Winter seed wheat catalog, 1902

Historic, Archive Document

Do not assume content reflects current
scientific knowledge, policies, or practices.

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GROWERS AND DEALERS IN

ALL FIELD SEEDS

SHENANDOAH, ee wf. hw IOWA.

WINTER SEED WHEAT CATALOG

1902.

READ THIS CATALOG

Through, for if you are in the Market for Seed Wheat we can be of value
‘to you. If you are not in the markKet you may be benefitted and derive
some information that will profit you.

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C@® CUAL) Co oS ES CER TEER CP GEA GIT CRN CREED COO ¢ | RS SD

J. R. RATEHIN @ SON,

Introducing the New “Malakoff’’ Imported Winter Seed Wheat;
Grown in 1902, from Seed Imported from near the Black

Sea, Crimera, in Russia, in 1901.

This new, celebrated variety of winter wheat, ‘‘Malakoff,’’ is now being introduced by us from the first crop
ever before grown in this country, and from seed imported direct from near the Black Sea, Crimera, in Russia, by
us last fall. It is a genuine hard wheat and very pure stock, and is without doubt one of the hardiest varieties of
wheat there is in existence, and will withstand the rigerous climates as far north as South Dakota, Southern
Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, and from there south. This wheat shows a very compact, translucent grain,
weighs 60 to 65 pounds per measured bushel, and was purchased from a reliable dealer near the Black Sea, who was
recommended by the Imperial authorities at St. Petersburg as one most likely to supply the true article desired.
Our crop grown here in the Nishna Valley of Southwestern Iowa, this season indicates without question the
heaviest yielding and best flour producing wheat known to mankind, and is noted for its great productiveness,
hardiness, vigor and freedom from disease. This new hard wheat is far superior to any hard spring wheat ever
grown, and yields from two to three times larger crop. It is now the leading crop grown in the great wheat grow-
ing districts of Russia, which is the greatest wheat producing country in the world, and wherever it is grown the
great Milling Kings use it for their highest grade of patent flours. -

The ‘‘Malakofi’’ comes more nearly resembling the ‘‘Turkish Red’’ wheat than any other variety, however, the
heads are somewhat longer, larger and heavier, and the grain isa shade darker, a very rich amber color. The
straw is also larger and somewhat stiffer, and we claim for it that it is unequalled in hardiness, stooling qualities,
productiveness, rust proof, strength of straw, quality of grain, quality of flour, equal to the world famed Hun-
garian product and the best in all respects of any wheat grown. Our crop here this season has verified everything
claimed, and the crop product we are offering madea better yield than any other sort grown in this locality
under similar conditions.

In order to obtain the full strength of the wheat plant, as well as other plants, we must go back to the natural
home of the plant; the natural source of supply and secure the best seed with all the original strong, vigorous
qualities, thus we have been led to devote unusual attention to the culture and importation of improved varieties
of seed wheat, as well as other seeds, and as a result our Farm Seed trade has become second to no other dealer’s in
this country.

Don’t sow the old, worn-out varieties when you can add 50 to 100 per cent to your crop by sowing genuine,
pure stock, imported seed, the crop of which will be worth hundreds of dollars to you to sell to your neighbors for
seed next season. Everyone will be highly pleased with it who gives it a trial. Therefore we recommend it in the
highest terms.

Price:—42.00 per bushel, bags free aboard cars here.

Boyce City, TExas, JuLy 10, 1902.
The season here has been very unfavorable, but the wheat I got from you last fall has done remarkably well,
the yield being much better than any of our native sorts. I sowed some of the seed I got from you Noy. 20th and
some of my native wheat at same time. The Turkish Red did well, but that sowed from my native wheat made
nothing, thus proving it much hardier than our ordinary sorts. I. T. CALLOWAY.

RateKin’s “Turkish Red” Winter Wheat.

TRIED AND TESTED
HAS MADE AN UNEQUALLED RECORD

The “Turkish Red’ hard wheat, is like all the hardy varieties, is a bearded wheat; is strictly iron clad, stiff
straw and is absolutely free from rust, blight and other disease, and will stand more drouth, cold dry freezes and
other unfavorable conditions, and not winter kill in the most bare and exposed places. It has very much the ap-
pearance of winter rye when it first comes up, and sends its roots down deep in the ground, and will give a good
crop wherever winter rye will grow. It stools out the best of any variety known; heads are good size anda
great many of them to each root. The grains are plump, handsome and quite hard; the hull is reasonably thin
and it makes a most excellent grade of flour. There is no variety grown that has given as good and uniform satis-
faction in every respect; that has produced as large crops and yields under ordinary conditions asjhas the ‘Turkish
Red”’ during the past ten years. We sold thousands of bushels of seed all over the winter wheat growing districts
last year, including quite a number of orders from Montana, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and
New York and have now had reports from all of these states, and in no case have we a report where it failed, but
it uniformly stood the winter well, coming out in the best of shape.

