The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-09-08
LosING HER lLAuReLs.

"Drouthy Kansas" will have to be-
come considerably drier than she is nov
to hold up her end of the pole against
many Of her sister states, which IN times
past, have been so industrious in
advertising To the world the insufficient
rainfall OF this country. While it is true
that our crops have suffered seriously
by reason of the dry weather Of the past
summer, We have reason to believe that
we have Jared infinitely better than the
people in many sections Of Kentucky,
Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, from all Of
which come the mos discOuragiRg re-
ports of disasters from continued drouth.
In central Indiana and Illinois cattle
are suffering greatly for want OF water,
and it was found necessary to aban-
don a number of county fairs
after all the arrangements had been con-
summated, by reason of the shortage OF
products to make creditable exhibit
and for want of water TO properly pro-
vide for stock. On the Western Reserve,
one Of the most productive and flourish
ing sections of the great. state of Ohio.
sheep are dying by hundreds for
want Of water and the country Is as scar
and desolate as if il had been visited by
the frosts of December. In many por-
tions of Ohio and Kentucky eiSterns
and wells are dry, and drinking walefis
hauled many mikes. In the latter state
farmers have been obliged TO sell OF
their stock because they have neither
feed nor water to sustain il, and in many
places where the fences are as dry as
Under, sparks from trains are causing
great damage by fires. In the native
county of the writer, where farmers
not uncommonly raise from twenty-five
to thirty bushels of wheat to the acre,
the average yield this year is estimated
at about thirteen bushels, and corn and
other cereals are correspondingly short
in that part of the Buckeye state.
Many large vegetable gardens in differ
ent parts Of the east suffered severely IN
the carly part of the season, and the NOR
tality in Cincinnati and other great cen
tiers in the east resulting from the hot,
dry weather. has been unprecedented IL
the public prints are TO be relied upon
Kansas presents no snch picture. Al.
though there has been but comparative.
ly little rain in this section since the lat.
ter part of July It is estimated that the
corn crop will be quite as good If moi
better than that of last year, and win av.
erage in the neighborhood of forty
bushels TO the acre. Then the shortage
has been supplemented in great meas
ure by the largely increased acreage
planted in this cereal, and we regard il
safe to say that the corn product of Kan.
Gas for this season will be fully adequate
to the purposes of feeding and leave q
handsome surplus for shipment. I
Stock has meyer done better than it has
this season and the countless
herds which have grown fat upon the
free pasturage of our fertile prairies
have proved the source of millions OF
revenue to the stock growers of Kansas
this year. The hay crop is abundant
and thousands of tons have been put up
in Lyon county for feeding purposes
and Cor shipment. Thus, Kansas has
Cotton on with comparative comfort and
even fiourished upon an allowance Of
moisture that would have literally bake ed
Ohio or Illinois, and the wall that comes
up from those states and the adjoining
commonwealths of Kentucky and
Indiana affords abundant evidence oftht
fact that we "hold the edge" on them thil
year and we can furnish them ''aid" in
case any such contingency should arise