kingman, Pratt, Ed- wards, Kiowa, Ford, Sumner, Harper, Barber, Coman- che and Clark. This is a fairly well developed section with most of the land being utilized to good advantage. There are, however, many opportunities to purchase lands at prices ranging from $25 to $125 an acre, according to improvements, soil, distance to markets, etc. WESTERN and SOUTHWESTERN KANSAS is largely susceptible to agricultural development. A settler can still secure desirable farming lands at prices ranging from $12.50 to $45 an acre, according to im- provements, soil, location, distance to railroads and markets. It comprises the following counties: Decatur, Rawlins, Cheyenne, Sheridan, Thomas, Sherman, Gove, Logan, Wallace, Lane, Scott, Wichita, Greeley, Finney, Kearney, Hamilton, Gray, Haskell, Grant, Stanton, Meade, Seward, Stevens and Morton. In all the three sections outlined, it should be kept in mind that highly productive bottom lands, and lands along streams, command much higher prices than the uplands. As the Western and Southwestern Sections will naturally appeal to the man of small means, a short review of these counties is herewith given. K. U P-. DMINISTRATION How the newcomer started in the earlv days in Western Kansas. Modern farm home, showing a few years of progress — the result of diversified farming and stock raising NORTHWESTERN COUNTIK County Population County Seat Altitude Acreage Assessed Valuation Railroad Mileage Total Number Head Live Stock Surplus Dairy and Poultry Products Sold Annually Cheyenne 4.440 6,255 8,067 4.432 5 008 5.370 2,258 3,316 4,537 St. Franda Atwjod Oberlin Goodland Colby 3,100 2,843 2.561 3,688 3,135 2,654 3,448 652,800 691,200 576,000 691,200 691 200 576 000 576,000 691.200 691.000 $7,908,107 9,274,865 12,162,141 10,161,053 13,300,188 10,630,136 3,044,986 8.796.366 10.277.865 23 38 57 35 76 43 31 75 37 30,504 40,417 52,005 32,478 27,527 39,200 27,926 32,348 28,466 $91,181 122,494 204,444 131,180 87,289 213,138 39,042 100.386 128,959 Sherman Thomas ... . Sheridan Wallace Logan Hoxie Sharon Springs . . Russell Springs. . Gove 'ENTRAL WESTERN COUNTIES County Population County Seat Altitude Acreage Assessed Railroad Valuation Mileage Total Number Head Live Stock Surplus Dairy and Poultry Products Sold Annually Greeley Wichita 1.060 1,593 2,267 2.476 2,444 2,431 6,716 4,386 Tribune 3,297 2,964 2,759 3,228 2,990 2,892 2,615 499,200 460,800 460,800 460,800 612,080 552,960 829.440 552,960 $3,881,233 26 3,930,649 24 6,483,425 68 7,481,281 49 6,711,773 i 29 7,459,404 26 18,311,255 62 11,548,175 51 14,296 18,994 21,782 24,994 27,062 25,484 44,040 21.485 $19,494 41.595 49,103 58,495 27,412 28,992 83,636 59,717 Scott Scott City Dighton Syracuse Lakin Garden City .... Cimarron Hamilton Finney ^ r-jxiM i^UUNTIEc) County Population County Seat Altitude Acreage Assessed Valuation Railroad Mileage Total Number Head Live Stock Surplus Dairy and Poultry Products Sold Annually 5,053 2.757 6.053 1.336 2,229 997 881 2,853 3,235 2,517 3,020 3,350 2,800 3.340 414,720 466,560 624,000 368,640 466,560 368,640 430,080 $10,177,869 7,162,733 11,971,594 4,958,111 5,147,903 3,799,852 3,552,493 30 31 33 27 22 2 26,000 20,252 43,257 12,392 18,176 17,331 18,536 $60,321 24,213 96,166 14,138 6,082 14j67S 4,787 Stevens Meade Haskell Morton Grant Hugoton Meade Santa Fe Richfield New Ulysses .... Johnson -<--!eriod. Small circles indicate location of the weather bureau station, where these records have been kept. Figures in brackets indicate amounts inserted from records made in adjoining counties value to farmers in the western section of the State, in determining what crops can be most profitably raised, best methods of handling live stock, etc. The Superintendent at any station will gladly assist new- comers with their farming problems, advise where they can secure good seeds, improved live stock, etc. Address the Superintendent at the nearest station. In addition to the investigational work carried on at the main station and the four branch stations, experiments are carried on throughout the State in co-operation with farmers. Field tests of seeds devel- oped at the experiment stations are made, and last year 788 tests were made in 80 counties. The activities of the station reach to all parts of the State and involve all principal agricultural prob- lems, including those of production, utilization, and marketing. Through the station's organization and facilities any farmer, whether he be an experienced farmer or a new settler, can obtain much useful infor- mation and assistance from the Agricultural Experi- ment Station. The station, like the college of which it is a branch, belongs to all the people of the State, and is maintained solely for their service. S. D. Flora, Meteorologist, U. S. Weather Bureau and Kansas State Board of Agriculture Kansas has a climate which is characterized by extremes of temperature, great variations in the seasonal rainfall, much sunshine, and dry, bracing air — • a climate that is productive of bountiful cereal crops and vigorous health. The distribution of the annual precipitation (rain and melted snow and sleet) over Kansas, and the time of its occurrence, are the chief limiting factors of crop growth, and receive more attention than any other features of the weather. It decreases with remarkable regularity from forty- two inches in the southeastern counties, to just a little more than fifteen inches at the Colorado line. The northern half of the State receives practically the same amount as the southern, except that the northeastein quarter has a little less than the southeastern. Over the eastern half, the annual precipitation equals that of Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan, and is only a little less than that of Illinois, Indiana, or Ohio, and it occurs at a more opportune time of the year than the precipitation of any of these states. From seventy-one to seventy-eight per cent of the annual amount falls in the six crop-growing months, April to September, inclusive, and there is no state in the country, except a few along the Gulf Coast, that, taken as a whole, receives as much rain during the summer months as the average for the eastern third of Kansas. Even the middle third of the State receives slightly over twenty inches during these six months, which is within two inches of the amount that falls during the same period in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New 13 \S — THE STATE BOUNiit^uL Alfalfa is grown in all parts of the State and does especially well on the river and creek bottoms. The seed raised in the western part of the State is in big demand York, and the New England States, while the western third, the "semi-arid region," has an average pre- cipitation of more than sixteen inches for this period, which almost equals the amount during these six months in Michigan and Wisconsin, and is approxi- mately three-fourths of the average for Iowa for that period. The average annual snowfall of the State ranges from eleven inches in the extreme south central coun- ties to two feet in scattered localities farther north. As a rule, the ground is not covered with snow more than a few days at a time. Whether the precipitation falling over the State, especially the western counties, has shown any pro- gressive increase or decrease since the land was opened for settlement, and the prairie sod broken up, is a question