Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-05-22
THE AGRICULTURAL POSITION OF KANSAS.

4FCtaT1e TQFnaeT,
THE AGRICUL TURAL POSITION OF KANSAS.
The following facts of interest con-
corning the rank of Kansas In the crop
and stock operation Of.the year 1883 are
CLEANED from the March and April crop
reports of the department. of agriculture
at Washington. The Ecorn product of
Kansas has been growing from year to
year, until 1883 the state was the second
in rank in number OF bushels harvested,
the great state of Illinois being alone in
advance. The early frosts of last year
caused large per cent of the corn pro-
ductiOn north of the forLieth parallel to
be unit for export, and, in the language
of the department statistician, is called
''unmerchantable ;" A glance at the
map of the United States will show that
the state of Kansas lies wholly south of
the parallel named, and its corn product
was uninjured from the cause mentioned,
while the deterioration in the quality Of
tho product in all the other leading corn
states was very large. In the table by
states, on page of the March report,
it will be observed that Kansas had, in
1888, 158, 976, 1928 bushels of merehanta-
bic corn, which is nearly twice the
amount grown in any other state. AL
though the average price per bushel is
rnuob lowaY, in KopSoo +%ur 4bo a,.a,ao.,,
price for the United States yet the money
received by our farmers for the last crop
OF merchantable corn is III excess of that
received by the farmers of any other
state by $15,OOO,COO.
Among the states, Kansas stands fifth
in the number of bushels of wheat har-
vested. There were, in 1888, eleven
states that had more than 1000, 900
head of cattle within their borders;
among these Kansas ranks as sixth.
The average loss among cattle in the
United States for the year 1883 was 4.9
per cent, while the loss in Kansas for
the same period was but two per cent.
This is remarkable showing, when it
is understood that large proportion of
the cattle in western Kansas have been
almost entirely without shelter, and have
had as feed but little besides the ''buffa-
10 grass throughout the entire year.
The largest per cent of loss in Kansas
has heretofore resulted from lack of
shelter, and insufficient food. When
Kansas shall be as fully equipped with
farm buildings as are the older and
weather. states, the per cent of loss will
materially decrease. For the United
States the percent of high-grade cattle,
or ''those that have more than one-half
pure blood of all breeds and thorough
bred, - is 19, while for Kansas the per
cent IS 81. Our stock men are steadily
and persistently improving the quality
of cattle and that so young state IS
Kansas should have larger per cent of
high-grade cattle, than the country st
large, clearly indicates that the business
is being conducted by intelligent and
progressive men.
The loss in the United States among
sheep was 3 percent, ana 1or Kansas
was the same. The want of appropriate
shelter in western Kansas contributed
largely to this result. The business of
sheep husbandry is profitable in this
state, when conducted with care. and
the annual loss from exposure and neg
tect is rapidly declining.
The loss among swine in Kansas last
year was but 3 per cent, while the aver
age loss in the United States was SO
per cent. This small loss can be attrib-
uted to the abundance of good food and
the natural adaptability of the state to
this industry. Kansas ranks seventh
among the states in numbers of swine.
Altogether, the showing of the de-
partment is very fattering to Kansas.
Beng one of the younger members of
the Union of States, the high rank OBJ
tanned thus early > clearly indicates a
bright and promising future. Monthly
report for April 1884, OF the Secretary
of the State Board Of Agriculture.