Read State Agricultural Reports.

The Iowa State Experimental Station, one of the best in the United States, issued the foJlowing press bulletin
for the information and_ benefit of the wheat growing farmers of Iowa, dated at Ames, Iowa, July 1, 1901. It
says: ‘‘During the last ten years the Iowa Experimenta] Station has given considerable attention to the study and

‘selection of varieties of winter wheat. ‘The best results have been obtained from the ‘‘Turkish Red.’’ The lowest
yield during that time was 25 bushels, while the highest was 55 bushels per acre, the average yield for the time
being 45 bushels per acre. The present crop, now within ten days of maturity, is fully up to the record. This
wheat is wonderfully productive and very hardy, and it is thought by the station that the time has arrived when
it should be distributed throughout the state in lots of from two to six bushels, and as it is the intention to intro-
duce this variety and seed into every county in the state. the number of orders that can be filled will necessarily be
limited.”” Price $1.25 per bushel, bags free aboard cars here.

At the Nebraska State Experiment Station in the fall of 1896 they sowed 37 varieties of winter wheat. It all
winter killed except three; in 1898 over 100 varieties and only five survived the winter in good condition. In 1899
they sowed 42 varieties. In all these tests the ‘‘Turkish Red” succeeded finely and is given first place on their list.

Howard County, Mo., July 1, 1902.

Lam pleased tosay the Turkish Red seed wheat
received from you last fall is all right. J sowed one-
half bushel per acre and all came up nicely, but feed
was scarce and I was compelled to pasture it all win-
ter and did not take the stock off it until 28th of
April, six weeks before cutting time,but it was thick
and heavy on the ground, twice as thick as another

variety that I sowed a bushel peracre. I have not

threshed it yet, but am confident that my 20 acres of

Turkish Red will give a yield of 45 to 50 bushels per
acre. It’s all right. Respect, W.C. BASKETT.
Salesville, Texas, July 3, 1902.

I sowed Turkish Red side by side with Fulcaster,

the Turkish Red yielding more than twice as much as
Fulcaster. Yours truly, WALKER BROS.

Landscape view of one of J. R. RateHKin @ Son’s wheat fields in the Nishna
Valley at harvest time, when cutting in field of TurHKish Red Winter Whent
This field of 4O acres threshed 47 bushels per acre.

What Some of our Customers say of “Turkish Red”

Boise City, Idaho, July 14, 1902.
J. R. Ratekin & Son:—This is a country where we
irrigate but usually have fall rains. I sowed the
four bushels of Turkish Red I sent to you for, but
rains were so late it only got up when the ground
froze up. It, however, stood the winter well and my
crop will make 30 bushels per acre. It was sowed
broadcast, but if I had sown it in drills it would have

made much more. Yours truly, E. C. Cook.

Buchanan County, Iowa, July 19, 1902.
Isowed the Turkish Red wheat on corn ’ pround
after corn was cut, Sept. 20th. It was very dry then
and no snow during the winter, but it came through
the winter well and is plenty thick. Will make
something over 20 bushels per acre.
Respectfully, J. H. MANZEL.

Daviess County, Mo., July 5, 1902.

I bought 10 bushels of Turkish Red last fall but it
did not sow all the piece of ground I had for wheat,
so bought 3 bushels of another party to finish the
piece. The Turkish Red did fine and made a fine
crop, but the other froze out and had to plow it up.
This is my experience. Very respectfully,

J. W. YOUNG.

McPherson Co., Kansas, July 3, 1902.

I bought just two bushels of your Turkish Bed last
fall, sowed it on four acres of ‘ground, one-half bu.
per acre. This is an off year for w heat, but the crop
from the wheat I got from you is the best I have
seen in thousands of acres in Rice and McPherson
counties. I shall sow all I have this coming fall.
It’s all right. Yours truly, D. P. SMYREs.

Williams Amber Wheat.

