The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-01-14
Kansas AgrieuIturists-

The State Board Of Agriculture Is no"
in session at Topeka. 1t is the twenty
seventh annual meeting, and is being at
tended by a large number Of agricnItur-
lists and also by a few real farmers Ihere
are many addresses being oehVereC os
eminent abriculturists from abroad ana
others made by Kansas agriculturlsts ana
farmers Secretary Columns annual re-
port probably enbodies more pfacIcdi
suggestions and observations than elther
of the address or speeches, which IS as
follows:
THE force in the boards office has been
very fully occupied during the past year
in work much of which is the routine OF
every year. For obvious reasons the cor
respondence has been heavier than Tor
long time previous in answering the innu-
merable inquiries from without and with
in the state for information on nearly ev-
cry conceivable subject pertaining to Kan
sas, her resources, population, produc-
TONS soils, climate, inducements, posi-
bilities and agricultural literature
More attention than ever before has
been given TO a constant oversight ana
urging of the 500 assessors, the 1O5 coIn-
ty clerks and 1900 volunteer correspond
ents, TO use the utmost effort in making
complete and accurate the returns upon
turns have been criticised, returned, re-
vised, corrected, sifted and analysed with
a painstaking thoroughuess which has
caused them when made public TO be pro-
nounced by high statistical authorities as
the most reliable compiled and published
by any state. The constant determination
is to make them the best possible, which at
best viii be very far short of perfection.
Two quarterly reports of 10000 copies
each have been made. printed and distrib-
uted, containing in all $50 pages The first
of these. devoted to poultry interests and
entitled. The Helpful Hen was dated
March 81; the other to beef production and
the years agricultural and population sta
tistics, and designated as The Beef Steer
land His Sister, was dated December. A
daily demand from far and near for more
of these and the former reports on Cow
Culture Alfalfa Growing, and Corn and
the Sorghums. none of which we can sup
ply. is as constant and regular as the
mails.
THE tenth biennial report was months
ago distributed to such of the many ap-
plicans as seemed most likely to make
the best use of it for Kansas.
.yThe governor of the state in his last
animal message to the Legislature In
snea king of the Board of Agriculture,
said:
."The reports of this board have not only
received commentators from the press OF
the state. but have been accepted as gooo
authority on certain matters In our sister
states. As a large portion OF our cluzehs
are interested in agriculture, L deem II
rieb+ and Droper that this board should
receive due consideration at your hands
and along the different lines which bring
ing.
sTrhe legislature in appreciation of the
interests involved at once proceeded TO
reduce the salary of the over-paid lady
clerk % per cent of the chief clerk ID
r4r cent. and of the secretary 10 per cent
For other purposes the ordinary appro-
priations made for previous years, except
a cutting down of postage Tor current use
and the cutting off of the 500 per year
| for agricultural books of reference, nave
been allowed.
srWhile agriculture is one of the leading
industries of the state" said Governor
Ieedv. in his opening address at ldSI
nights session. Kansas has other IN
dustries of which we may all De proud
The mining industry has increased to
,,,o,-,arf,II point. In Galena more zinc is
smeIted than at any other point in the
v5orId Oil is being refined a Neodesha-
! Great quantities of salt are found in west
ern Kansas and much zinc is being smelt-
! ed at lola.
kansas people are too modest we
/ don't tell the world of all the good things
/ we have. We ourselves do not seem 10
realize the great extent of some OF our
industries Kansas may now be classed
| as a mining as well as an agricultur Il
/ state.
/ But the development along the line OF
/ agriculture also has been great There
! are vast fields of kaffir and alfalfa cocn
| In western Kansas. Tame grasses are
/ grown all over the state. Many farmers
/ are now growing exclusive kaftir corn in
stead of Indian corn, because the kafhr
| never fails.
I'VE are getting past the experimental!
! stage in Kansas. We are getting TO a
time, when. in our changing climate, men
/ Inow what they can raise In different
parts OF the state without experimenting
each time"