that has been the subject of much discussion, owing to the extreme importance of such a change on crop yields. It is undeniably a fact that immense fields of wheat, grain sorghums, and even corn, now cover a large area in the western part that was once designated as "The Great American Desert," but a rather exhaus- tive study of all the available precipitation records, many of which were begun forty years ago, fails to show any material change in the annual amount, or in its distribution through the year. Improved methods of farming and adapted crops increase production. The sunshine that Kansas receives each year is one of its greatest climatic assets and also one of the reasons of the high rate of evaporation in the western counties. Practically no other part of the country that receives as much rainfall during the growing season is favored with as high percentage of sunshine, which makes for rapid growth of crops. July and August are the sunniest months and January and February are those when the sun is most likely to be hidden by clouds. Of the fully equipped stations of the Weather Bu- reau in Kansas, including the one just across the State line at Kansas City, Mo., where records of cloudi- ness have been kept for from twenty-five to thirty- eight years, none has an average of less than 144 clear days annually or more than 101 cloudy days. At Dodge City, which represents conditions in the western part, there is an average of but sixty-one cloudy days per year. Kansas has a reputation of being a windy State, when as a matter of fact the most recent compilation of wind velocity over the country shows that the winds of the eastern half of the State are not noticeably greater than those of Illinois, Indiana, or Ohio, and are less than those of Michigan. The growing season is sufficiently long to give ample time for the development and maturing of the principal crops. Only in rare instances do the killing frosts of autumn occur early enough to cause serious damage. 14 KAILKUAU ADMINISTRATION About nine-tenths of the Kansas wheat crop is hard winter wheat. A new variety called Kanred. yielding from four to five bushels more per acre than the ordinary strains, has been developed The average date of the last killing frost in Spring ranges from April 7th in the extreme southeast to the first week in May in the northwest. The average date of the first killing frost in autumn ranges from the first week in October, in the northwestern counties, to October 2 2d in the southeastern. On account of the dryness of the air in the western part instances often occur where the temperature falls to freezing or even a few degrees below without the deposit of frost or any damage to the most tender vegetation. '\S AND WHFAT J. C. Mohler, Secretary Kansas State Board of Agriculture Can you — by any stretch of imagination — compre- hend the magnitude of a wheat field extending over an area of 11,000,000 acres? And should you succeed, would you credit any one state with having planted such an acreage to wheat in a single season? Not likely. But that's what Kansas did in the Fall of 1918. She sowed to wheat that Fall an area that exceeded the total land surface of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Delaware combined, with 839,760 acres over for good measure. Her wheat acreage alone exceeds, by 2,805,280 acres, the entire area of the Kingdom of Holland. It would cover every acre in Belgium and still have 3,721,280 acres to spare. Greater than the entire Kingdom of Denmark, with a surplus of 1,151,680 acres. These facts are simply quoted to give one a faint idea of what the State produces in the way of wheat alone. If nothing unforeseen happens, our wheat yield this year (1919) is expected to exceed 200,000 000 bushels. Great as have been her achievements, Kansas is just striking her gait. Wheat is not by any means OUR only crop. The aggressive man contemplating a new home knows that climate is a most important factor in suc- cessful farming. Man can control practically everything except climate. The accompanying tables prove most emphatically that Kansas is not a ONE-crop state. K?»n«ia«t Cropn and Products in 1918 The yields and values of the crops and products for 1918 are as follows: Value Winter and spring wheat 93,195,332 bushels $186,332,975 Com 44,539,488 bushels 64,081,656 Oats 50,482,487 bushels 35,562,383 Rye 2,257,212 bushels . 3,569,001 Barley 5,737,224 bushels . 5,601, 76i5 Emmer (Speltz) 10,685 bushels 8.107 Irish and sweet potatoes 2,875,701 bushels . 4,119,708 Cow peas 3,719 tons 61.363 Flax 205,227 bushels . 666,988 Broom com 18,582,438 pounds. . 1,791,975 15 IT. n o 1 A T E While Kansas has thousands of riiik-s of i^ood i. ,,.(!>, ilii- ftilt-ral uovt-niimril and tlie M.i, v.,,, ,,.. ad $8,000,000 for additional good roads in the next thirty months. This means better marketing facihties and improved social hfe Millet Sugar beets Sorghum for syrup. Kaffir Milo. Feterita Sorghum hay, forage and stover Saccharine sorghum for seed Jerusalem com Sudan grass Alfalfa Tame hay (exclusive of alfalfa) Prairie hay Wool clip Cheese Butter Condensed milk Milk sold, other than for butter and cheese Animals slaughtered or sold for slaughter Poultry and eggs sold Horticultural products -. . . . Honey and beeswax Wood marketed 125 74 421 9.808 4.121 1.583, 4.600, 2,052 5, 165, 2,746, 338, 694, 453, 30, 48.197, 12.939, 057 tons. . . , 215 tons. . . . 310 gallons ,678 bushels. 689 bushels . 036 bushels. 155 tons. . . , 361 bushels 224 tons 704 tons . . 460 tons - . . ■ 026 tons . . 208 tons 168 pounds. 264 pounds. 142 pounds . 302 pounds 558,960 pounds . $1,449,034 741,628 463,441 15,202,510 6,166,632 2,389,389 30,227,931 3,746.296 41.738 1.751,722 58,751,741 7,293,234 12,070.049 244.711 5.448 19.767.075 1,161,949 1,820,454 108,073,032 14,792,380 3,785,857 140,099 135,053 Total value of all farm products $592,017,325 Niirnbers and Val e Stoc Number Value Horses 1,053,000 $116,883,000 Mules and asses 227.745 31.884.300 Milk cows 683.211 56,023.302 Other cattle 2.239.717 120.944.718 Sheep 249.928 3.124.100 Swine 1,467,082 33.009.345 Total value of live stock $361 .868,765 Notwithstanding this wonderful showing in agricultural pro- duction it should be borne in mind that there are yet remaining more than 30,000,000 acres of tillable land in Kansas that has never yet been plowed. Alexander Jackson, Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific R. R. The following railroads serve the State: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, Chicago, Burlington 85 Quincy, Chicago, Rock Island 8e Pacific, Kansas City, Mexico 8e Orient, Kansas City Southern, Midland Valley, Missouri, Kansas 8e Texas, Missouri Pacific, St. Louis 8e San Francisco, St. Joseph fit Grand Island, Salina Northern and Union Pacific Railroads. In selecting a desirable location to engage in the production of the chief staple necessities of life, the wise man always keeps in mind one vital thought — MARKETS. Quick and economic transportation to desirable markets is a most important consideration to the farmer. In the State of Kansas there are almost ten thousand miles of railroads, no railroad station within the State being more than twenty-four hours from a profitable market. Kansas is particularly fortunate in being the hub of that great temperate zone in which is produced the bulk of the essentials of life, such as wheat, com and oats, live stock of all kinds, and other products of the farm, which all must consume daily. Kansas produces all the cereals excepting rice. Bounded on the north by Nebraska, on the south by Oklahoma, by Colorado on the west, and by Mis- souri on the east, the State is well located from a geo- graphical standpoint. 