The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-08-21
KANSAS CROPS.
The July Report of the Harvested and
Growing Crops-The Outlook Good for
an Abundance.

| an Abundance.
From the July report of the Secretary of
the State Board of Agriculture the follow.
! ing facts as TO the crops are cleaned:
| WHEAT.-During the month of July many
/ adverse reports were received at this Office
concerning the yield of winter wheat. The
complaint seemed to be general that heavy
rains, accompanied by wind storms and i'm
mediately followed by cloud1ess skies and in
tense heat had prevented the wheat from
| filling properly, and causing rust and blight
J 1t was reported also that the rains and wind
beat down the rank growths of small grain,
and that large per cent. of it was badly
| lodged and could not be harvested by ma
| chinery. The result OF the compilation of the
! reports of over four hundred correspondents
| for the month of July shows that while the
| in the majority of counties, the injury to the
| State as whole has not been nearly so severe
as has been anticipated As compared with
the June estimates, there is a loss IN the yields
| of thirty-three counties, a gain in twenty
! eight, while the Observation-Disclosures
the same average yield that they did one
month ago. The counties having che largest
| loss are Mcpherson, from twenty-five to nine
| teen, and Reno, from twenty-four to eighteen,
while all the counties west of Mcpherson in
| crease their former estimates The counties
bordering on the State of Missouri and south
| of the Kansas River also experienced a loss
| in yield from the ravageS of chinch bugs, and
! in Cherokee hot southwestern wind at har-
! vest time caused noticeable shrinkage in the
| yield, and in the same county there was 8
| larger per cent. of chess in wheat fields than
! in any previous year. The counties lying
west of the meridian of Mcpherson
| County had no adverse conditions to con-
tend with except the lack of harvest hands and
machinery. 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 grain
| grown. AS it is, however, the western por-
| ton of the State has secured the largest wheat
| crop ever before grown in that section. Alb
| stracts of assessors returns for 1884 have been
received from all the eighty-One organized
counties, and compilation OF Of these gives
an area of winter wheat sown in the fall of
1888 OF 1859 613 acres. OF this area, IL 500 acres
were not harvested, 'hav ing been destroyed
| from freezing and other causes. This is the
! smallest loss ever noted in the history of the
State, being but little more than two thirds
of one per cent The area harvested was 2, l5l :
| S6S acres, from which an average yield was
obtained, as now estimated. of 2l.75 bushels
per acre. or q product for the State of 46,Sll,-
3S3 bushels, which is less than the June esti-
mate by little more than 100000 bushels.
SPRING WHEAT.-The area of spring wheat
is increased over that of last year d, l62 acres
or eight per cent. The average yield per acre
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 VIII 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 1921 ,562 bushels.
RyB-The area sowH in the fall of 1888 was
less than that SOwn the previous year by H.
6l5 acres, making an area for this year of S4,
1913 acres. Of this area $3.50 acres were win
TERRIFIED, leaving an area of 299, 6O4 acres TO
be paStIsred and harvested. Ten per cent. of
this area was devoted entirely to pasture, and
did not make a crop. The lack of proper
machinery and the want of farm labOrers at
harvest tine caused at least fifteen per cent.
of thn error tn ron Qi in no hgr.-
vested was 256, l62 acres, which made an aver
age yield of twenty-five bushels per acre, or a
State product of 1898, 564 bushels. The crop
was successful one n nearly all portions OF
the State, especially in the West and North
west, where 1t is both sure and profitable. In
the portions mentioned this crop has made a
good average yield each year. and is looked
upon by farmers as reliable and sure.
BARLEY.-The area of barley increased as
compared with the area of last year about
thirty per cent, or from ID $50 acres in 1853 to
20, 49, acres this year. There has been every
evidence from year to year that barley can be
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
factory, the market for this cereal has been
such that the profits have been small, and
barley has in consequence given place to
other crops that have proved more remunera-
tive. The yield this year for the State is 2,Sl1,
being five bushels in excess of the yield of last
year.
as compared with last year 107, 2262 acres, the
State area for 1884 being 4,5i59OS acres. Not
withstanding the unfavorable conditions in
the spring, the lateneSS OF planting, and the
unusual amount of replanting, the crop is now
in much better condition than it was last year
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, leftlittle to be desired as re-
CARDS the corn crop. There was an abund-
an m IN wv hpr M hn tom
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 it did in 1883. The extreme western
counties report fine condition, while last year
at this time the failure of the crop was def
nitely determined in that section.
OATs.-The East-central and Northeastern
counties report very poor crop of oats, as
compared with what the condition of month
ago promised. Excessive rains and high tenn
perature caused it to rust, and heavy winds
blew down the rank straw so that il was diff
cult to cut. The other portions of the State
report good yield, and in some of the West
ern counties very heavy yield. The average
for the State is 80 falling OF from the large
crop of 1888 of nearly ten bushels per acre.
The area as compared with that of last year
increased over twelve per cent, or Sc 2255 acres,
giving a State area of 7SO, S31 acres The total
yield for the State is q, 499 463 bushels.
OTHER CROPs.-Both Irish and sweet pota-
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 an area this
year of Al, 20S acres as against 452, 019 acres
last year. The promise for a large yield is
extremely favorable, being in excess of the
condition of last year twenty per cent. The
area of castor beans is 1906 acres. being loss
from last year OF about twenty-five per cent.
The crop has not been a satisfactory one
heretofore, and this year is no exception. But
few counties grow five hundred acres of this
plant. land it's cultivation is fast being discon-
" Sa6 m 1rn a M oil
per cent, the State area being 10, 513 acres.
The yield is much better than it has been in
any season during the past five years. The
area of sorghum, where raised for the manu-
facture of sugar and syrup, has decreased
largely. The general condition of the crop is
superior to that of last year at this time
Broom corn, in common with other crops. is
in excellent condition, promising a large
yield. The area has decreased about twelve
per cent, the unsatisfactory prices received
heretofore for the product inducing farmers
to abandon it.
FRUIT.-The apple prospect has been
further reduced during the month, and a
promise of a full crop early in the season has
been gradually lessening, until now the indi-
cations are that not more than sixty per cent
of an average crop will be gathered. In the
majority of fruit counties apples are falling
from the trees. while the quality of
the fruit remaining is very poor. Early
apples are much better than the winter
varieties, the latter as rule being badly
Specked. There will be seventy-five per cent.
of an average plum crop. The wild varieties
will be unusually abundant. The prospect of
g fine crop of grapes is especially fattering,
and correspondents are unanimous that there
will be an abundant crop.
PoPULATIoN.-The enumeration of inhabi- |
tants on March lst of this year, as returned |
by township assessors through County Clerks, |
is 1.135,6l5, an increase in one year of ten per
cent, or 106, SS5.
Shocking Suicide.
PU1ro III. August 14.-Miss Gertrude !
T. Boomer, who had been a teacher in the |
village school for several years, committed |
suicide in most shocking manner. 1t is /