Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-08-01
The Crops.

The Crops.
Considerable anxiety has been SHOWN
by our people during the past six days
as to what would be the effect on the
corn crop of the dry winds that have
been blowing from the south. These
were not what the old resident would
have classed as ''bot winds'' for they
have not scorched the very grass nor
have they dried up all vegetation; at the
same time, the winds that set in last
Thursday, 18th ult., and continued I'M
til yesterday, were dry enough to cause
alarm and make many people feel blue.
We have been at some pains to learn
how the crops came out of the ordeal
and believing that truth will hurt no
one, we are ready to report.
Along the southern border of the
county for distance of five or six miles
great damage has been done. Around
Kiowa, corn will not be a fourth of a
crop. Around Hazelton early corn had
matured fairly well and a half a crop
VIII be gathered. In the locality where
the corn is poorest, however, the people
raised good wheat and fair oats and
they will have plenty of feed. In Nip
pewalla township and along the river
from there north to this place, the corn
is in good shape and tens of thousands
of bushels will be gathered. On Ante
lope fiat, corn that was not planted too
thick and that has been properly cult
waited will make a fair yield. Around
Sharon and east of there in the Nine
Cottonwoods valley there are some ex-
ira good fields of corn, ALREADY made.
while much of the young corn has been
considerably damaged. One man, near
Sharon, will bet that he will raise 900
bushels on 16 acres, and he is not a
man who talks much. In Valley town.
ship the crops are in worse shape than
in any other part of the county that.we
have heard from and even up there
enough corn will be raised for home
consumption. Elm Mills township is
not in bad shape ana the farmers from
there have complained but little. West
of there in McAdoO, Turkey, Sun CITY
and Lake City townships there are
many really good fields of corn that
were made week ago, and there are
fields that will be only good for fodder.
Corn planted early and that was well
plOwed before the heavy rains set i'm in
May, is all right now, but late corn that
was allowed to get weedy is very weak.
South of Sun City, around Deerhead
and from there east to Medicine Lodge.
including the Cedar creek country, the
crop is unusually good, though suck
ers" have been troublesome in many
fields. Down Mule creek the corn
planted was generally of the early va
riety and most of it was made before
the hot winds set in; but where there
was any doubt, the farmers have
commenced to cut up their crops. One
man is running force of ten cutters
this week.
A well posted man told us yesterday
that he had been all over the county
within the past week and it is his opin-
ion that Barber county will have five
times as much corn as it can possibly
utilize.
Another man said he felt satisfied
that 100 bushels would be raised this
year where but one was raised last
season.
The farmers have all raised wheat,
oats, millet or cane in addition to corn,
and many have combined two or more
of these crops with corn. There is
plenty of good prairie grass and nearly
everybody owns mower and their
teams are in good condition, and it is
safe to say that there will be thousands
of tons of hay saved.
Altogether the outlook in Barber
county is much better than it has been
in three years. There will be plenty of
everything raised for home consumption
and enough surplus to fatten 10000
beeves that will be driven in and twice
that many hogs. Then, many farmers
will have surplus of grain to sell to
the stockmen in the Territory where
they do not pretend to farm and the
counties west of here, if they need it,
can buy their supplies in BaTber.
A good rain now would be acceptable:
but if it does not come for week we
can still do without it.
We are not feeling as good as we
might; but we are wearing broader
smile than the one we wore last year.