16 u S. RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION Kansas rural schools are making rapid advaiiceiiiciii and many of tlie uitiei buildings are being replaced by modern buildings with provision for all of the new school activities Within her own borders are the great commercial centers and markets of Wichita, Hutchinson, Kansas City, Topeka, Atchison, Leavenworth, Salina and nu- merous other smaller, but very active business centers. Just across her border, on the east bank of the Missouri River, are two great food markets — Kansas City and St. Joseph, Mo. For her many surplus domestic products she has, through her western gateways, all the leading cities of the Rocky Mountain and Pacific Coast states, with their thousands of small towns and cities engaged in mining and other industries, all big con- sumers of the products of the soil. Through her northern gateways there is a great distributing terri- tory to the Canadian line. Through her southern gateways she has access to practically all the cotton producing states, and through her eastern gateways she is in a position to serve economically all the Atlantic Coast States. The products of the State of Kansas reach all parts of the world. For foreign export business, her geographical position is such, that all Pacific and Atlantic seaports are at her economical disposal, and especially well located with reference to the Gulf of Mexico ports, such as Galveston, New Orleans, etc. The producer in Kansas is fortunate in being so located that he enjoys and reaps the benefit of keen competition for his products. As they are absolute necessities, the Kansas farmer can truly say "MY MARKET IS THE WORLD." Lorraine Elizabeth Wooster, Superintendent Schools for Kansas While the best things in school work cannot be reduced to figures, the public interest may be shown fairly well by the fact that, during the school year of 1917-18 there were enrolled in the public schools 405,319 pupils and 15,909 teachers. There are 7,293 school libraries containing 766,155 volumes. The rural schools are making rapid advancement. Many of the older buildings are being replaced by modem schools with provision for all of the new school activities. Utility and beauty are uniting in giving Kansas some of the very best modern school buildings. Many rural schools are teaching agriculture. This is a new feature of school activity promising much for the welfare of the agricultural communities. The 1919 Legislature passed many constructive bills for the benefit and improvement of the Kansas schools. There are ample school facilities for every county in the State. There are 9,439 public schools in the State and so well distributed that every child has an opportunity to get a good education. Kansas has only 2.2 per cent of illiterates. She is one of the eight states of the union (all of which are western) which has less than 3%. For higher instruction, the following State Institu- tions are available : 17 18 19 4SAS — THE STATE BOUNTIFUL .m§^ Kansas Farmers' automobiles parked during visiting day at the Ft. Hays ELxperiment Station, Automobiles and good roads make social life easy and pleasant State University, Lawrence; State Normal School, Emporia; Fort Hays Normal School, Hays; State Manual Training School, Pittsburg; State Agricultural College, Manhattan. Also private denominational universities, colleges and academies, viz.: Baker University, Methodist Episcopal, Baldwin; Bethany College, Swedish Lutheran, Lindsborg; Bethel College, Mennonite, Newton; Central Academy and College, Free Methodist, McPherson; College of Emporia, Presbyterian, Emporia; Cooper College, United Presbyterian, Sterling; Fairmount College, Congregational, Wichita; Friends Kansas Bible Train- ing School, Friends, Haviland; Friends University, Friends, Wichita; Highland College, Presbyterian, Highland; Hillsboro Preparatory School, Private, Hillsboro; Kansas City University, United Brethern, Kansas City; Kansas Wesleyan University, Methodist Episcopal, Salina; McPherson College, Church of the Brethren, McPherson; Midland College, Lutheran, Atchison; Mt. St. Scholastica's Academy, Catholic, Atchison; Nazarath Academy, Catholic, Concordia; Northbranch Academy, Friends, Northbranch ; Ottawa University, Baptist, Ottawa; Southwestern College, Methodist Episcopal, Winfield;St. Benedict's College, Catholic, Atchison; St. John's Lutheran College, Winfield ; St. Mary's Academy, Catholic, Leavenworth ; St. Mary's College, Catholic, St. Mary's; Tabor Col- lege, Mennonite, Hillsboro; Washburn College, Unde- nominational, Topeka. Kansas points with pride to her educational advan- tages and facilities. COMMUNITY LIFE W. Burr, in Charge of Rural Organization, Agricultural College In the spring of 1914, the State of Kansas began a definite community development movement which has spread over the entire State. Wherever the activi- ties of this movement have been carried there has been developed gradually, but surely, a healthful commu- nity life established along the most modern lines. Kansas has always been a State of churches, and there are many outstanding instances of community churches rendering service, according to modern ideals, to all of the people. Among farmers' co-operative organizations the Farmers' Union and the Grange are both very strong, not only in their particular ecomonic lines, but also as providing social activities for farm people. The County Farm Bureaus are being organized by the farmers as rapidly as available Government and State funds will permit, and the ruling tendency of these organizations is to bring all groups of the county together in a larger social union. The man who locates in a Kansas rural community will find, in the realms of education, social life, religious activity and agri- cultural welfare, the Government and State agencies solidly back him to assure his happiness and success. Kansas has been a prohibition (bone dry) State since 1876. 