The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-28
Kansas Farmers Produced Near
ly 500 Million Dollars in 1906.
Marvellous Showing in COburn's
Annual Crop Summary.
WHEAT CONDITION 93.'
Everything Indicates Another
bumper Crop in 1907.
Acreage Larger and Big Wheat
Counties in Fine Shape.
Sumner Crowds Out Barton as
Banner Wheat County.

f. d. Coburns annual crop sum-
mary for Kansas was issued today, and
it is one of the biggest prosperity doc
uments ever written.
The average condition of wheat
sown this fall for the crop OF 1907 is
reported at 93.7, which is 1873 above
the condition at the same time last
year Twenty counties report condi-
tions over 100 per cent, and the best
conditions prevail in the big wheat
counties The lower conditions are in
the northeastern corner of the state.
Late rains and SHOWS are reported to
have been OF incalculabIe value.
So much for the future prospects.
The report shows that the value of
farm products and live stock for the
year was S424. ,277, which is So per
cent more than the value OF the same
Items 10 years ago.
The total wheat crop was 93,292.980
bushels, and is less than a million
bushels short of the biggest wheat crop
ever raised in the state
Barton county is crowded out of its
position as the banner" wheat county.
which was awarded to it on the unoffi-
ctal returns. The final report shows
that Sumner county is the top of the
list with 4,390,665 bushels; and Bar
ton county Is second with 4,105.024
bushels.
The following is Mr.. Coburn's re-
port in full
For the husbandmen of Kansas the
year 1906 has been most fruitful; it
was an all-rOund, evenly balanced,
prosperous twelvemonth, with an i'm
mense wheat crop, big corn yield, an
abundance of other grains, and for
age. with good prices for all
Never before have the soil products
represented so much wealth, and the
rewards of industry are revealed in
the years values of farm products and
live stock, amounting to $424,222,277,
or $15,5S2,455 in excess of their value
in the best preceding year. They are
about So per cent more than the value
of the same items OF ten years ago.
This years wheat is worth more
than that of any preceding year: this
years corn ranks third in aggregate
value; the value of animals slaughter
ed or sold for slaughter is 10 million
dollars more than last year. and
eclipSeS all former records; the value
of her dairy products is more than one
year ago, and her improving herds
and tiocks have a value greater than
ever before.
The wheat crop-The total yield of
wheat winter and spring, was SO, ,292,-
$50 bushels. This is a quantity nearly
p per cent greater than the yield of
the year before. 1t is over % million
bushels, or 43 per cent more than in
1904, and is the second largest crop
produced by Kansas 1t is less than 1
per cent under the states record-break-
board of agriculture as 94,O41. .9O2
bushels. The United States department
Of agriculture, however. credited the
state with a yield of nearly 100 million
bushels in 1901. While this years
wheat output ranks second in aggregate
yield, its worth is greater than that of
any previous crop, or home value Of
$55,178,712; this is more by 81, ,307. .0S8
than the returns from the crop of 1905
which heretofore had the distinction of
being the greatest income -bringer. of
n iol
spring wheat. worth $1,O90.S77. While
all but nVe counties report greater or
less areas devoted to spring wheat the
bulk Of this crop, as usual was pro-
duced in the northwestern portion-the
seven adjoining counties there of Chey-
enne, Rawins, Decatur Sherman
Thomas, Sheridan and Cove having rais-
ed 40 per cent of the years crop of
spring wheat.
The history Of Kansas wheat-growing
is the record Of a marvellous develop
ment in the states resources. Twenty
years ago the value of the winter and
spring wheat grown was less than
million dollars, and the yield about
million bushels. Ten years later the
Yield was over 50 million bushels
worth $34. 900. 600 and in the past sIx
years Kansas has raised three crops of
over 80 million bushels EACH in five
Of these six years her annual wheat
crops We're worth at home over $50 600 :
600 each, or an amount aggregating
1858. .4s6, ,449-an eloquent tribute to the
soil and climate.
The larger Yields per acre this wear.
as was the case In 1905, were in tn e
eastern counties and with two or three
exceptions all those reporting average
yields of 20 bushels or more are found
in a block Of about 120 miles square.
measuring from the states northeast
ern corner. Doniphan and Brown re-
port the highest average-29 bushels
per acre each; the average for the state
was 14.49 bushels
According to correspondence esti-
mates in August Barton county was
credited with leading in winter wheat
production this year, but in the final
analysis Barton gives way to Sumner.
the latter having raised 439O665
bushels, Barton following with 41O5.-
024 bushels: Reno, Stafford and Nc
Pherscn each raised over three million
bushels; five counties range between
that and two million bushels and
twenty-one have between two million
and one million bushels, making 81 |
counties with yields of one million
3S95,02 bushels. or slightly over 70 /
per cent Of the years production of
winter VIII eat These counties are in /
the socaIled wheat belt of the CEN
trail portion of the state. and it is /
among these. too. that the higher aver
age conditions are reported for the +
growing wheat sown this fall for the
crop Of 1907. IN fact. the conditions I
for the fall sown wheat have been /
quite generally excellent from the be-
ginning. especially in the majority of I
the main wheat growing counties /
throughout the state. the lower condi- I
ti0ns are confined mostly to the north 4
eastern counties in the block 20 miles 1
square previously mentioned. but the4