Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-10-25
KANSAs SITE NEWS.
The Status of the Corn Crop.
TOPEKA KAN Dot

TOPEKA, KAN, Oct. IL.
In the September report OF the State
Agricultural Board, Secretary Sims gives
the following summary of the corn crop:
The month of September has been a trying
period on corn. The month, in many sections
of the State has been entirely without rain
fall and this, added to the fact that but q
slight fail occurred in August, gave such a
injured severely. The result has been that
fields that promised fifty and seventy bushels
to the acre on the 18th Of August, make only
a yield of thirty TO forty on October1 Some
portions of the State had sufficient rainfall
the entire season, and the yield in these sec
tons has been larger than ever before known.
There were no general rains in September,
there being nothing but local showers. The
extreme western counties have made the
smallest yield of corn yet attained in their
history Sheridan making a total failure, while
Ellis. Gresham, HOdgeman, Ness and Trego
hardly recovered the seed planted in the
spring. The extreme counties on the northern
tier, as well as those the southern, al
though having po0r yields, yet were more sue
cessful than those counties lying between
them, and RaWlinS County, the most western
county in the State, has promise of fifteen
bushels per acre from 2,792 acres, and Ford,
the most western on the southern line, has
secured twenty-five bushels per acre from 757
The failure of the crop in the west central
counties was fully apparent as early Au-
gust !, and the stalks were then mostly cut
for fodder. Concerning this western territory
it can be truthfully said that the past two sea
sons of abundance in all other portions of the
SIdIS nave D00n the InOSL OISaSCrOuS period IN
It's history as relates to agriculture. This
same section has, however. advanced very
rapidly in wealth during the period mentioned
owing to the fact that the immense natural
pastures are fast being covered with cattle
and sheep. But few more years and the
stock interest will have complete possession,
and Kansas averages will no longer be in dan
ger from these annual failures. The average
yield for the State has been reduced from the
August estimates to forty bushels per acre, or
total product of 100, 1868, 2S7, falling Off dur
ing the month of about 10, 900 600 bushels. The
loss comes from the counties where the rain
fall was insufficient, this being the only cause.
and the territory lying within the Counties OF
Marion, Mcpherson, Morris, Davis, Rice. Satina
and Ellsworth, all contiguous, suffered largely
during the month from the cause mentioned
above. The average of these counties is
but thirty-One bushels per acre, while one
month ago the same territory promised 40.
Dickinson County, lying between Davis and
Salina, however, having had several local
showers will produce an average of A. and
Harvey County, just north of Marion and Nc
PherSOn. reports an average of 50 bushels per
acre. Shawnee County has much better
average yield than either Douglass on the east
or Wabaunsee on the west and Chatauqua
County, with as good corn land as any in the
State. has an average of but 81 being sur
rounded with county averages of 4S, 81 and 81.
The crop has not suffered in any portion of
the STATED from injurious insects, nor has frost
anected It. Inc TacC that some SecClOnS had
an abundance of rainfall, while others lacked
this essential at q critical time, is the only
cause of the differences in yield. In nearly
all of the counties that fell below an average
yield the quality of the grain is below the
standard of last year. Where the yields have
been large the Qualityi is excellent being much
superior to that of 1882. For the entire State
the quality is about 10 per cent. superior to
the crop of last year Notwithstanding the
bad effects of dry weather upon the corn the
product this year is still in excess of that OF
last year by about 8,S0O,0O0 bushels.