The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-05
KANSAS CORN.
Excellent Prospects For an
Enormous Crop.
Secretary C0burn Completes a
Summary of Conditions.
is NEARLY PERFECT.
Average For Entire State Is
Almost 100.
Wheat Yield This Season Was
37,23I,754 Bushels.

The Kansas board Of agriculture has
issued a bulletin based on reports from
its correspondents in every neighbor-
hood in the state, each especially eau
toned to make none but safe, conser-
vative estimates. just to all the inter
ests concerned - giving the present con-
ditions of growing crops, together with
the probable yields of the grains now
harvested, winter and spring wheat,
rye, oats, barley and flax.
The area sown to winter wheat was
4,796,129 acres. In June the growers
said SO per cent of this had been plow-
ed up, because of winter killing. The
same men, now that the crop has been
harvested, judge from its present APP
pearance and by the threshing so far
done, that the yield for the entire acre
age sown viii average slightly more
than IA bushels per acre, or a total
for the state of 81, 231, 754 bushels. OF
this they say 1865, 142 bushels, or
about As per cent. will rate as good"
and Ia, So, SAT bushels, or 40 per cent, as
medium . leaving $50, O65 bushels, or
Is per cent, as poor or unmerchanta-
BILE for milling. The low quality of so
much of the grain is not in the main
due to its not having developed, but to
wet weather during and since harvest
and the presence of many rank, Sappy
weeds which had grown in the poorly
set fields, been bound and stacked with
the wheat, and caused it to heat and
mold. It is reported that about half of
the new crop will be marketed within
the next so days, and that the area sown
this fall will likely be smaller by to
10 per cent than one year ago. These
figures of yield are of course but pre-
hminary and subject to some varia-
tons up or down, when threshtng is
complete. OF old wheat on hand in
March there was S,906, S44 bushels. One
year before it was but {, 094, los bushels.
To spring wheat 1872, 868 acres were
sown, or nearly 40 per cent more than
Ia viii of Inns h
els, a decrease of 100000 bushels, and
also a decrease from the 1897 crop.
Sherman, Cheyenne, Rawlins, Thomas,
Decatur, Sheridan and Norton counties
in the order named, all in the extreme
northwest, continue to be the chief
spring wheat fields.
In 1898 the corn area was 1881. Sol
acres; in March, 1899, assessors return
ed an acreage 2 per cent smaller, or T.
0S9, 229 acres. June 1, after much of the
wheat had shown hopeless injury by the
severe winter and the land been planted
in other crops, the boards correspond
ents estimated that the total area de-
voted to corn was nearly IA per cent
greater than in 1898, thus making a to-
tai this year of 1924, $50 acres. In both
1895 and 1897 the acreage was slightly
larger, but the average yield was be-
low Is bushels per acre. Although at
best the season at first was somewhat
backward, corn has later made a pro-
digiOus growth, and even in the large
territory where corn is ordinarily by no
means regarded as a reliable crop there
is promise Of extraordinary yield. The
condition for the entire state including
the least promising, is by the most con-
sentative calculation SO. So, and the least
nberality in figuring could have readily
put it above the 100 mark. 1t is espec-
tally notable that in many of the great
est corn producing counties the condi-
ton is highest, (the opposite of one
year ago., thus: Jewell 112, Marshall
103, Reno 81, Washington 1O8, Nemaha
80. Republic 1O6, Smith 95. Sedgwicz
100, Cloud SO, Butler 104, Decatur lis,
Linn and Mitchell Ill, etc. In several
of the southeastern counties the stu
alton is somewhat less satisfactory
from too heavy and frequent rains.
which interfered with planting and Gull
tivation. Soil conditions are almost
without exception favorable at this
time although in Kingman and few
other counties showers within the next
few days would be very beneficial.
The quantity of old corn found on
hand in March was 81. 697 $40 bushels;
in March, 1898, it was 81, 595,377 bushels,
and in 1897, 81, 720 917 bushels.
The following table shows the coun-
ties Of Kansas in the order of their ap-
parent present rank in corn acreage,
the condition of corn July 81, and the
bushels of wheat estimated to have