The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-08-06

That Minnesota is a great wheat
I state all the world comedies, and ac-
cording to the Year Book of the United
States department of agriculture, Min
| nesOta had in 1900 a considerably larger
acreage in wheat than Kansas, but the
Year Book gives on the same page the
Kansas yield as greatest by more than
go per cent, and it's value greater by 40
per cent.
While there has been much suspense
and speculation in regard to this years
crop, one thing is certain, that Kansas
has a magnificent acreage, the first es-
senttal to making possible a subsequent
large aggregate of product. AS it be-
comes more widely and better known
Kansas wheat is in increased and con
stantly increasing demand, and her
breadstuff output successfully completes
with the best from Wheresoever the
SunhoWer state each year reasserting
more emphatically than ever her claim
to priority and prominence as pro-
Queer of the best, and as such hers Is
popularity recognized. None, apparent
~, appreciate this more than the Kan
sas farmer, and this years operations
seem to be on a. scale never heretofore
surpassed or equaled by any other
state or country, or even by Kansas
herself.
AS an indication of the Industry dis
played by the enterprising husbandmen
along this line 1t is of interest to know
that 80 Kansas counties already report
ing have larger field in winter wheat
this year by 1250O0 acres than the
states entire 1900 wheat area, the year
when the state produced more wheat
than ever before in her history-76, $780,
900 bushels government estimate 81
48S,655 bushels) from 4,269 900 acres, an
average Of about Is or possibly more
than 10 bushels per acre There are Is
of the los counties yet to hear FROM in
Guiding such premier wheat-grOWin
sections as Clay, Dickinson, Montgomry,
Reno and Sedgwick counties, which are
always we'll up in both acreage and /
yield These and kindred facts and fig |
ures are revealed by the county clerks |
abstracts of assessors returns of the /
agricultural statistics for 1901, now be- |
Ing compiled by the state board of ag- |
riculture. and which are official. The |
increased acreage this year is greater /
even than the most sanguine anticipa- /
ted, as suggested by the figures of the /
80 counties thus far reporting, which |
make a remarkable showing: no less
than "A of them record an advance over
last year ranging from AZ SO1 acres in
Pratt county to SO in Allen. Six coun-
ties report a loss. and one, Grant had
no acreage either year. Six counties
gain over 10000 acres each; ten increase
more than 10000 each, and Is have ad-
ded over 10000 each, while the entire 80
show total increase of $4,000 acres
or % per cent, making their this years
total acreage of winter wheat 4,4S5, 600
OF 412 acres TO 6eCn lnnaD1tant. OF
these 80 counties the great wheat
county of Sumner as has been
the case for each of the past dozen
years, again leads all others, with 3O9-
GAL acres, the largest area ever sown
to wheat in any Kansas county in any
year, and in all probability none re-
porting later viii surpass her; Barton
Is second with 254, 211 acres; Mcpherson
third with 187, 823 acres. closely followed
by Rush, Rice and Ellis in the order
named. Thirteen other counties have
between 100000 and 10000 acres each.
One of the notable features of this
years gain is the proportional uniform
ity of the increases in nearly every in
stance, and if the advances were repre-
sented by percentages of increase in
each the contrast would be much more
striking, as, for example, Barber gain
ed in acreage 20S per cent, Republic 17S.
Wallace over 1885, Decatur 81, and SO in
p lesser degree In the face of such an
apparently general movement to SOW
an enlarged area to wheat last fall re-
CARELESS Of location, it is not surprising
IN many instances to discover that the
corn territory has been some
what invaded. and it is a remarkabl
fact that in Is of the foremost corn
all but three of which are To-
lated in the northern part of the state
show a decrease in their area of 100000
acres, while the increase in wheat
amounts to 256, 900 acres
Many of the eighty counties reckon
ID with are not adapted to the best
production OF wheat, as is strongly in