The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-07-26
That LIS the Case with Shawnee
County Statistics.
County Clerk Newman Completes
Work of Compilation.
SHOWS CARELESSNESS.
Assessors Evidently Didn't
Take Any Pains.
What Is Shown by the Figures
as Official.

County Clerk Newman today COM
pleted the work of compiling the re-
ports of the assessors on farm and
agricultural statistics. The compiled
report is prepared for the Kansas
state board of agriculture
While some of the statistics are
accurate and reliable many of them
are utterly unreliable and as far as
being truthful reports are absolutely
worthless. This is not the fault of
the county clerk, as his work is only
to compile the reports of the assess
ors of the various townships, and
the fault lies in the manner in which
they are taken. Almost any person
reading over the report will find
some product reported with which
he is familiar and Will know that
the figures are far from correct.
For instance, the reports of the
assessors show but two factories in
the county making butter or cheese
and both of these are located in To-
peka- There are others in the coun-
ty, but none are reported Last
year the number of acres of catalpas
set out in artificial forest was given
as rs, and this year II acres, mean
ing, one would suppose, that Go
acres were cut down in year. The
number of dogs in the county was
given in 1902 as 4,017, and in 1908
as 3,442. Do you suppose 500 dogs
went to their death in year and
younger generation did not come on
to take their places? The statistics
must be taken with a few ifs" The
compiled reports show the follow
ing:
Number of farms in Shawnee county
by townships: Rossville 1872, Silver Lake
1876. Menoken $50, Soldier 24O, Topeka
1s9 Tecumseh 2T5, Monmouth 2I0 VIII
Transport IA, Auburn III, Dover 14S,
Mission 173.
Only 527 acres in Shawnee county are
he tai a
Silver Lake, 800 acres in Williamsport
township and 80 acres in Dover.
The acreage of wheat by townships
this year and last was as follows, the
figures for 1904 being first: Rossville
]. 954-2 726. Silver Lake 290-261, Menoken
56S-490. Soldier 1869, Topeka 1918, Te-
cumseh SS7-474. Monmouth 502-362, Will
Transport 23S-1O1, Auburn 1s4-124, Dover
2S1-207. Mission 62-45. The total acreage
of wheat in the county this year was
1866 and in 1908 was 1850 acres.
The total acreage of corn this year is
$3.50 acres and last year was 93.433
acres. The corn acreage by townships
is as follows for this year and last, the
first figures being the acreage for 1904:
10. 265. Menoken 9.055-9. $50, Soldier 1854
1C.011, Topeka 4,640-4. 300, Tecumseh g.
594-6.674. Monmouth 10,335-10-700, Will
Transport $685., 404. Auburn Z. 1918, $50,
Dover 7,s35-s.672, Mission 4,s76-6.565.
Shawnee county does fairly well in
Irish potatoes. this years acreage being
1888 and Soldier township leads with
$50 acres The acreage planted to pOta-
toes last year was 2,3S2. But ESQ acres
of sweet potatoes are raised in the
county. The total acreage of castor
beans is 120 and just 101 acres of cotton
are planted. Flax is credited with Sc
acres and hemp with As.
The broom corn must be nearly all
imported as bu. acres is grown. Millet
is sown on 1916 acres. The total acre
age of oats is e,717. There were 81 acres
of barley.
The cash value of the farms in Shaw
nee county is placed at $9,742175 and
the value of farming implements at
$S5.57S.
Buckwheat is not a favorite crop
with the farmers even if the cakes are
with the commuters at the restaurants
and in all of Shawnee county the as
SCISSORS found just one acre of buck
wheat.
The farmers of the county raise 3O9
acres of sorghum for syrup, more than
the right proportion for that one acre
of buckWheat cakes. For forage and
feed 1928 acres of sorghum is raised
Milo maize, no matter if the name is
musical. is not eagerly sought for and
is represented by only 4 acres. Kafir
corn is popular feed and 4O4S acres
were planted to that crop this year.
Jerusalem corn does not score an acre
On March l. 1904. the farmers in Shaw
nee county had on hand 472,57O bushels
of corn and only 100 bushels of wheat
Shawnee county is ricn in grass lands
with 5.544 acres of timothy, 4.562 acres
of clover. 5.343 acres of blue grass, 6. 4O5
acres of alfalfa, SO acres of orchard
grass, and S72 acres of other tame
grasses.
Shawnee, when it comes to grass.
depends on the native prairie grasses
for 1OO,9S2 acres of prairie hay lands
are under fence for hay lands or
meadow. Last year 1929 tons of
tame hay were cut in Shawnee and
25.IO6 tons of prairie hay. In 1902
14.lO6 tons of tame hay were cut
and S1.S24 tons of prairie hay
The value of the products of the
market gardens in 1903 was S3O3q5
Much loss was caused by the flood as
In 1902 the value of the products of |
the market gardens was S66sS3
The helpful hens have been busy
In Shawnee. for in 1908 their eggs and |