This is unquestionably one of the best varieties of smooth, or bald headed wheats there is in existence, and
has made a remarkable record all over the best wheat growing districts where soft varieties of beardless wheat is
grown. Our stock of this excellent variety originated froma bushel sent out from the Agricultural Bureau at
Washington, D. C., some twelve years ago to be tested in one of the best wheat growing districts of Central
Southern Ijlinois. By reason of the wonderful record it has made, it has supplanted all other varieties and is now
grown to the exclusion of other sorts. The party from whom we originally purchased our seed stock is one of the
oldest and best wheat growers in Central Southern Illinois, and we can do no better than rehearse from a letter
from him prior to making a purchase from him: . While we do not give his name, it is enough to say that wherever
he is known his word is the synonym of truth. He says: ‘‘I have, for ten years past, grown exclusively, except
trial bags of other new sorts, nothing but the ‘Williams Amber’ and I might say that all other varieties in my
township have given way toit. This variety isa very hardy kind, standing the winter better than any other sort;
has a stiff, rather hard straw, and I cannot call to mind now any year since its introduction here that rust affected
it. In fact, I don’t know that it has ever been affected at all. As you are aware this is, with about 40 other
counties in south central Illinois, a tropical winter wheat region, the light clay soil predominating everywhere
except creek bottoms. Wheat on clay soil is very subject to rust, however, in this wheat we have found a rust
proof variety. I feel sure that if you want bald winter wheat that you will be pleased upon trial of the ‘Williams
Amber.’ It has always stood the winter better than other varieties sown in this locality and never hurt with rust,
and during two seasons when all other varieties were entirely winter killed this wheat has come through the win-
ter in good shape, hurt but very little if any.”’

We have found this wheat one of the hardiest, most rugged and robust varieties of soft wheats there is in
existence, and is all that is claimed forit. In addition to this, itis the surest cropper, largest yielder and best
quality of soft wheat grown, often making 45 to 50 bushels peracre. The straw is very stiff and hard, usually
standing about three feet six inches to four feet high, tops as level as a floor, large, long, well-filled heads of a deep
golden color.

Price:—$1.50, per bu. Bags free aboard cars here.

Freight Rates on Seed in Bags, per100O Ibs., at / ee

this Date from Shenandoah, Iowa.
A-WeRisOn 7 aGanisde- petit ot teb ess 8 io. Peo 22C y J R | C | L / S }

Aviilaratian Georg sca ce ee Oe ee ee ee 94¢ 4
Buffalo, New York......... aN Netaes Oka Ce eisek Pee heen og 47¢

CLACAE Gi; SUIS AE ls os wices Bee Cee. Sa Ee tas ss 32¢ S F E D WH FA if

Detroit, g Ms Ghiie anne ate ee ee tee ee oe 45¢ Taceeseribes inelide Sacks Etec on Doard Cars Here:
Indianapolis, Indiana............... So oth aes 41¢

Karisas, Choy MoGSOM LIS. sae tee ote en tet Soy 20¢ @ ‘‘Malakoff,’’ imported stock... ..... $2.00
Lingoin,s We lraslvancn iy <0\s ote sigs Fat et Anise Peek ookes 24¢ ae a g
Liamisniller Gentile. 62s ccs. Poke oes at em 42¢ Williams Amber’. ............. 1.50
Peoria, Illinois fe NTS eget So ave, 5, aici aia cee 29¢ GirishRed = 95 1.25
QUINCY y= LEGG Saree ae Ain ee ek Borate ft hig

Ghrineuetd deme eae Gee 40¢ Pred eRtSsan 62) osc en 1.00
Bb. SL Ouligs Wrest teeta ees Den ane le has ons 2c ff, eas

"Terratec liaiaenneh sete ee ap hoe is Sond a ca: le | Bulgarian’. cee ee ee ee ee ee eee 1.00 §
TOpe Kaige tech eat Peters Mates tee ee a ee 32°C = @ GD CUENRETS: CIEETD GET SE SS GSD GREETS eR @

Buy your Seed Wheat from the grower. Then you will know where it was grown.

Terms and Prices.

‘Our Terms are Strictly Cash with Order. We donot send C. O. D., as cost and inconvenience
to you for collection and return charges is an unnecessary item of expense, besides it would require too much time
and help and cause delay of shipment while we obtained the standing of those who order that way. As to our
responsibility see references elsewhere.

Rush Orders. If time is limited and you want to orderseed of any kind by telegraph, go to your Banker,
Express agent or Postmaster and put up the money and have them wire us what you wish, and you may feel
assured that your order will have immediate attention and seed will start by first train. We know how to move
without a derrick and are in a position to give you prompt and active service.

Be sure to Give the Name of your Freight Station, also name or names of railroads.

Freight Rates and Charges. We advise our customers to order early and have their seed sent by
freight always, as it costs four times as much by express as by freight. We have excellent railroad shipping
facilities.

