The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-06
WHEAT IS 0. K.
Secretary Coburn Says 1t is All
Can Be Desired.
Outlook at This Time of a Year
Seldom More Promising.
AN IMMENSE ACREAGE
Nearly Six Million Acres Have
BeenS0W
Snow Should Bring Smiles to
Faces of Farmers.
AN IMMENSE ACREAGE
Am Estimate of What Kansas
May Produce This Year.

weather in the fall and early winter
and the reports from some sections of
Kansas that the wheat has been seri-
ously injured by the cold weather in
I December and the dry weather COM
bined. present reports from all over the
wheat belt indicate that the wheat
generally is in f1rst-class condition. and
there is every prospect at present for
great crop the coming year.
Three weeks ago the wheat growers
were badly frightened. There had been
little m DISTURB on their fields since Oc-
tober, and the ground was exceedingly
dry. During December, too. the mer-
curry went down to 10 degrees below
zero. and there were frequent reports
from people inclined to be pessimistic
that much OF the wheat was winter
killed"
But cold weather alone does not in
jure wheat if the roots of the plant are
well covered with dirt The fact that
there was little high wind early in the
winter had much to do with saving the
wheat from serious damage. When the
ground is dry a high wind soon blows
the dirt away from the wheat roots and
leaves them exposed to the air. Then, if
a cold snap follows, considerable dana
age is likely to result.
This year. however, there was no vino
and the wheat has been well protected.
During the latter part of January the
snow began falling, and now. there is.
a good blanket of snow all over the
wheat belt. This is making the wheat
growers smile. As long as the snow
covers the wheat there is no danger of
the cold weather killing it, and the
snow is now so deep that it will prob
ably stay on the fields until danger
of zero weather is past. When it thaws
it will soak slowly into the ground
and pack the dirt firmly around the
wheat roots, so that the March winds
will not blow it away.
In commenting upon the present con-
dition of the wheat today, Secretary
COburn said:
1--WE have not sent out for any spe-
cial recent information, but so far as
the growing wheat is about all that
could be desired. There may be numer-
Gus fields here and there, as there al
ways are, not exactly as their owners
would have them, some from over-pas-
turing and some from other causes, but
generally speaking the outlook at this
time of year has seldom been more
promising.
entS in December indicated probable
increase in acreage sown of about II
per cent, which would mean that Kan
SaS now has approximately 5,9OO,OO0
acres of growing wheat in the condition
suggested. Much the larger portion of
this is under spread of evenly dis
tributed snow from to IL inches in
depth and more is falling every day or
two, all Nof which means immeasurable
present good and future promise. What
the harvest may or may not be is be-
yond any mans ken.
eff any class of men earth are
wearing or are justified in wearing an
expansive smile, it is made up of the
fortunates who have broad acres in
Kansas blanketed with a rank growth
of winter wheat under comforter
coverlet of kindly snow, and Kansas
seems to be full of EN-"
Now Secretary Coburn never prog
noSticateS. Most men in his position
would be given to telling what the prob
able yield will be. Coburn never does
that He isn't a prognosticator nor a
guesser- Many people have attempted
to get him to give an estimate on a fu-
ture crop, but he invariably turns them
down He waits until the crop is har-
vested and then counts the bushels.
But Mr.. Coburn furnishes figures and
facts of existing conditions, and other
people can do all the guessing they
want to, using his figures as a basis.
acreage, which Mr.. Coburn gave out a
short time ago, $500, 600 acres, and fig
uring the average yield for next year
the same as it was the past season,
which was a trif1e above Ii bushels per
acre the next Kansas wheat crop will
run Just 500, 900 bushels above 100, 900, 900.
This is one-sixth as much as the entire
United States produced the past year.
Seventeen bushels per acre is by no
means an extra large yield. 1t is good
for an average, to be sure, but next
years crop might do better than that
even.
The past year the wheat crop had to
run the gauntlet of all sorts of ''buga-
boos''-winter freezing, the Hessian fly,
the chinch bug, the dry weather, too
much rain, the wheat louise, and finally
just before harvest heavy rains and
high winds came and much of 1t blew
down. Then there was dearth of har-
vest hands and farmers were afraid
their wheat was going to waste. But
Notwithstanding all these ''scares,"
which were enough to give the wheat
crop dumb ager" for the rest of its
life, the lodged" wheat Strengthened
up and the Kansas farmer managed to
gather in a little matter of 10000, 800
bushels of the finest ever harves ted
the largest crop ever raised by any state
in the history of the world. But if next
years crop has no more difficulties or
scares to contend with than the half
dozen or so named, Kansas will come to
the front with a hundred million buSbel