20 RATTROAD ADMINISTRATION There are thousands of acres in Southwestern Kansas irrigated from flowing artesian wells. This land is especially adapted to the raising of alfalfa The bulk of her population is good sturdy American stock. Of her 1,672,545 people, shown in the census of 1915, 1,557,279 are classed as native bom Americans; of whom 908,924 were born in the State. Foreign born population totalling 115,276, from Great Britain, France, Scandinavia, Germany, Russia (Mennonite), Spain, Italy and other countries contribute 2,700. Kansas has only 2.2 per cent of illiterates. The character of its inhabitants is generally a fair index as to the desirability of a State or community from a residence standpoint. Kansas is a good State to live in. i he Lindsborg Chorus George K. Andrews In Easter Week at Lindsborg, a town of 2,000 peo- ple, may be heard the very best music of its kind in the world. The chorus of five hundred voices sang the "Messiah" more than one hundred times and is acclaimed by competent judges, and especially those vho are also great artists, as being the best oratorio chorus in the world. Special trains carry thousands to Lindsborg every year, and thousands come in automobiles. This is one of the musical events of America. R. I. Throckmorton, Professor of Soils, College of Agriculture The soils of Kansas rank very high in plant food content. This is due in part to the way in which the soils have been formed, and in part to the fact that they have not been subjected to extreme leaching since their formation, as have the soils of more humid regions. The native grasses that grew and died on the plains returned large quantities of organic matter to the soil. These soils contain sufficient quantities of plant food to produce large crops for centuries. The soils of the eastern section of the State are, as a whole, very productive and well adapted to the grow- ing of general farm crops. The soils in the central part of the State are typical limestone soils, and are well adapted to all kinds of farm crops. Alfalfa, and other legumes do especially well because of the high lime content. The bottom lands along the Kansas and Arkansas rivers and their tributaries are very productive and easily handled. The soils of the Arkansas River valley are underlain at a comparatively shallow depth by water-bearing sands and gravel from which water can be secured for irrigation. South of the Arkansas River and extending from Colorado eastward, approximately half way across the State, is a body of soil that has been formed from the weathering of sands, gravels, silts, and clays, that 21 »_/ ^ * 1— ' !-"? O T T N 'T Corn yields in Kansas range from twenty-five to eighty bushels an acre. This corn averaged seventy bushels have been carried there from the higher lands farther west. These soils contain an abundance of plant food and are especially high in potash. Their producing power is limited by lack of moisture rather than lack of plant food. A considerable portion of this area in the southwestern part of the State is valuable only for grazing purposes. The soils of northwestern Kansas have been formed largely by wind action and consequently are very uniform. These soils are very deep, of excellent tilth, and high in plant food content. They are adapted to all classes of general farm crops as far as climatic conditions permit. Considerable care must be used in cultivating these soils, because if they are broken down to a very fine condition they are subject to blowing. However, if the surface soil is kept rough there is little danger of injury from this cause. The lister should generally be used in preference to the plow in this section, and the soil should always be cultivated so that it will remain in a ridged condition. The sand dune section of Kansas is very limited and occurs almost entirely as a long, relatively narrow band, south of the Arkansas River. This area com- prises shifting sands that are of little value for agri- cultural purposes. A few local areas produce some pasture, but, as a whole, these soils cannot be depended upon to furnish pasture during the hot dry portion of the year. Alkali is not abundant in the soils of Kansas, and there are but a few local areas where it interferes with normal crop growth. Most of these so-called "alkali spots" occur in the Arkansas River valley, or as small seepage areas on the upland. There are many soil areas in the State that have light -colored surface soils, called alkali soils, but which do not contain alkali. C. C. Cunningham, Assistant Professor of Agronomy, Kansas State Agricultural College Corn is one of the most important crops grown in Kansas. It ranks first among all Kansas crops in num- ber of bushels produced and second in value. During the ten-year period 1908 to 1917, inclusive, over 113,350,000 bushels of com were produced annually. In sectionswhere it is well adapted corn is more extensively grown than any other cereal. It not only produces large yields of grain, but it is an excellent forage and silage crop. Corn is a one-man crop. Although considerable labor is required, it can be so distributed that one man can readily grow from fifty to two hundred acres, depending on the locality. Most of the com grown in Kansas is produced in the eastern half of the State. In western section it is not as reliable or as profitable a crop as the grain sorghums (kaffir, milo, etc.). In western Kansas it is very important to plant well acclimated varieties only. The longer a variety has been grown in that part of the State the more likely it is to give satisfactory results. 22 R A I L R D M Kansas produces corn, grain, sorghums, alfalia and null IttnU m abundance — the prime feeds for profitable pork production. The newcomer should have enough pork to furnish the winter meat supply. More cultivation than is necessary to control weeds and keep the ground in condition to absorb moisture does not pay in Kansas. It is always important to keep the ground in condition to absorb readily heavy dashing rains. Putting the surface soil in fine dusty condition should be avoided. Such soil does not take up water readily. Newcomers should consult ex- perienced farmers and the County Agricultural Agent as to the best varieties and methods of tillage. HOG PRODUCTION IN WEST S E. F. Ferrin, in Charge of Swine Investigation, Agri. College The hog is the most profitable animal under average farm conditions. Corn and hogs are a profitable team and the lard-type hog is one of the most efficient means of marketing the corn crop. In sections where com is not a sure crop, the grain sorghums can be relied upon and are equal in feeding value. The experience of late years has shown that by using forage crops pork can be grown more cheaply than it can be made in the dry lot. Under conditions where alfalfa does well, it is the top-notch crop for producing pork. It comes more nearly being an essential crop in the making of cheap pork than does com. Sweet clover, which can be grown in many sections where alfalfa cannot be profitably produced, is also becoming a great forage crop. Wheat shorts is one of the very best feeds for hogs, at any time from weaning to market. Kansas is one of the great wheat producing states and much of its wheat is milled at home. Under normal conditions shorts is plentiful and reasonable in price. There are two important advantages which Kansas farmers who raise hogs have over many of their competitors — first, the alfalfa crop, which does well in many sections, and sweet clover, which does well in almost every county, and second, the by-products of wheat. There is a growing demand for feeder pigs. Many hog feeders are looking to the Kansas City market for these pigs. Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma have contributed many thin hogs to be given the corn crib cross, but Kansas is nearer and can supply more nearly the kind of hogs feeders want. Regulations governing the shipment of feeder pigs have recently been modi- fied so that they can be handled as easily as feeder steers. This demand makes a splendid market for the hog raiser, located in the sections of limited rainfall. Western Kansas hog raisers have a double choice for marketing. If feeds are available the hogs may be finished; if not, they may be sold as feeders. Shorts and alfalfa pasture will keep pigs growing in thrifty, healthy condition. Kaffir, milo, feterita or corn may be added and will give larger gains, but little of these feeds is needed until the fattening stage begins. A growthy pig, weighing seventy-five pounds in October, is ready to be sent in as a feeder or to go into the fattening lot at home. Corn is not necessary to finish them. The Kansas Experiment Station has 23 HE STATE BOUNTIFUL A Kansas sorghum field that produced twenty tons of silage to the acre. Sorghum silage is equal to corn silage for feeding found that ground kaffir, milo or feterita will make practically as good gains and as a rule at a cheaper cost. C. C. Cunningham, Assistant Professor of Agronomy Sorghums in western Kansas take the place that corn occupies in the Com Belt States. They are grown for grain, forage, and silage. It has only been during the last decade that sorghums, especially the grain sorghums, were given proper recognition among the crops of Kansas. Reports of the secretary of the State Board of Agri- culture show that for this State as a whole sorghums have been more profitable than corn. The difference is especially marked for central and western Kansas. Sorghums are resistant to drought and heat, and produce good yields on soils too poor to grow most other crops profitably. Sorghums will frequently remain dormant during periods of drought that kill corn, and when rain comes later revive and mature a crop. Sorghum for silage and forage will out-yield any other crop grown for this purpose anywhere in the State, regardless of soil, elevation, or length of the growing season. This has been verified by numerous tests. The feeding value of sorghum silage or forage is approximately the same as corn. Crops like winter wheat or spring small grains should not follow sorghums. Better results are secured if late planted crops, like com, which make their development during the latter part of the growing season, follow sorghums. In western Kansas it is often advisable to summer-till land that has produced a heavy crop of sorghum, if it is to be sown to wheat. Sudan grass is the only variety of the hay sorghum group extensively grown in Kansas. It differs from the other sorghums in that the stems are fine and not juicy and the plants stool very abundantly. From fifty to two hundred stems from one seed are not uncommon. Sudan grass is superior to millet for hay. It is very palatable and is greatly relished by live stock. It has been referred to as "Alfalfa" of the uplands of western Kansas. The sorghum family of plants is of great value to western Kansas. It makes it possible for the live-stock farmer to provide suitable feed for his live stock, it provides reliable cash crops, and when properly utilized it makes it possible for the western Kansas live-stock farmer to compete successfully with those of the Eastern States. Broom Corn, a Great Cash Crop Kansas and Oklahoma are the two great broom corn producing states. Wichita is the largest broom corn market in the world, while Liberal, Kan., is the 24 u RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION Dairying is a very profitable and rapidly growing line of farming. It is especially profitable in the western part of the State. Kansas raises her own dairy feeds center of the largest broom corn district in the United States. This crop is grown in many other localities in Kansas. The climate of central and western Kansas is especially well adapted for the production of a good quality of broom corn brush. Clear dry weather with plenty of sunshine usually prevails during the har- vesting period, thus permitting the harvesting of the brush without damage from rain or heavy dews. It is advisable for a beginner to make a thorough study of the industry, preferably under actual working conditions, before undertaking to become a broom corn grower. It is very important to grow a pure, well-selected, strain of broom com. PRODUCING BEEF C. W. McCampbell, Prof, Animal Husbandry, Agricultural College The beef cattle industry divides itself into three separate lines of endeavor — raising feeders, finishing cattle produced by some one other than the producer, and finishing cattle on the same farm where they are produced. Kansas is splendidly adapted to all three lines of beef production. In western Kansas conditions are particularly favorable to the production of rough feeds and feeder cattle for which there is a ready demand in the eastern part of the State. The advan- tages of this section are cheap nutritious grass and cheap, but efficient, winter feeds in the form of sorghum crops, alfalfa and straw. The value of these feeds has been well demonstrated by numerous tests. Great opportunities exist for the expansion of the finishing territory by a more general appreciation of the value of the grain sorghums for fattening cattle. Tests show that for all practical purposes a pound of kaffir is equal to a pound of corn for fattening cattle for market. Eastern Kansas offers splendid opportunities for producing and finishing cattle as well as finishing cattle produced in the range and semi-range sections. Splendid pastures, large acreages and abundant crops of clover, alfalfa and corn, with three splendid markets, Kansas City, Wichita and St. Joseph easily accessible, make this section one of the most desirable cattle finishing sections of America. DAIRYING J. B. Fitch, Professor of Dairying, Agricultural College That the farmers of Kansas are coming to appre- ciate the favorable conditions and profit in dairying in their State is shown by the fact that during the last ten years more than sixty thousand special-purpose dairy cattle have been shipped into Kansas from the older dairy sections in the North and East. The de- mand for high-grade and pure-bred dairy cattle is still very great. Kansas has many conditions favorable for dairying which are not available in many well-established dairy 25 KAN^A^— THE STATE BOUNTIFUL A feeding combination common in Kansas. The State has the feed and climatic conditions to produce beef and pork economically, and abundantly communities in the north and East. She grows her feeds at home. Dairymen in the North and East pay market prices for Kansas alfalfa, plus freight, and yet feed it to their cows at a profit. To balance this feed they use silage which Kansas can produce more cheaply than they can. The Kansas farmer does not rely altogether on corn. In addition to corn he produces cane and kaffir for silage and grain. In purchasing concentrated feeds the Kansas farmer has an advantage, as the State produces an excess of bran and other mill feeds. Cottonseed and oil meals can be secured from adjoin- ing states. Feeding tests and results obtained by dairy farmers have shown that alfalfa hay and corn, or sorghum silage, makes the best and cheapest combination of feeds for dairy cattle. The farmers of Kansas are fortunate in that these feeds can be produced abun- dantly in the State. The climate, with its long growing season and short winters, is well adapted for dairying. Expen- sive farm buildings are not necessary. The dairy industry is rapidly growing in the western part of the State, where the quick returns especially appeal to the man with small means. The type of cow being milked is constantly being improved by the use of pure-bred dairy bulls and better methods of selection. The bulk of the State's butter fat and milk is pro- duced by the small farmer who has three or more cows. There are over two thousand cream stations in the State which buy for