People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-04-07
KANSAS WHEAT,
The Condition Not Satisfactory In Many
Counties All Right In the south.


Counties All Right In the south.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, April 1.-THE
Star yesterday evening has the follow.
ing article on Kansas wheat
Nearly all the grain men we're at their ofices
and the principal subject talked about was the
crop prospects in Kansas There are many
varieties OF opinion on the subject A good
many people are undoubtedly very uneasy over
the reports which come daily from the state
II is an easy matter TO SCOT at an occasional
letter complaining Of the crops. But when
there ere many complaints from the same sec.
ton II is difficult TO believe that some damage
has not been done. The Star has within Q
week printed half dozen letters from Brown,
Doniphan and Atchison counties all reporting
the prospects for wheat very poor Two let
tiers from Washington county Of the same
tenor have been printed These are counties
not suffering from dry weather. Correspond
ents declare that wheat has been winter killed
and shows no signs Of growth The same kind
Of report comes from Wabaunsee, Clay, Dicxin
son and Davis counties. These are in the east
ern part OF the state. and excepting Dickinson
and Clay their wheat acreage is comparatively
light There are many reports ofpositiye dam
age in the great central wheat belt notably
from Salina, Mitchell, Cloud, Lincoln. Ellis
worth, Barton, Russell, Osborne and Ellis
There is no doubt whatever that the ground in
these counties is very dry But they are not
included in the dry belt OF western Kansas
where wheat is described as being as dry
in the ground as when planted. The
best information Obtainable justifes the state
ment that in these counties the crop prospect
has not yet been seriously impaired, though
the fields are in rather critical condition and
the crop is likely TO 60 backward rapidly II
rain in ample quantities does not come within
two weeks As April is the wet month in Kan
sas, the chances are decidedly in favor Of the
rain coming in time to make the crop
So far rs western Kansas is concerned opin.
ions are pure guesses That much OF the wheat
has not yet sprouted is certain But the least
opinion leans 10 the belief that there is at least
an even chance Of prod ling an average crop II
copious rains fall in A! I'll. Many country ship
pers in western Kansas are no doubt completely
discouraged and are making arrangements 10
go elsewhere 10 buy wheat Some Of the deal.
ers here feel that the prospect for a crop In
western Kansas is very slim Nevertheless
men who have had years OF experience in west
ern Kansas are hopeful
In southern Kansas the prospect is fine
There is only one opinion about that The
great southern wheat counties never had
finer promise for harvest
The acreage In the state as a whole is prob
ably somewhat larger than last year. Probably
there are 100000 acres Of winter wheat
and with the spring wheat the total area VIII
reach almost $4,000 acres Last year the
winter wheat acreage was 3s2O,OOO spring
wheat $4,000.
One Of the most careful observers in Kansas
a grain shipper and farmer, and a man who
watches the crop developments very closely,
has been through the state In the past 10 days
and he thinks the wheat prospect can be fairly
| placed at 20 per cent He thinks Kansas has
present promise Of raising 90 O0O, 900 bushels Of
wheat That estimate is conservative. Ii would
be only Il bushels 70 the acre The average Of
the 81 years Of which a record has been kept is
/ l6I, bushels 10 the acre.
Those who are fearful that Kansas may not
raise enough wheat 10 keep grain men here
busy ought not 10 forget that the average yield
OF wheat in Kansas has been less than ten
bushels in only four years out OF the past
tihirty-one years No one viii pretend that
anything like a calamity has oyertaken the
wheat in Kansas. Yet If the state should raise
only ten bushels 10 the acre II would produce
4. 900 bushels and that IS more than Kan
sas ever raised, with the exception OF one year
prior 10 1891 The crop OF 1884 was 10000
bushels The yield per acre that year was 81 a.
bushels.