The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1907-05-17
IS NOT so SERIOUS
Secretary Wilson Says Crop DAM
age Has Been Greatly Exsg-
gerated for a Purpose.
SPRING SEEDING BACKWARD
Cold Unreasonable Weather Has
Caused Delay-Green Bugs Only
Locai-Corn Will Suffer Most
From Delayed Planting.

Chicago. May 1.-THE reports OF
damage to the crops which have been
so numerous of late, owing to the I'M
seasonable weather and the ravages
of bugs have been greatly exaggerated
according to James Wilson, secretary
of agriculture, who was in Chicago
Monday night.
Spring seeding is little back
of the cold weather, but there is plenty
of time between now and the last OF
September to grow a crop of all KINDS
of grain In Minnesota and the Dako-
tas where we get most of our spring
wheat, seeding has been delayed about
two weeks. but with few days OF
warm sunshine planting will be in
full progress. While the weather has
been unseasonably cold in some dis
tricts, II has not been severe enough
to retard blowing and my advices are
that the ground in these states has
been nearly all made ready to receive
the seed. We will have warm weather
in a few days now and don't see what
is to prevent normal crop of spring
wheat in these states.
AS regards the Canadian northwest
the claims being made that this years
harvest will be seriously diminished
may have some foundation. Accord
ing to what consider authentic adj
vices from that section the weather
has been so cold that blowing has
been almost impossible. In past
years, the Canadian farmer has gen
orally left his blowing for the spring
and this year he finds himself in
bad predicament. in a normal year
seeding would be about half finished
in Manitoba and adjoining provinces,
but | am told that the farmers there
haven't got the ground ready for re-
ceiving the seed even if the weather
was favorable for this work. How
ever. such condition in the Canadian
northwest won't make a great deal
of difference when this years crop
is harvested The Canadian farmer
grows but a small proportion of the
total crop of wheat and | am of the
opinion that the deficiency there, if
there be any, will hardly be noticed
when harvesting throughout the world
has been completed
In the southwest there have been
numerous calls for the past three
weeks Of damage being wrought by
green bugs. These reports OF damage
to the winter wheat have been grossly
exaggerated. am in position where
| get as good information as anybody
regarding the growing crop. While
/ have had many reports about the
green bug. the damage wrought by
these insects has been local in every
instance and there has not been any
general attack by this pest as some
people are endeavoring to make 1t
appear. From my kowledge of the
southwest. where so much of our win
ter wheat is grown, the advices at
hand lead me to believe that that dis
trict will have its usual crop this year
This applies to oats and corn as we'll
and wheat The crop as whole may
he delayed somewhat in ripening but
not enough to cause any apprehension
Corn will suffer most, as blowing for
this crop has been delayed consider
ably but | see no cause for appIehen-
sion.
There is considerable grain grown
between Washington and Chicago and
from my personal observation of this
part OF the United States | can state
without any reservation that l never
IN my life saw brighter prospects
than those of the present. Taken as
whole see no cause for complaint
and think it will be found by thresh-
ing time that all this cry of crop dam
age has been made for purpose"
Kansas Club Women Elect.