The Desert of Wheat: Complete

ISBN-10
ISBN-13: 9798707229251
Series: The Desert of Wheat
Pages: 272
Language: English
Published: 2021-02-10
Author: Zane Grey

Description

"We've got over sixteen hundred acres in fallow ground, a half-section in rye, another half inwheat-Turkey Red-and this section you see, six hundred and forty acres, in Bluestem," said Kurt.Anderson's keen eyes swept from near at hand to far away, down the gentle, billowy slope and upthe far hillside. The wheat was two feet high, beginning to be thick and heavy at the heads, as ifstruggling to burst. A fragrant, dry, wheaty smell, mingled with dust, came on the soft summerbreeze, and a faint silken rustle. The greenish, almost blue color near at hand gradually in thedistance grew lighter, and then yellow, and finally took on a tinge of gold. There was a living spirit inthat vast wheat-field."Dorn, it's the finest wheat I've seen!" exclaimed Anderson, with the admiration of the farmer whoaspired high. "In fact, it's the only fine field of wheat I've seen since we left the foot-hills. How isthat?""Late spring and dry weather," replied Dorn. "Most of the farmers' reports are poor. If we get rainover the Bend country we'll have only an average yield this year. If we don't get rain-then flatfailure."Miss Anderson evinced an interest in the subject and she wanted to know why this particular field, identical with all the others for miles around, should have a promise of a magnificent crop when theothers had no promise at all."This section lay fallow a long time," replied Dorn. "Snow lasted here on this north slope quite awhile. My father used a method of soil cultivation intended to conserve moisture. The seed wheatwas especially selected. And if we have rain during the next ten days this section of Bluestem willyield fifty bushels to the acre.""Fifty bushels!" ejaculated Anderson."Bluestem? Why do you call it that when it's green and yellow?" queried the girl."It's a name. There are many varieties of wheat. Bluestem is best here in this desert country becauseit resists drought, it produces large yield, it does not break, and the flour-mills rate it very high.Bluestem is not good in wet soils.