ESTABLISHED 1877 Sumner County, Kansas, July 21, 1902.
Z Theseed wheat I bought from youllast fall threshed
THOS. H. READ, Prose se acott jee READ, Cashier, out 8 bushels more per acre than seed grown here.
aie ; ; I wish I had bought 100 bushels of your Turkish Red

THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK instead of four bushels. Respectfully,

SHENANDOAH, IOWA. Soe ES a

Capital and Surplus, $100,000. Mason County, Ill., July 28, 1902.
I am well pleased with the Turkish Red I bought
Shenandoah, Iowa, Dec. 1, 1899. from you; sowed one bushel per acre, got 30 bushels
To Whom It May Concern:—This is to introduce per acre. It is the greatest stooler I have ever
to your favorable notice Messrs. J. R. Ratekin & Son found; was thicker and gave much better yield than
of this place. Mr. Ratekin Sr. has been a valued other sorts made from 1+ per acre. It is much

hardier than anything I have tried.
Truly yours, H. S. NIEKIRE.

Cedar County, Neb., July 30, 1902.
I am pleased to say the Turkish Red seed wheat IL
bought from you last fall has proven a great success
forme this year. I am going to sow 25 acres of it

customer of this bank for mary years, and has always
been esteemed by usas a reliable and trustworthy
man in every respect. He has now associated with
bim in business his son, J. W. Ratekin, who isan
active, energetic and worthy young man, and we be-
speak for the new firm a large share of confidence
and patronage of the business public.

: , inst Nz this year. Inclosed find 50c for 3 pounds of your
Respectfully, T. H. READ, Pres. First Nat. Bank faperted “Malikots: waeaeeenneen
Truly yours, CARL ANDERSON.
U. S. Postoffice, Shenandoah, Iowa, Jan, 3, 1901. :

To Whom It May Concern:—I take pleasure in say- Vinland, Texas, July 30, 1902.
ing I have known Messrs. Ratekin & Son, of this I sowed eight acres of your Turkish Red wheat last
place for many years and can recommend them as fall and have just threshed 29 bushels per acre from
trustworthy, energetic business men. it. Its all right for this country. J. A. SMITH

Respectfully submitted,
C. N. MARVIN, Postmaster. Platte County, Mo. July 3, 1902.

IT am well pleased with the Turkish Red I got from
you last fall. Have not threshed but my crop will

Shenandoah, Iowa, Jan. 1, 1901. very cleaverly make 35 bushels peracre. The quality
Office of C. M. Conway, Mayor. is very fine. Can’t be beat. FRED WELLHAOIT.
To Whom It May Concern:—This is to certify that
Lam well acquainted with the seed firm of J. R. Pulaski County, Ind., July 16, 1902.
Ratekin & Son, of this city and take pleasure in I am well pleased with the Turkish Red seed wheat
recommending’ them to the public as being reliable got from you last fall. The quality fine and yield
and trustworthy. fully ten bushels better per acre than other wheat.
C. M. Conway, Mayor, Shenandoah, Iowa. EDGAR BLAZE.

The average wheat crop of the country has been 12 bushels per acre for the past ten years. There has been an
average of four times this amount per acre of our ‘‘Turkish Red’ grown in succession at the Iowa Experimental
Station, NO ESTIMATING OR GUESS WORK, BUT BY ACTUAL TEST.

Remember that our ‘’Turkish Red”’ is pure stock, and is all carefully recleaned and graded before sending out,
and is absolutely free from rye, cheat and noxious weed seed, and weighs 60 to 64 Ibs., struck measure, per bushel.
All seed shipped on day order is received.

It always pays to have the best. Don’t risk doubtful sorts. Change your seed this year.

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To the American Farmer and Wheat Grower.

It is our intention and purpose to offer to the American farmer and wheat grower only such varieties of seed
wheats as will be found to give the surest, most reiiable and profitable results, and such as are best suited toa
wide range of conditions, including climate and soil.

While there are thousands of acres of some varieties that winter kill from excessive freezing, cold and drouth,
crinkle to the ground, rust and scab until they are not worth harvesting, THERE ARE KINDS that can yet be grown
almost anywhere that winter wheat is grown with satisfactory and highly profitable results. This we claim,
especially for our imported ‘‘Malakoff’’ and ‘‘Turkish Red’? wheats. In order to make the closest, latest and best
possible investigation and comparison with our ‘‘Turkish Red,’’ we have, during the past six weeks, wrote and sent
out more than one thousand personal letters to our customers of last year, practically every one of whom we have
replies from, with regard to their experience and a comparison with other leading sorts grown in their several
localities, and almost everywhere we find our ‘‘Turkish Red”’ stands first and at the head of other varieties, where
grown on good wheat land. We, however, find the ‘‘Williams Amber’ better suited to clay or clayish soil in
Missouri, southern Illinois, and the South where soft and smooth headed varieties are grown and to which
soil it is especially well adapted.

