The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1881-05-19
THE WHEAT CROP.
UNION TOWNSHIP, May 9Th, 1881.

Me- CuIkr:-In the issue of the 2sth ult, you
showed an amount Of independence in regard to the
prospect of winter wheat, that no other paper of
Kansas has dared to assume; and fully endorse
the statement and many of my neighbors fully con-
eur At u meeting Of Township Board, few
days since went over the winter wheat crop statis
tics of this Township, and fonnd that the acreage
was about S, 800 acres in the fall of 1880 and not
one field of 20 acres is reported n frstclass stand
About 1900 acres were registered as not killed but
most Of the acreage left standing will not give an
average yield of ten bushels per acre In my opin
ion, the entire yield of this Township will not exceed
20 600 busheswhere last season il was over 100 O0O
I think am fully up to the extreme yet portion
of the ground has been re-seeded to spring wheat
which will materially aid in making up the defcien-
ey; but large portion Of the ground will he oecu-
pied with fax, barley and corn hence We cannot
depend too heavily upon the spring wheat crop /;
and am satisfied that other parts of the County are
sipilarly situated with this Township.
am unable to give any opinion outside of this
County; yet We all know that the same causes have
been very widespread and the results ars much the
same. For instance, Mr. King. of Atchison County,
says he has not got 100 acres, out of 200 acres
sown that will pay to let stand The Chicago Timer
reports 20 per cent killed, when the facts are that
not 20 per per cent will he left to stand and the
most of the wheat left il upon new ground The old
ground seeding is nearly total failure. Much that
Is left has very weak root, and the plant does not
stool as it would with q vigorous and strong root.
/ saw letter from Stafford County, in the Arkan-
Valley, . few days ago, saying that the crop
killed; not 20 per cent. would be harvested. am
unable to see how the adjoining Counties-say Pratt
Edwards. Reno, Rush, Barton, and Pawnee-could
escape the rigors of hard winter.
The facts are. that most of the reports that are
published outside Of the State made up in the in
terest of of the great railroads that ira
verse the State, and hold large land grants BY
personal and actual observation, q person cannot
enter any depot of note from the Missouri River to
the State Of Maine. but he will find railroad land cir
culars setting forth the abundant crops of Kansas
and especially the enormous yields Of winter wheat
along and in the valleys Of the Arkansas and Kansas
Rivers.
The Chicago Times. of the 9th ult. contains a re-
port from Doniphan County, made by some party,
that not over Is per cent. of the wheat is killed
when the fact s not over Is per cent of tho whole
acreage in alive and will be harvested and none Kill
produce an average erop of 20 bushels per acre.
There must be some great interest behind all these
reports or they would not be made so far from the
real facts II Kansas produced 26 millions of bush
els in 1873 YOU can mark il down TO 10 miious
and include all the increased acreage which i. i'm
mepse for the Weld of 1881. Many nm acre TINT ia
left Tn produee what IL will by a fayorabl. season
will mot cut IN ere,cd .iybt bushels mar acre The
facts show that the whole Arkansas Valley has mot
produeed it's seed for the mast two YEAR. Is7e and
1850. vet the A.. T.&S F.R.R and the Kapsa.
Pacific r. r.. scatter circulars over the whole conn
,rv ea., Of IN, M.ss.ippi. setting forth the epor
nous cereal Weld of Western Kan.as-as thev have