Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-04-14
KANSAS c6oes.
Reports as to the Condition ofs Crops a.
Furnished BY Correspondents fs the state
Board OF Agriculture.


Reports as to the Condition ofs Crops a.
Furnished BY Correspondents To theSt
Board OF Agriculture.
TOPEKA, Kan, April 6.-From the re-
ports OF correspondents, numbering
about 600 and representing this year
every county IN the state. Kansas starts
out with highly favorable conditions
for a prosperous crop year The winter
has been extremely mild and favorable
to the wintering OF all kinds OF stock,
and the unusual amount of rain and
snow during March has greatly assisted
the late sown wheat to strengthen its
roots and place it in condition to stool
vigorously when warm weather comes
Wheat-The area sown 20 wheat in
the fall of 1891, as compared with that
sown the previous year, is reported by
correspondents at 97.6 per cent, which
gives total area for the State for this
year of 8, 497, S6S acres or 81, 1SS acles.
less than last year. In consequence If
the dry condition of the soil last fall
the wheat area in the eastern belt of
the state was reduced 2S per cent as re-
ported by correspondents. In the CEN
trail and western belts the condition of
the soil was more favorable, and in
both the wheat area was increased over
that OF the previous year. Wheat sow
ing last fall was much later than usual
for two reasons First, farmers sowed
late as precaution against the HeSsian
fly; second, the dry and hard condition
of the soil in many portions of the
state did not permit sowing at the usual
time. The wheat in nearly all portions
of the state was slow to terminate and
much OF it did not appear above the
ground in the fall, but the favora bic
weather during the winter and The
abundant rains during March have
brought out the wheat, and in the CEN
trail and western belts (two-thirds Of
the state) the plant is very evenly dis
tributed over the ground and Is in
healthy and promising condition, also
in some of the eastern counties. Nearly
all the counties in the eastern belt (S9)
report wheat winter killed, ranging
from to 10 per cent, making an aver
age of wheat killed in this district from
all counties of 10 per cent.
In the central and western belts, in
which, according to our correspondents,
n per cent of the wheat area of the
state is sown, the percentage of wheat
destroyed from all causes is small. The
highest average of wheat con iition is
lowest condition is reported in the
eastern General condition OF the plant
for the state as compared with IL normal
or full average is SIS per cent
Rye-The general condition of rye
for the state as compared with full
average for a term of years is 81 per
cent.
Live stock generally throughout the
state is in a healthy condition Horses
are reported as especially free from
disease. Among cattle are reported a
few cases of lumpy jaw, a few of black
leg and some cases of Texas itch The
wet, cold weather of March is reported
as the only severe weather of the season
on stock. a very few cases of hog
cholera are reported in the state and
these only in mild form. In few
counties clover is reported as winter
killed, but generally throughout the
state grasses are in good condition.
Fruit-Peach buds are reported killed
generally throughout the state, while
other fruit buds appear to be IN good
condition
Hessian Fly-There is but little con-
plant of Hessian fly in any portion Of
the state. In few counties the early
sown wheat is reported damaged some
what. A few correspondents say con-
siderable, but this pest will probably
not cause much alarm among farmers
this year. The season in every portion
of the state is reported from ten days
to two weeks later than, usual The
extremely wet weather during March
has very greatly retarded farm opera
tions, but the ground, being abundantly
supplied with moisture, is in excellent
condition for spring crops, and on the
whole the general agricultural outlook
for the state is very good at this date