The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-05-01
CROP eRosPecTs.

rne Wheat 0utlook-Other 0ralas-Ths
Condition OF LIVE stock-Eoceusssing
Showing for Fruit.
The following from the quarterly report
Of the Secretary of the State Board of Ag-
riculture shows the condition of the grow
Ing crops:
WINTER Wharf.-The winter wheat area
sown IN the fall Of 1884 te less than the pre-
ceding year by about q per cent, and is
about equal In extent to that sown in the fall
OF leS: This decrease was Uniform through
our the State, but two counties Of small
wheat areas, Ness and Washington. main
tanning their acreage of 1884. The principal
cause for this decline was the unsatisfactory
prices received for wheat after the harvest
Of 1Ss4, there being many instances where
the amount received for the crop failed to
reimburse the grower for expenses paid in
its production and marketing. In the west
ern half OF the State, territory including
many OF the prominent wheat counties. the
cient in rainfall, causing many farmers to
SOW small area late in the season, when
they had contemplated q larger acreage.
ton of Indian corn. in the section last named
in 1884, also had tho effect of lessening the
wheat area, farmers reserving large proper
ton of their land for the cultivation of corn:
Owing to the lack of moisture, as noted
before, the larger proportion of the crop in
the western half of the State was put in very
late. and had but poor start when the win
ter set in. The average date of seeding was
much earlier In the eastern half and as the
rainfall was more abundant in this section,
the plant had a fine growth before the begin
ditions, the crop would have presented fine
prospect at that time. The Hessian fly made
its appearance last fall in nearly every
county in the eastern half of the State. being
particularly numerous along the eastern
border and In the counties lying along the
valley of the Kansas River. 1t is difficult to
estimate the damage dor Q by this insect pest
before the beginning of the winter, owing to
the heavy damage sustained by the crops
during the months of February and March
from the alternate freezing and thawing. 1t
Board that the injury from the sly" would
prove to have been slight IT an opportunity
had been given this spring to determine its
extent The appearance of the Hessian fly
ties, but it is not claimed that the
crop In this section received any seri.
Gus damage from its depredations. The
ainsd in all SECTIONS OF the sfate and
correspondents agree that the largest per
cont. OF damage occurred from this cause.
While the decrease in the wheat area was
twenty seven per cent. the loss from Hessian
6y and freezing was also twenty-seven per
cent, leaving q little more than 1,000,O00
acres to be harvested this year If favorable
wheat in the West is just beginning to grow,
the season being at least two weeks late as
compared with last year, and for this reason
10 N Is 70 All
or protected 10 in fair condition, and Cow
promises good yield. That sown on new
ground did not suffer as severely as that
sown on old ground, and this area even in
exposed fields, will make q fair crop. The
condition of the living plants is seventy-six
As compared with last year. the twenty
seven per cent. winterkilled is being plowed
up and the area put to spring crops. The in.
dications are that the product of 1885 will not
exceed forty-four per cent. of the crop Of
1884. Eighteen per cent. of the crop of 1884 Ia
still in the counties where grown, awaiting q
better condition of the market. The average
price offered on March % for wheat in local
markets was fifty-one cents.
CORN-Twenty-three per cent. OF the corn
crop of 1884 st n remains in the counties in
which it was raised; the average price of
This grain in local markets, March -, being
of the corn held by farmers is on the market,
1t being retained in most instances for home
use.
RYE-The ryc area has decreased, as CON-
pared with last year. Being q much harder
plant than wheat, il did not suffer so severely
from the hard freezing. About ten per cent.
Of the area was winter killed, and the re-
mainder now shows a condition of eighty
nine per cent. us compared with that of last
year. 1t Is very backward, and is not afford
ing the usual spring pasture. Possibly three
tourthS of the acreage is to be found in the
Northwestern counties.
LIVE STOCK--HOrses came through the
winter in fair condition, being somewhat
thin in flesh, owing to the extreme cold, and
usual number of cases of distemper,
"pinlleye." etc, are mentioned, but no
serious epdemics have been met with.
Chambers is not mentioned Q, by eorrespon,d :
disease under good management having de-
creased largely. Horses and mules are in
good condition for spring work There
have been during the fall and winter
heavy losses among cattle. There is hardly
q county I'm the State that does not report
serious loss from turning cattle into stalk
fields, where an insufficient amount of water
and salt was provided. In the western
counties range cattle suffered heavy
loss from exposure and lack of feed, proba-
the unusual severity of the winter Cattle
were particularly free from disease during
the past winter, the only loss being from bad
fair condition, although unusually thin in
flesh, resulting from the severity of the win.
ter aud the lack of sufficient food and shelter.
Sheep on the western ranges, nre in poor
cond ton, owing to insufficient food and
shelter. A very large per cent. of lambs
were lost from exposure. The 'scab" has
not been SO serious as i'm former years, but
slight loss being reported from this cause.
Nearly every county in the eastern two
thirds of the State reports more or less chol.
era among hogs. In nearly every instance
to importation from the stock yards along
our eastern border Twenty per cent. of the
young pigs died from the effects of the ex.
treme cold.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. report apple buds
generally alive. and promising fair crop of
fruit Peach buds were all killed by the Sc
we're cold in all portions of the State, except
In the south-central where the promise for a
full crop is encouraging. Pears and cherries
promise an average yield, except in the ex
treme northern counties, where they were
damaged considerably during the winter.
Black berries and raspberries suffered from
freezing. and will not mako IN average crop.
The harder varieties Of grapes promise an
abundant Weld in all sections, while straw
berries will make about half crop. The
prospect for fruit crop is much more en-
conrnging than was anticipated.