The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-08-22
KANSAS CRCPs.

KANSAS CROPS.
The July Report of the Harvested and
Growing Crops-The Outlook Good for
an Abundance. a.
From the July report of the Secretary OF
the State Board Of Agriculturs thu follow.
ing facts as to the crops are Cleaned:
WHKAT.-During the month of July many
adverse reports were received at this Office
the yield of winter wheat. The
complaint seemed to be general that heavy
rains, accompanied by wind storms, and i'm
followed by cloudless skies and in
tense heat, had prevented the wheat from
filing properly land causing rust and blight.
1t was reported also that the rains and wind
beat down the rank growths of small grain.
and that a large per cent. of 1t was badly
lodged" and could not be harvested by ma
The result OF the compilation of the
reports of over four hundred correspondents
for the month of July shows that while the
adverse conditions mentioned above existed
in the majority of counties, the injury to the
State as a whole has not been nearly 50 severe
as has been anticipated As coFnpaFeds with
the June estimates, there is loss in the yields
of thirty-three counties, gain in twenty
eight, while the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
the same average yield that they did one
month ago The counties having the largest
loss are Mcpherson, from twenty-five to nine-
teen and Reno. fr2m twenty four 70 eighteen.
crease their former estimates. The counties
bordering on the State of Missouri and south
of the Kansas River also experienced q loss
i'm yieid from the ravages of chineh bugs, and
in Cherokee hot southwestern wind at har-
vest time caused a noticeable shrinkage in the
yield, and in the same county there WAS
larger per cent. OF chess In wheat nelds than
west of the meridian I of McPherson
County had no adverse conditions to con.
tend with except the lack of harvest hands and
The average yield of this section
would probably have been from two to three
bushels larger had there been enough farm
hands and machinery to handle the gran
ton of the State has secured the largest wheat
crop ever before grown I'm that section. Alb
stracts Of assessors returns for 1884 have been
received from all the eighty-one organized
and a compilation of of these gives
an area of winter wheat sown in the fan Of
1888 of l69 673 acres. OF this area L. sos acres
were not harvested. having been destroyed
from freezing and other causes; This is the
State, being but q little more than two thirds
of one per cent. The area harvested was 2, l5l,.
1858 acres, from which an average yield was
obtained, as now estimated, of 2L15 bushels
per acre, or a product for the State of 46,Sll,-
1888 bushels which Is less than the June esti.
mate by a little more than l.o00OOo bushels.
SPRING WHEAT.-The area of spring wheat
81
is 1855, or larger than that of 1883 by over
three bushels. This crop has been constantly
declining In area and Importance during the
past five years, and will soon cease to be cul
tivated by Kansas farmers. The product OF
spring wheat added to that of winter wheat
gives total wheat product in the State this
year OF Is, 24S .3is bushels.
RyB.-The area sown i'm the fall of 1883 was
less than that sown the previous year by 49,
6l5 acres making an area for this year of 3O4,-
S93 acres OF this area 5,2s9 acres were win
ter-kill-d, leaving an area of 2s9,64 acres to
be pastUred and harvested. Ten per cent. of
this area was devoted entirely to pasture. and
did not make q crop. The lack Of proper
and the want of farm laborers ut
harvest tre caused at least fifteen per cent.
of the crop to remain uncut. The area har-
vested was 256, 162 acres, which made an aver
age yield of twenty-five bushels per acre. or a
State product of h,d35,a64 bushels. The crop
the State, especially in the West and North
west where it is both sure and profitable. In
the portions mentioned this crop has made
good average yield each year, and is looked
upon by farmers as reliable ana sure.
BARLEy.-The area of barley increased as
with the area of last year about
thirty per cent, or from l5,5S3 acres in 1888 TO
III, 49, acres this year. There has been every
grown successfully in Kansas, but the crop
has never attained such proportions that it
might properly be styled one of the field crops
of the state. While yields have been salts
the market for this cereal has been
such that the profits have been small, and
barley has i'll consequence given place to
tive. The yield this year for the State is 2.slI.
being five bushels in excess of the yield of last
year.
CoRN.-The area planted to corn decreased
rs compared with last year 10. ,262 acres, the
State area for 1884 being 4545,90 acres. Not
the unfavorable conditions in
the spring. the lateness of planting. and the
amount of replanting, the cropis now
haft in ha yVa lngfx
at this time. In most portions of the State it
was very nearly as far advanced on August as
it was at the same time last year. The weather
Of July, while not favorable to the harvesting
Of small grain left little to be desired as re-
cards the corn crop. There was an, abund-
ance of moisture everywhere, and the tenn
perature was exceedingly favorable to the
growth of the plant. The general condition is
ten per cent. in excess of last year, and there
Is every prospect that the crop will yield bet
ter than IL did in 1883. The extreme western
report fine condition, while last year
ut this time the failure of the crop was def
nitely determined in that section.
OATs.-The East-central and Northeastern
Mit Wba a or GfP of of oa,s a.
ago promised. Excessive rains and high tenn
perature caused it to rust" and heavy winds
blew down the rank straw so that it was diff
cult to cut. The other portions of the State
report good yield, and in some of the West
nrn counties a very heavy yield. The average
for the State is 30. falling OF from the large
Of s Of ten IL
Increased over twelve per cent, or So 2255 acres,
giving State area of az, S3l acres. The total
yield for the State is q, +99. 463 bushels.
Toes have decreased in area slightly as COM
pared with the previous year. The present
condition promises better yield than that OF
1883. Millet and Hungarian have q, an a, area this
asst year. The promise for a large yield is
favorable, being in excess of the
condition of last year twenty per cent. The
urea of castor beans is 1905 acres, being loss
rom last year OF about twenty-five per cent.
The crop has not been u satisfactory one
heretofore, and this year is no exception. But
few counties grow FIVE hundred acres of this
plant :and its cultivation lie fast being discon
inued. Flax increased In area about eleven
Der cent, the State area being 13l,5l3 acres.
The yield Is much better than it has been in
lrea of sorghum, where raised for the manu-
acture of sugar and syrup. has decreased
argely. The general condition of the crop is
superior to that OF last year at this time:
n excellent condition, promising a large
,ield. The area has decreased about twelve
per cent. the unsatisfactory prices received
ieretofore for the product inducing farmers
20 abandon it.
FRUIT.-Tbe apple prospect has been !
further reduced during the month, and q
promise of full crop early in the season has
,een gradually lessening, until now the indi- !
'ations are that not more than sixty per cent. |
If an average crop will be gathered. In the |
majority of fruit counties apples are falling
he fruit remaining is very poor. Early |
ipples are much better than the winter !
'arietieS, the latter as rule being badly !,
pecked There will be seventy-hve per cent. |!
II an average plum crop. The wild varieties |
will be unusually abundant. The prospect of I
. fine crop of grapes is especially lattering, |
md correspondents are unanimous that there !
will be an abundant crop.
POPULATIoN.-The enumeration of inhabi- |
ants on March LIST, of this year, as returned /
~ township assessors through County Clerks, /
5 l.l35,6i5. an increase in one year OF ten per /
emit, or Ice SS5. SO