Change Your Seed Wheat.

It has become a practical and well-known fact to every intelligent, and progressive farmer, verified
by every experimental station in the United States, that seed wheat grown year after year under the same condi-
tions, on same ground, in same climate, after a time deteriorates, declines and runs out. One of the surest methods
of counteracting deterioration is by repeated importations of seed from the regions whose natural conditions pro-
duce the characteristics desired. This is why we frequently import seed wheat from India, Russia, and Turkey.

' The farmer that this catalog and circular reaches who intends to sow a few acres of wheat, cannot afford to
sow the old wheat from the bin that has been sown on the same ground in same locality for years. Change your
seed. Increase your yield as well as the quality of your wheat.

Remember new and profitable varieties of seed wheat cannot be imported, tried, tested and introduced at
a price but little or nothing above common elevator prices. In addition to this, wheat is not fit for seed unless it
has been thoroughly re-cleaned and graded at least twice after it comes from the machine, as all our seed is.

Let us hear from you with an order for the amount of wheat you wish to sow and you will find it will be the
best investment you can make for seed wheat. Do not delay but order early and then you will have the seed when
you are ready for it.

Strang, Neb., July 14, 1902.
The seed wheat I got from you is all O. K. and I
shall sow no other kind this year.
Very respect,

Denton Co., Texas, July 4th, 1902.

Mahaska County, Iowa, July 11.
I am well pleased with the Turkish Red seed wheat
I got from you. I sowed the five bushels on six acres
of ground; will make 30 bushels per acre easy enough. .
Lute BILLICK.

J... PIERSOL:

Saline County, Mo., July 19, 1902.

I finished delivering 1127 bushels of No. 2. wheat
yesterday from the 50 bushels I bought from you last
year. It was sown on 40 acres of land. The weather
was so dry it hardly got up before the ground froze,
and I expected to plow it up until about April Ist, at
which time it begun to come out most anol.

Respectfully, Wm. BAKER.

Clayton Co., Iowa, July 10, 1902.
The Turkish Redeseed wheat bought from you last
fall has done well for me this year. Will yield 35
bushels per acre all right. Itis the wheat for this
northern climate, while there is nothing else we can
rely upon going through our cold winters.
Evert McKiwnis.

Iam well pleased with results from the Turkish
Red wheat I bought from you last fall, as the yield
was more than twice as much as the best native sorts
we have here. W. L. Soms.

Ripley, Tennessee, July 16, 1902.
I got 20 bushels of Turkish Red winter wheat per
acre, and 4 bushels per acre from the Littleton.
This is how my wheat turned out. Jam well pleased

with seed I got from you. W. B. CAMPBELL.

Platt Co., Mo., July 18, 1962.
The Turkish Red I bought from you last fall is all
right. It stands both freeze and sunshine better,
and stools better than any thing we have. It is also
rust proof. I have not threshed but shocks stand
much larger and thicker than my soft wheat, and
look for splendid yield. J. L. LEwIis.

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GROWERS, IMPORTERS AND DEALERS IN

Farm, Field and Garden Seeds

of Every Kind and Sort. 7

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PP? ee Pee |

When in want of Seed Wheat, Corn, Oats, Barley, Rye, Buckwheat, Clover, Alfalfa, Timothy,
Rape, Millet, in fact any Farm Seeds of any kind ot sort, we will be pleased to receive your kind ——
and orders, which will have our prompt personal attention.

j

Improved Varieties of Seed Corn.

We have made the growing and handling of improved varieties of Seed Field and Sweet Corn a lead--
ing specialty for the past nineteen years, during which time we have grown, sold and sent out more seed

than any other growers, and more than all the Garden Sced Houses in the United States combined.
!

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Read Carefully.

Our terms are strictly cash, not 10 days or 30 days. | Money should accompany all orders to receive attention.

Send all remittances by P. O. Money Order, Express Order, Registered letter or Bank Draft.

If we cannot fill your order your money will be promptly returned. WRY

We deliver, in good order, all seeds free aboard ehrs here when our responsibility ceases. C. B. & Q. R. R.,
Wabash R. R. or Keokuk and Western R. R. Low rates and quick shipments.

Freight and Express charges in all cases to be paidjby purchaser.

Be sure and order early, giving plain directions fpr shipping; also name of railroad you live on as well as
county and state, and if Postoflice is different, say so.