The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-07
Agricultural Department
CONDUCTED BY FULTON S. WHITE.
Western Agricultural Conditions. ..

NO question put liihA n @N3N--N he country and the conditions or the crops generally in the country over which I have travelled for the last week pr two, will prove interesting reaolis for many of our readers
 The writer left Birmingham on the 18th of August for few weeks Visit through some of the best agricultural country of the great west. The student of agriculture in travelling through the west can see much of interest and the opportunity for learning valuable lessons in farming ara abundant. Some of the lessons learned this trip through the great farming west, hope to be able later on to nse to the benefit of our readers. l never travel through a eoun- try without making close observations of all agricultural conditions of the coun- try through which I pass.
 On leaving our busy city of Birmine ham l began to take note of the crops end the effect of the drouth until we reached North Mississippi when the conditions of crops began to improve. But through Alabama from Birmingham west along the line of the Frisco crops have suffered and many fields of corn were burned past any hope for making anything. All other crops were scorched nearly as bad. Grass for stock was scarce and stock water low, some fields 20 dry that the sparks from the engine would set them alre. We had to stop our train and put out a tressle that was on fire, 50 dry had the woodwork De- come
 But over in Mississippi conditions be- gan to improve, and the crops showed that they had been blessed with far more rain than we had been getting Tn Ala- hama The fields of early corn had suf- feIed some from the early drouth, but the1e were many line fields of late corn and cotton that are green and very promising 1 also noticed that there was planted in this section a large acreage in field peas, sorghams and millets' so that more feed will be grown at home than has been for some years. From what l could see of the crops 1 think with good showers. which I trust the country has had before tnIs time, many sections will have fair late crops
 Night set in on us before reaching Memphis, so 1 had no chance to see the crops through Arkansas. Our train was over two hours late which gave us a the line after reaching the Missouri line after daylight. Here I found that con- ditions had improved wonderfully. Some sections of Missouri through which we passed had suffered some from drouth. but most of the state has had an am- pie supply of moisture to secure fine crops. In fact. in most of the state the conditions have bean as near perfect as ore need expect to sec anywhere. There has been no gully washers, hail storms or high winds, or but few cyclones in the state ard while there has been an ample supply of rain to insure the best crops that the state has ever had yet there has not been rain to prevent the saving of nearly all crops, as has been ] the case in other sections, where the excess of rain has nearly destroyed all the crops.
 In Ray county, Missouri I have a num- Der of friends and relatives. and spent several days with them wien I had op portunity of observing the crops gen. orally. The crops in Missouri are tho best and nearest matured of any that I have seen so far. Unfortunately nearly all the great grain crops where not badly spells the sale, as 1t makes the grain look even worse than 1t is. Missouri wheat and oats are better, brighter col or. and the crops saved Tn u much bet ter condition that the crops in Kansas and Iowa. Then, too, Missouri farmers will not lose so heavily of their crops as will many of the western states. which were in the down pour nearly all sum- mer. The bulk of the corn crop in both Kansas and Missouri is practically made and out of frost danger. Both these states have a big crcp of corn. and the average yield will be above anything that they have had for years. ! also have friends ard kin folks in Kansas City, and from there I had chance to branch out and see something of the great crops in Kansas. The Kansas corn as well as that Of Missouri is now matur- ing rapidly, and will soon be ripe. There are a few sections only in Kansas where there has not been too much rain. They have suffered with noods and winds, While 1 was there we had two fearful heavy rains, accompanied by high winN. alf ncf rsFRln IT Ia strange what heavy ranfalls they have had in the west generally this summer. Much corn was blown down but 1t Is so far advanced that it will not be damaged much by being blown over. Had these winds struck the crops earlier much damage would have resulted. The corn crop in both Kanses and Missouri seem to have been well cultivated.
 The winter wheat crop Is not so good, that is, the yield is not so large in either Missouri or Kansas as it was last year. Neither will the crop be saved in as gooo clean, merchantable condition as last season The loss on the crop by rain, especially in Kansas, Is heavy, while in both states the grain las nearly all been damaged by being d'seolored. The oat, rye and barley crops about in the game condition, The greatest trouble the farmers have is to secure help to gave their crops. It is almost out of the
 
 crops are bound to go to waste for the want of help. While the farmers of the west arc we'll supplied with all sorts of labor-savnig farm implements for hand ling quickly their crops, vet the weather has been such as to compel them to han dle the crops largely by hand. this being another great disadvantage. But vegy little of the small grain in the two states mentioned has been thrashed. Most of the crops are in the stacks yet though in some sections is found many fields of small grain still in the shock and walt ing for help to stack or thrash Tn some sections thrashing had commenced.
 What the farmers are to do with their vast crops an. unable to tell, for should trey have good weather from now on the crops will be so big that it will b., difficult to find storage or cars to movs 1t. Farmers were busy cutting and get ting up theii second crop of hay. This crop, too, is very large in many sections and if 1t can be saved at the right time will be a valuable one. The late crops of hay are very fine, the only thing is to get them saved.
 q. Kansas Is growing a great variety of crops, such as kaffir corn, sorghum clovers millets, fruits and vegetables The crops of sorghum and kaffir corn are simply immense. Sorghum is now ripe enough to grind for syrup. and is grown for sud-feed and syrup very ex- fensfVely. The business of prouyipo on7