The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-01-29


fugitiyes at a time were sheltered un-
der my roof. Many were the hapless
creatures that found shelter there.
With few exceptions they were fed,
and in some cases were partly clothed.
john RANKIN. a.
EDITOR EMPoRIA NEWS. = Dear
Sir: 1 wish 10 speak through your
columns, and if l shonId complain a
little, hope il viii he taken SIS well
meant. wish 10 state some facts.
as the basis % my complaints.
think that the yield of the crops
of the past year has been much over
estimated, especially 10 this part of
the state, by those too, who have
written after careful survey of the
country as could easily shave been
made at that time. Some writer's
say of corn that some crops in this
(Lyon) county yielded from DO to
GO bushels per acre. Now, Mr.. Ed
itor, have taken some pains to find
those large crops, but ] fail TO find
any that yielded % bushels of corn
per acre, and that not fit for seed.
And l have only fonnd one little
piece, less than five acres, that made
that yield, and that piece of tim
Der land cleared 3 years since. Now
wish to state a few facts that I
have no fear of being successfully
contradicted. In this vicinity the
grasshoppers came on July 3lst, IA,
and left Aug. 22d. All upland was
total failure. All late planted low
land was total failure, while the
best low bottom planted very early,
and cultivated in the best manner,
only yielded from nothing to 5
bushels of very poor corn, none of
which will do for seed. Our
friends east will wonder why we
did not hold over corn from former
good crops. 1 will explain. The
| spring of 1874 was one of extraor-
binary severity, and holding 5 to 4
weeks later than common. Hay
gave out as You will remember
with many in mid winter, and
farmers were compelled to feed out
on grain of any kind, hence all of
every kind that was used as feed,
| was used. Cribs of corn that was
years old were then opened, and
hastily emptied, and, L venture the
assertion, that there has never been
a time since 1860 that there was so
little corn or grain of any kind in
Kansas as there was at the close of
last spring.
Now for wheat crops. a CORES
pondent of a Kansas City paper,
copied in the NEWS of Dec. 18th,
gives a very reasonable statement,
as far as he goes, but he stops far
short of the truth. lie tells us win
ter wheat yielded q good average,
Is ia So bushels per acre. He for
gets to tell that in much of this
county that crop was total failure.
In this portion of the state, to-wit /:
Northwest corner of Lyon county
and adjacent counties of Morris
and Wabaunsee, 9-10ths of the WIN
ter wheat drilled in the fall and
spring, was plowed up and put in
other crops. L only know of one
piece that yielded 90 bushels per
acre, and do not believe that there
was dozen pieces within ten miles
of this place that yielded Is bushels
per acre, and 1 will say here, that
this Crock Creek) valley generally
excelled in growing good crops of
wheat within the last eight years.
The same correspondent says of
spring wheat, that chinch bugs, To-
Gusts, &C., damaged the spring
wheat crops, but there were some
crops that yielded - to 20 bushels
per acre. Now, Mr.. Editor, the fact
is just this: at least 80 per cent. of
that crop was a total failure or
yielding less than bushels per
acre. 1 had 80 acres that yielded
121s bushels per acre. I sowed with
a drill from one to three weeks car
lier on fall plowea land. I only
know of one other piece Chat of S.
L. Segar) that very small piece,
that yielded so much as that, while
nine-tenths of the crop was either
not cut at all or mown for feed.
That is not all. There is no other
feed, or comparatively none to fat
ten hogs and keep our horses,
hogs and poultry through the win
ter, and there being no corn for
bread, and no potatoes, hence much
more wheat is required for bread
than of former seasons. The oat
crop has also been over stated, as
all late sown oats were destroyed
by the chinch bugs. Now, Mr.. Ed
itor, unless something can be done
to supply the country with seeds of
all kinds, for the coming season,
much loss must necessarily be the
result. / wish to notice some of
those who are so busy trying tn con-
vince the eastern people that Kan
sas needs no help. came across one
the other day that is a fair sample
of all of them. This gentleman
says we are abnndantly able to take
care of our selves, and we should
not let the word go east that we are
not, for it would hinder eastern
capital from coming to Kansas.
When asked by neighbor to ex-
plain, he said, 81 have 400 bushei of
wheat that will not ship a bushel
of if / can sell it here" When the
answer came, 'T have no money to
buy the wheat" "No difference, you
have cattle" eyes, few but none to
sell. What do you give for cattle.
and what for the wheat?" ST will
pay for No. one steers only; calves,
up to 5 dollars yearlings, dollars
9 year olds, Is to 10 dollars, ifextra,
$50, but will not sell a bushel OF
wheat for less than $I.20 per bu."