The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-29
CROP CONDITIONS IN KANSAS
Report on Wheat and Corn in Sun
flower State.

Report on Wheat and Corn in Sun
flower State.
+ Topeka. May 2s.-secretary F D Co
burn, Of the state board OF agriculture,
has issued the following crop report:
As the result OF searching inquiry
into the condition Of wheat and corn in
Kansas May p the state board OF agri-
culture today issues the following:
Taking the 1902 assessors" returns for
twenty counties thus far reporting. and
the estimates Of correspondents ia the
remainder. the states area sown to win
ter wheat was approximately $50. O0o
acres, Of which the reporters say 345 per
cent. or 2.054 SOP acres, has now been
plowed up or abandoned, against the Is
pei. cent OF so reported by them April /.
This falling of. and likewise the rapid
decline in the wheat condition for sew
eral days Immediately following the April
report, except possibly in a few localities
favored by intermittent showers. was due
principally 70 lack of timely moisture.
Fields over-pastured and weak in vitality
were the first TO suecumb. The present
condition Of the remaining 3. S95. s5s acres
is Sc. as against - April l. AS the pres
ent report. however. is based on condi-
lions found May q. il is reasonable to in
fer that the average for the state might
now be safely advanced several points,
owing to the copious. saturating general
rains and other favoring circumstances
to which all plant life is vigorously re-
spending
''Of the wheat area now reported aban-
doned. 55 per cent. 1.0s1, 600 acres is. or
viii be planted 10 corn. While the gen.
eraI precipitation came too late in some
portions 10 be OF much benefit TO the
wheat, the generous downpour dispelled
the uncertainty in others, and gives as
surrance Of at least a fair yield. Wher-
ever insects formerly menaced vegeta-
ton. their career seems TO have been
summarily ended BY the rains. In the
thirty counties yielding nearly 50 per cent
Of the 9o.S00oo0 wheat crop of 1901, there
are reported 1855. se4 acres f62-2s pei. cent?
which viii be left TO mature, with a pres
ent condition Of 5l-1s.
..'The apparently Hnabating desire 10
SOW wheat, probably stimulated some
what the yields and profits Of recent
years. not only resulted in increasing the
area last fall in the wheat belt proper.
but the so-called corn territory was en-
croached upon. and of the twenty coun-
ties mentioned. nineteen show a decrease
IN their corn area aggregating 1885
acres. while the twenty report a net in
crease in wheat Of 2o6s74 acres. II is also
revealed that their total acreage actually
devoted 70 wheat last fall is larger by IS
per cent. OF 6. 362 acres than the CORES
Dondaut's estimate. which IS in pleasing
harmony with the boards ever expressed
desire. viz: that reporters make none
but safe. conservative estimates
II this gain in wheat acreage IN the
twenty counties. a half-dozen Of which
are prominent wheat producers, is fairly
conservative Of the increase for the
whole state. instead Of 5.SS3,6ts acres ear
Ter estimated by correspondents, Kan
sas wiz appear to have soWn 70 winter
wheat last fall a field exceeding 6.oooe 90
acres-which is not improbable Deduct
ing from 6.eo0oo0 acres the per cent re-
ported plowed Up or aband6ned would
leave at this date nearly 100000 acres Of
wheat. or within 10 per cent Of the aver
age annual wheat area in the past de-
cade. In the twenty counties II Is indt-
Gated that 275.263 acres q she abandoned
wheat viii be devoted TO corn. giving
them in reality a corn acreage considera-
hlv larger than the year before. and II
IS NOT improbable that later Developments
VIII disclose quite similar condition for
the entire state
Corn planting was generally DELAYED
somewhat on account OF the backward
spring. hut the recent abundance Of
moisture. warmth and sunshine have re-
suited in good stand and various
growth. It's cultivation is now being
pushed and It's present condition for the
state as a whole is sS. s.. At approximate
~ the same time last year IT'S condition
wax = IS. the year. before. s2z. and in
1ss9. when the yield was the second larg-
est in the states history, the condition
wss slightly above -
..Among the counties showing the larg-
est per centages Of corn eon6idors at
present are. Andersen l0l, Brown. ln-
Cheyenne. 100. Coney. 100. Crawford. 1ol:
Jackson. 10; Eeavenworth. lao; Nemaha-
10. Usage. laa and Sheridan. 15o Pasture
ard grasses have been rather backward.
making early grazing short. but recent
rains have greatly improved them No
disease Is reported among livestock and
there IS now water in abundance. Tor tive
stock.