about sixty large creameries furnishing a ready market for butter fat. The farmer who sells butter fat uses his skim milk to great advan- tage as a feed for poultry and pigs. There are seven condenseries which buy whole milk and there is a great demand for whole milk near the larger towns and cities. J. B. Fitch, Professor of Dairying The silo is fast becoming a necessity to the live- stock farmer in Kansas. It is only within recent years that farmers have discovered that the sorghums make excellent silage. Since the use of sorghums for silage has become extensive, there has been a much greater demand for silos. Farmers in the western part of the State, especially, have learned that the silo is the best possible insurance. They have found that in this section a silo can be had at a very small expense. The pit silo — which is becoming very popular in the drier sections of the State — can be built without expert labor, and at an actual cash outlay of not to exceed 25 cents per ton capacity, for the cement and hoisting apparatus. It is very easily constructed and entirely satisfactory. It requires no expensive machinery for filling, and can be filled with a small outlay of labor cost. The pit silo is practical for a man with a few head of live stock. 26 u RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION This pile of wheat contains three hundred carloads. Kansas leads all other states in wheat production. The yields range from ten to fifty bushels an acre By its use 100% of the crop produced can be saved for feeding. The flow of milk from dairy cows can often be increased more than 30% by the use of silage. The grain ration can be reduced at least one-fifth. The value of the forage crop produced can be doubled. The fact that silage properly stored can be kept indefi- nitely makes it possible to keep on hand a surplus of feed for future use. The man who milks cows or feeds cattle cannot afford to be without a silo. Every man who plans to move to western Kansas should con- sider the pit silo carefully. It is one of the great advantages of western Kansas. Pit silos will be found in considerable numbers in every dry-land county. Newcomers will do well to visit farmers who have these silos, and plan to put one down the first season for their own use if possible. The county agricultural agent will be glad to assist newcomers with silo prob- lems. Profit in RaUinsr and Feedins: Sheep and Lambs A. M. Patterson, Assistant Professor of Animal Husbandry, Kansas State Agricultural College Kansas, with its dry open winters, abundance of roughage and splendid markets, is well adapted to sheep and wool production. The average farm would be much benefited by a flock of sheep, which could turn waste products into cash, thus saving feeds of commercial value and at the same time increasing the fertility of the soil. Sheep produce two crops annually, wool in the spring and lambs in the fall. At present prices the income from the wool will almost pay for the ewe's keep. The value of sheep as soil improvers should not be overlooked. There is no class of live stock better adapted to building up the soil than sheep. Sheep are noted as weed exterminators. Not only will sheep rid the fields of weeds, but will turn them into a marketable product and return the fertility of the soil to the land in the form of manure. Rape and Sudan grass, sown in waste places for pasturing sheep, improve the appearance of the farm and are the means of making extra profits. Road sides, lanes and fence corners may also be kept clean and tidy by the use of a flock of sheep. Whether grade or pure-bred sheep are to be raised depends upon the knowledge the beginner has of the business. For one who has had no experience it is best to buy good grade western ewes and a pure-bred ram. After obtaining some experience, the pure-breds may be purchased. Careful study of market conditions should be made in order to make the greatest profits. There are great opportunities in western Kansas for the production of feeder sheep for which there is a constantly growing demand in the eastern part of the State. Kansas City is a great distributing market for feeders. S. C. Salmon, Professor of Crops, Agricultural College Kansas leads the world in the quantity and quality of the wheat she produces. No state in the United 27 KANSAS— THE STATE BOUNTIFUL A bunch of well-bred brood mares.. Rich Hmestone pastures and excellent alfalfa make strong-boned, rugged colts. There are more than three thousand pure-bred draft stallions in the State States, and no political subdivision of a similar size in the world, produces more wheat on the average. Nearly eleven million acres of wheat, the largest ever put out by a single state, was sown in Kansas in the Fall of 1918. The pre-war acreage was nearly eight million acres. This is too much wheat for Kansas to grow on the average in proportion to the live stock and the acreage of other crops. The aim of Kansas farmers for the future should be not more acres of wheat, but more wheat on fewer acres. The new or prospective settler in the wheat belt will do well to keep these facts in mind and remember that his chances of grow- ing good crops of wheat will be increased — and he will continue to grow wheat longer — if he invests a part of his capital in live stock and grows sorghum crops for feed rather than depend on wheat alone. Most of the Kansas wheat crop is grown in the central part of the State. Wheat does well in eastern Kansas, but so many other crops give profitable yields that wheat plays a relatively unimportant role in the agriculture of this area. In extreme western Kansas, wheat is somewhat uncertain because of severe and protracted droughts. In favorable seasons excellent yields are obtained. Considering the low price of western Kansas lands the wheat grower often makes a greater profit on his investment than the eastern farmer, even though he does not raise a crop every year. Better methods of tillage are constantly reducing the element of chance. However, experienced farmers place even more depend- ence on live stock and the growing of feed crops in this part of the State than in the eastern. Probably nine-tenths of the Kansas crop is hard winter wheat. A small amount of spring wheat is sown in north- western Kansas. Winter wheat almost invariably gives better yields, where it comes through the winter in good condition. The newcomer should study the methods of the most successful farmers and get in touch with the County Agricultural Agent before putting in his crop. F. W. Bell, Associate Professor of Animal Husbandry, Kansas State Agricultural College Kansas is one of the leading horse and mule pro- ducing states. The State is steadily improving its work stock in size and quality, and is producing the kind of horses that meet the demands for efficiency in harness. There are more than 3,000 pure-bred draft stallions standing for public service in Kansas. As the result of the use of such sires, there is a good supply of big draft mares for farm work. The colts produced by these mares, when properly grown out and developed, supply the demand for the best work horses and mules. The rich limestone pastures and an abundance of alfalfa 28 S. RATI ROAD ADMINISTRATION' A farm flock will supply the table and help to reduce living expenses. Surplus poultry products find a ready market and will furnish an immediate