Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-03-13
RAD REPORTS CONE FROM
SOUTHERN KANSAS.
Most Of the Soft Wheat Il Killed Ac'
~cording to Authorities Dickinson
Conditions Al Seem by Two Ex'
psrts Who Differ Widely.

W. B. Giles drove about 40 miles ~
the country north Of town yesterday
inspecting the wheat. de says
"The fields look all right; only saw
one that was badly injured. Soft
wheat is about gone but the acreage
is so small as not to count. Hard
wheat is all right and will make a
good crop with rain in a week or co.
No dust is blowing from the FIELDS
yet"
Taylor Miller Of Salina, says; "Ihe
present coming crop conditions are
not very tlattering. We haven't had
any rain Of any consequence for the
last SIX months and the 10 degrees
below zero weather 10 December
killed some Of the wheat. We had
some good SHOWS but the wind blew
it off in spots and where the wheat
was thus exposed it has been injured
and killed. The present condition
Of the plant is not encouraging the
soil being SO dry that farmers claim
that the upland wheat is damaged in
some places very badly. | have been
in Kansas So years, and about every
three or four years we have partial
wheat failure, and Kansas is like q
good many things, she will have her
turns, and | predict that Kansas
won't raise 6O,OOO,OOO bushels Of
wheat this year"
c. Wood Davis, Of Clearwater, ,Sedg.
wick county, has been gathering re-
psrts for Beerbohm's Of London, OF
whom he is the western representa-
tive, and he says; "ln this, Sedg-
wick, county and in Sumner and
Harper counties nearly all the early
sown wheat and at least half the
plants on the late sown fields have
been killed outright, while there is
not q sign left Of the soft wheat sown,
either early or late, except the re-
mains Of the dead plants. On our
own fields SO per cent Of the early
sown has been destroyed and from 30
to Is per cent Of the plants Oh the
late sown ones. This is the condi.
tion Of most-nearly all-the fields OF
the three counties named, Of Okla
homa, and, so far as l can learn of
the fields Of Harvey, Mcpherson, Rice,
Reno and Barton counties as well.
North OF the Union Pacific reports are
better because there was more snow
and late autumn rains. Some good
reports are made because people take
here and there a green leaf for evil
ience Of vitality Of the original good
stand, when in fact they don't know
that healthy plant has clean,
white stem between the surface and
.he roots; and don't know, because
hey would not know if they exam
ned, that all this wheat has a brown
item below the surface, has been
rozen and will smell as bad after
warm weather really comes as did
lazarus, and there is no one to per-
orm the service that was once done
or that individual.
"It is my opinion-not predic-
ion, mind you-that based on present
Indications Kansas will not raise 30 {
yer cent, perhaps not 40 per cent as
much wheat as in 1901"
Secretary Coburn holds that it is
'et too early to be sure Of the wheat's
ondition. A number Of kilograms
we're received here today from the
asst asking about wheat, some COM
ng from New England.
Commissioner s. H. Mccullough,
ne Of the county's leading wheat
aisers, said today: "Ihe wheat is il
n bad condition. The soft wheat is c