The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-04-30
Central and Western Portions
of State Escaped.
ICE In THE LOWLANDS
Freeman Sardou Says Cherries
Are a Total Loss.
Orchards on tho Uplands Fared
Better.

Vlslteo py a white frost last night
which has done considerable damage
| to the fruit crop in this section of the
state, especially in the lowlands and
the forecast indicates more frost to-
| night. 1t is not likely that tonight's
frost will add to the damage already
done, though the cold wave will be
with Kansas for "a hours or more.
This wave was moving eastward yes
| terday and the weather observers
| thought that it would reach the east
| line of the state before evening and
that the state would escape a frost.
| The guess was almost correct for the
! western and central portion of the
| state escaped the frost which prevailed
in the eastern fourth Of Kansas. Higher
! temperatures prevailed over the west
ern three-fourths of the state and frost
| is reported from but one other point in
! the state, Wichita.
! The temperature at Dodge City in the
west and central portion Of the state
was "a and no frost was reported. A
uniform high temperature prevailed
over the northwestern part of the state
which has reported low readings for
| a number Of days past, indicating that
| the cold wave from that section has
passed.
| The mercury dropped below freezing
| at d HuIuDeT OIL points III ana dDOuL
Topeka last night and the fall was
accompanied by a frost which has done
considerable damage to the tender va
rieties of fruit. The night was ideal
| for a damaging frost as the wind died
out about midnight and the sky was
bright and free from clouds and the
| expected occurred.
1t is hard to estimate the extent OF
! the damage done, though there is little
| doubt that it will be considerable in
/ Va fyI1i
The low lands have suffered the most
| as Is generally the case and in several
| instances the damage done is said to
be total Cherries which were half
| grown were frozen to the centers and
strawberry beds were blackened and
ruined In the low lands and suffered
| proportionately in the uplands.
| The weather department which is
located on the top floor of five story
| building reports the minimum tenn
| perature Of SO degrees but numerous
| thermome eters nearer the ground
registered at freezing and in few
| instances q degree or so below that
point. Scum ice formed in various
| parts of the 1owlands adjacent to To-
peka and white frost accompanied the
| low mercury reading.
| Although the temperature is higher
today than it was yesterday at the
corresponding hours the sky is deeply
| blanketed with clouds which have
kept the sun rays from the frost Bit
ten fruit and this condition will have
| a tendency to lessen the damage done.
Freeman Sardou who owns one Of
the largest cherry orchards in this
part of the state estimates his loss as
total. His orchard is located in Oak
land near the bank of the Kaw and
| on low land and consists of thirteen
acres planted in cherry trees.
'I guess that the frost and freeze
last night closed out my cherry crop
| ,ic r n
ing st examined hundreds of cher
rfes which were half grown and found
| them to be black clear through and
under these conditions I can not see
how any of them have escaped.
/ "The owners of orchards in the up
/ land districts have probably Jared bet
ter than have, but 1t is my opinion
that all orchards in this part have
suffered more or less from the frost
I and freeze last night. My crop usual
ly brings me about $4,000, and the in
dications this morning were that there
| will not be crate of cherries in the
/ entire orchard. The crop was dam
aged by the low temperature the first
just about finished it.
1.-The loss may not be as great as it
| seems TO be on account of the cloudy
weather conditions today, but I have
| no hopes for even fourth of a crop,
and my best judgment is that the en-
| tire crop is lost. This is somewhat
discouraging, happening as it does fol-
| lowing the total loss of the crop last
year, and will have tendency to stop
J the planting Of orchards in this part Of
| the state. Many young orchards Will
be plowed up as a result OF the loss
of last nights crop and the land
| planted to other crops"
Damage in Kansas.
| Reports which have been received
| from half a dozen counties by Secre-
| tary F. D. Coburn of the state board
of agriculture show that the frost and
freeze in Kansas has been pretty SER
ious, and that much fruit has been
killed. These reports come from the
secretaries of county fair associations,
| and do not include the Wednesday
night frost.
Barton county reports that wheat
! never looked better; that there is plen-
ty of moisture and the corn acreage
/ will be the largest on record
| CLAW county says there is plenty of
moisture in the south part of the coun-
tv and that wheat is beginning to head
| ont two weeks ahead of time
! Gray county says the freeze has
i killed the fruit in that county, that al
| falfa is frozen, but that wheat is In
| good shape.
| Mcpherson county reports lack OF
moisture and that wheat is not making
I. good growth.
/ The temperatures since o'clock this