cash income. Turkeys are especially profitable in Kansas aid greatly in the development of rugged colts, with wearing qualities in bone and feet. Good draft mares furnish the most satisfactory and economical power for Kansas farms. Such mares take care of the farm work at any and all seasons of the year, and return an additional profit in the colts they raise. If these colts are sired by good pure-bred draft stallions they soon reach a size where they can be put into the harness and if they are not needed on the farm they will bring a good price on the market. There is little demand for the small, rough, poorly developed stuff that results from the use of scrub sires on small mares. ' : Under the benefits of the State stallion license law the Kansas farmer can choose the right kind of stallion to which to breed his mares, since every stallion is licensed as being either a pure-bred, grade or scrub. The importance of breeding to high-class stallions cannot be overestimated. A good stallion will add many dollars to the market value of a colt, and any extra trouble or time the farmer may take in getting his mares to a good stallion will be weir spent. i'ouitry W. A. Lippincott, Professor, Poultry Husbandry, Kansas State Agricultural College Kansas is a State of farm poultry rather than of specialized poultry farms. The fact that it is among the first ten states in Xhe Union in the total income received from poultry products, coupled with the fact that the poultry packing industry has reached a development ahead of that of any other state, indicates that Kansas conditions are favorable for poultry pro- duction, and that poultry keeping fits in with the di- versified agriculture practiced. Poultry products are almost exclusively sold as staples and there is scarcely a trading point within the State where a price is not quoted every business day of the year, nor a section in the State where a reason- ably well-cared-for general farm flock will not give a highly satisfactory return on the investment. The requirements for success are a good poultry house, rational feeding, and the use of male breeders from high-producing families. There are opportunities for poultry breeders who may develop high laying families of the breeds popular on general farms. The demand for cockerels from high laying families at present is far beyond the supply. Every Kansas farm should have poultry. The climate is excellently adapted to its production. Feeds for poultry are produced in abundance. Kaffir, which does exceptionally well in the western part of the State, forms the basis of many prepared commercial poultry feeds. The farm flock is a very important source of immediate cash income. Eggs are readily saleable and the production of eggs should be planned for from the beginning, not only for table use, but also for market. 29 ■: A S "^'M: Alfalfa yields from two to seven tons an acre and the highest yields are secured under irrigation. Kansas is one of the leading alfalfa states in the Union Turkeys do especially well in western Kansas. The importance of a small flock of poultry for the newcomer cannot be overestimated. Alfalf S. C. Salmon and C. C. Cunningham Alfalfa is the most valuable forage crop grown in Kansas. It is also one of the most important of all crops when its relation to the live-stock industry of the State and to the maintenance of soil fertility is con- sidered. No other crop is grown which is so certain to return a profit — or which can be produced more cheaply in proportion to its value. While the total value is exceeded by wheat and corn, no other farm crop produces a greater net profit per acre. Good alfalfa hay has never been excelled as a feed for dairy cows and growing Hve stock. Kansas is one of the leading states in the growing of alfalfa. It is doubtful if there can be found another area of equal size so well suited to its growth. The deep fertile soil, well supplied with lime and the min- eral elements of plant food, and the generally favorable climate characteristic of central Kansas, would be hard to duplicate. As a matter of fact, alfalfa can be grown in all parts of the State, but is not generally profitable on the uplands of western Kansas, where the annual rainfall is less than twenty-five inches. Pro- duction of seed in the western part of the State has proven especially profitable, and is a growing indus- try. The dry climate makes plump seed of excellent germinating power. It is not difficult to secure a good stand of alfalfa. The newcomer should get acquainted with the experi- enced and successful farmers of his community and study their methods. The County Agricultural Agent will gladly aid settlers in getting the best kind of seed and in making a start with alfalfa. Kansas owes much to alfalfa, and newcomers will do well to look carefully into the value of this crop. iiweet Clove; C. C. Cunningham, Assistant Professor of Agronomy Sweet clover is a valuable crop in the State. It is extensively grown for hay, pasture, and soil improve- ment, and its use for these purposes is rapidly increas- ing. It is also a splendid honey plant. The common white blossom sweet clover is the variety most largely grown. The yellow blossom kind is also grown, but does not yield as well as the white sweet clover. Sweet clover is adapted to all the soils of the State, except those which are acid or poorly drained. It grows well on sandy creek and river bottoms in west- ern Kansas and on some infertile soils in eastern Kansas where alfalfa is not generally successful, and in other regions where alfalfa is an important crop. As a rule, alfalfa is a better hay crop where it can be success- fully grown, but not so good for pasture and soil 30 U.S. RAILROAD / ST RAT I ON Bees are profitable and they should have a place on every farm. Large acreages of alfalfa and sweet clover furnish excellent bee pasturage improvement. Sweet clover rarely causes bloat when used for pasture. The second season sweet clover can be pastured until some time in June and then left for a seed crop. The seed sells for about the same price as alfalfa seed and the yields are usually heavier. The greatest value of sweet clover is for pasture and soil improvement. All forms of live stock eat it readily when they become accustomed to it. Professor M. F. Aheam, Kansas State Agricultural College Kansas has the soil and rainfall in the eastern part of the State to produce three, and even four, hundred bushels of potatoes per acre with proper cultural methods; and from seventy-five bushels up in the western part of the State. The Kansas potato crop is a money maker as the crop matures after the southern potatoes are off the market and before the northern supply is ready for the table. Add to this, good transportation facilities and it is easy to figure that potato raising is bound to be a profitable industry especially along the river bottoms. Every farmer and most city gardeners will be well repaid for time and labor spent in growing enough "spuds" to supply their needs. Potatoes are deserving of a more important place in the list of Kansas crops and there is a bright future in store for this industry in the State. Early Ohio and Irish Cobbler are the two leading varieties, but Bliss Triumph is a splendid early variety. C. C. Cunningham, Assistant Professor of Agronomy Oats and barley are minor crops in Kansas. The former crop is grown quite extensively in eastern Kansas while most of the barley is grown in the north- western part of the State. Oats are not adapted to western Kansas and rarely give satisfactory yields. Barley is a better crop to grow in this part of the State and should usually be preferred to oats. It rarely proves profitable in southwestern Kansas. Dr. J. H. Merrill, State Apiarist, Agricultural College The possibilities for profit in keeping bees vary according to the location. Where alfalfa and sweet clover are extensively grown, bee keeping is very profitable. In every part of the State there are sufficient honey plants to support bees with profit. There is little expense required over the original cost. Bees are not hard to handle, and some knowledge and experience will enable any farmer to successfully manage bees, so that he can produce sufficient honey for his own table, and probably have a surplus for market. There is a place for bees on every farm. The newcomer in the State would do well to look into the possibility of honey production. 