History of Wheat in United States

Wheat was brought to a New World by Spanish colonists. A slave of Cortez finding a few grains in some rice, sent from Spain, carefully preserved and planted them in 1529. From these, it is believed, the wheat’s of Mexico have been derived.

Wheat cultivation spread farther north in the 1660s, but did not grow well in the climate and soil of New England.

It was introduced into the Elizabeth islands of Massachusetts in 1602 an in 1611 into Virginia. In 1718 it was brought into the valley of the Mississippi.

Though wheat was grown in the United States during the early colonial years, it was not until the late nineteenth century that wheat cultivation flourished, owing to the importation of an especially hardy strain of wheat known as Turkey red wheat.

It was brought over by Russian immigrants who settled in Kansas. A large colony of Mennonite Russians, members of an Anabaptist sect founded by one Menno Simmons in 1506, settled in Kansas in 1873.

The devout emigrants has brought with them some sacks of a variety of wheat called Turkey Red which, when sown in America soil, proved superior to all other varieties previously cultivated.

Until the very late nineteenth century, wheat hardly figured as a major territorial crop. Not until 1896 did these farmers get a descent wheat harvest, but the following year’s production was remarkable .

In just twelve months, the acreage planted in wheat has doubled. The difference that made such a difference was the introduction of Turkey red wheat.

The development of the steam engine in the 1880s and the internal combustion engine in the 1920s allowed for still greater efficiency on planting and harvesting wheat, the size of farming operations increased.

The wheat crops of the United Sates in 1913, 1914, and 1915 were the largest in history, the average for the three years being almost 900,000,000 bushels.  
History of Wheat in United States