31 THE STATE BOUNTIFUL A home-made reservoir, easily and cheaply filled by means of a windmill, will furnish plenty of water to irrigate the garden and supply the household and live stock Albert Dickens, Professor of Horticulture, Agri. Col, Trees anchor settlers to the soil. The home that has no garden, no orchard, no shade trees, is often for sale. Trees are an asset that increase the attractiveness and the value of the farm. They can be grown success- fully in every part of Kansas and no man should plan on establishing a home without trees surrounding it. A little care and attention is all that is needed to grow trees successfully in the western part of the State. The preparation of the land for tree planting should begin the year before the trees are planted and should be carefully cultivated to keep out the weeds and store moisture in the soil before planting is done. A wind break is especially important and desirable in western Kansas, as it tends to reduce evaporation, thus maintaining the moisture content in the soil, protecting and making possible greater crop produc- tion. It is also a very valuable protection for live stock during the winter months. There are many varieties of trees that do well. Almost all varieties that are grown in the temperate zone are satis- factory. In the western part of the State, on the uplands, the elm, hackberry, locust, ash, mulberry, red bud, russian olive, osage orange and coffee bean are long-lived and hardy. Quicker growing trees such as the cottonwood, pop- lar, soft maple, or willow may be planted for a quick growth, to be supplemented later by the more hardy varieties. The evergreens also do well, especially red cedar, which is native to the State and is the most hardy of all the evergreens. Once well established it will withstand almost any hardship. Pump I W*.,.-. r... Albert Dickens, Professor of Horticulture, Agricultural Col. No farm home is complete without a family orchard sufficient in size to provide fruit for the use of the family. The home orchard adds much to the value of the farm. But little experience in fruit growing is necessary to produce sufficient amount for home use. There is no part of Kansas that will not produce a good home orchard. In the eastern and central parts of the State there are many large commercial orchards. In the western part of the State the ground should be well cultivated, and the weeds kept out, and the moisture stored before the trees are set out. The trees should be carefully cultivated each season in order to keep them well supplied with moisture. Trees should not be set too close together, especially in the western part of the State. A very common mistake is to plant too many trees per acre. Garden crops may be grown between the trees, but it is not well to attempt to produce too much from the dry- land orchard. It must be remembered that moisture is the limiting factor in production, in the western part of the State, and every care should be taken to preserve as much moisture as possible for tree growth. Where practical, a windmill and small reservoir for irrigation will aid greatly. Cherries and plums are especially hardy and do well in all sections. There are many varieties of apples that do well. Early varieties perhaps are more successful, as a whole, than the winter varieties. Early Harvest, Red Astrachan, Duchess, Copper's Early, and Wealthy apples do well in nearly all parts. Winesap is the most popular winter variety. Grimes Golden and Jonathans do well. The York Imperial, Rome Beauty, Stayman Winesap and Delicious are meeting with favor. ..A ^t. ^r K. Alexander Jackson As a rule the majority of people residing east of the Missouri River labor under the impression that Kansas is a flat, treeless country, lacking in rivers or streams of any importance. 34 RATTROAD ADMINISTRATION Grain sorghums and healthy children are sure crops in Kansas. The value of the grain sorghums was more than $61 ,000.000 in 1918. During 1918.403.319 pupils attended the public schools In riding through or visiting the State for the first time, one of the greatest surprises is to find many important and beautiful rivers and picturesque streams, well lined with trees, adding beauty to the landscape. The principal rivers traversing the State are the Arkansas, Big Blue, Chikaskia, Cimarron, Elk, Kansas, Missouri, Osage, Republican, Saline, Smoky Hill, Solomon and thirty other rivers, named in any com- mercial atlas. In addition to the above, there are two hundred and sixty smaller streams designated and featured on the atlas as "creeks." This will give some idea as to the amount of bottom land especially adapted to the raising of alfalfa. W. C. Markham, Secretary, Kansas Highway Commission The Federal Government has allotted almost $8,- 000,000 to be spent in road construction in Kansas during the next thirty months. This sum is tenth from the top of the amounts given to the forty -eight states. The people in Kansas now realize that better roads mean better marketing facilities and improved social life. The next five years will see wonderful development in the great natural resources of the State. A perfected road transportation system is at hand. IN THE YOUR National Parks are a vast region of peaks, can- yons, glaciers, geysers, big trees, volcanoes, pre- historic ruins and other natural scenic wonders. Visit them this summer — for fishing, mountain climb- ing and "roughing it." Ask for descriptive illustrated booklet of the National Park or National Monument you are specially in- terested in — here is the list: Crater Lake, Ore.; Glacier, Mont.; Grand Canyon, Ariz.; Hawaii: Hot Springs, Ark.; Mesa Verde, Colo.; Mt. Rainier, Wash.; Pertrified Forest, Ariz.; Rocky Mountain, Colo.; Sequoia, Ca!.; Yellowstone, Wyo.; Yosemite, Cal. and Zion, Utah. Address Travel Bureau, U. S. Railroad Administration 646 Transportation Bldg., Chicago, 111., or 143 Liberty St., New York City, or 602 Healey Bldg., Atlanta, Ga. 35 Modern method of breaking sod. The soils of Kansas are very fertile and easily handled. Note the excellent tilth ISSUED BY United States Railroad Administration AGRICULTURAL SECTION J. L. EDWARDS, Manager WASHINGTON, D. C. FOR THE USE OF ALL RAILROADS IN THE STATE OF KANSAS For Further Information, address POOLE BROS. CHICAGO LIBRARY OF CONGRESS iiiiiimi 003 006 114 7