The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-09
BREAKS RECORDS.
Yield of Kansas Wheat, Corn
and Oats Immense.
Coburn Places Value of Crop at
1853 Millions.
WHEAT S0,OOO,OOO Blu.
Yield Twice as Great as Pre-
dicted by Pessimists.
Interesting Report From Secre-
tary Board Agriculture.
WHEAT SO,OOO,OOO Blu.

Secretary Coburn today issued
most important report on the yield OF
the wheat, corn and oats crops of 1909
The secretary takes sharp poke at the
pessimists when he places the wheat
yield at S0,95S. 900 bushels. These gloomy
ones were predicting a 10000, 900 crop
last summer. The secretary did not is
sue the usual August report and this
report may be regarded as taking the
place of the August report. 1t is not
expected however, that this report will
take the place of the December report
on average of winter wheat.
All records are again broken in the
value of the combined crops in the sum
of s169, 262, 1923. The secretary,s report III
full is as follows:
The official statement by the Kansas
state board of agriculture. giving the
acreages and yields of winter afd
spring wheat, corn and oats and their
home values, is issued today and con-
tains the first figures emanating from
the board on this seasons products. 1t
says:
Never before in the history of the
state have the three crops of wheat,
corn and oats been worth so much, in
the aggregate, as in 1909. Their COM
bined value this year amounts to $169,-
per cent over the next best record,
which was in 1908.
Summarized the showing of these
crops for 1909 is as follows:
Acres. R RSsbsit Vain.
Winter wheat. $50 IS So rs. ~ s7s,sss' ss4
Spring wheat. IS s. Sc -, 3s2 oSs sos. sss
oats ............. $4,000 25.5SS, go io2s4. 2Ss
This years yield of all wheat ESQ.,
95S,74O bushels) exceeds that of 1908
by over four million bushels, ranks
fourth among the states annual pro-
auctions, measures 40 per cent more
than the annual average for the pre-
ceding twenty years, and has an ag-
gregate value greater than that of
any previous crop. although its area
was less than in the year before by
48S,600 acres. In only one year since
1878 have prices been higher. and re-
ports indicate that the crop is being
marketed rather freely, while many
are holding for higher prices. Quite
a number reporting volunteer to say
that this is because they don't need
the money
The bulk of the crop was grown, as
usual, in the central third of the state
from east to west, and for the 81
counties raising one million or more
bushels each, 80 are in this portion.
These 81 counties had So per cent of
the winter wheat Area, and raised
nearly 20 per cent of the crop. 1t is
in these, too, and the counties in the
northeastern part of the state, where
the highest average yields are report
ed, Shawnee and Brown leading, each
with % bushels, Riley next with Fl
bushels, followed by Doniphan and
Pottawatomie each with 20 bushels,
and Chase, Wyandotte, Nemaha, Clay
and Cloud each with 10 bushels. The
lowest yields are in the western coun-
ties.
The aggregate yield Barton county
leads with 3,915, 120 bushels of win
ter wheat, Reno second with 3.259,393
bushels, Stafford third with 2, 922,SOO,
Pratt fourth, 2,S37,623, Pawnee fifth,
2,411, 500 bushels, followed by the one
time premier wheat grower, Sumner
with 2,3S4,564 bushels
Results in wheat this year strik-
ingly illustrate the folly of any one,
however gifted. attem pting to predict
yields months before crops are har-
vested, as it will be rem rendered that
in May this year so-called crop ex-
perts" visited Kansas and afterwards
conf1ded to much interested public
that the state would raise not more
than 40 to SO million bushels of
wheat and that the output would ag-
gregate lone of the very small Crops
Owing to the fact that at the time
of making their reports to the board
last month many were then sowing,
no authentic data are available as to
the area of winter wheat that will
finally be sown this fall. Generally,
however, on account of dry weather,
seeding has been later than usual.
Spring wheat shows another fall
ing off in area, the decrease this year
amounting nearly to 39 per cent, and
after three or four years of rather
extensive experiments with macaroni,
which increased the inconsiderable
area phenomenally, the industry
seems again in rapid decline.
Through their progressiveness, and
a a " m fCir
commended by presumably competent
authorities, the farmers of Kansas
were quick to give the durum wheats
a trial, and following long-range ad-
vice these spring wheats were sown
in many counties beginning about
that there was small, if any. place for
them in the agriculture of Kansas.
so long at any rate as her famous
hard red winter wheats, of known
quality and productivity, and world
sought, could be raised in their pres
ent perfection in each of the states
105 counties Spring wheat has never
been prominent in Kansas, and prac-
tically all the merchantable crop is
raised in five or six counties in the
northwestern corner of the state. Of
these, Cheyenne and Sherman are
the leaders. and this year they had
together, over 60 per cent of the
spring wheat area for the state.
While this years area in corn was
over per cent more than in 1908,
the yield is less by 3.635,000 bushels;
but it is worth more than any pre-
vious crop, the price per bushel rang
ing higher than at any time in the
past 35 years, averaging 56.6 cents.
The corn of this year is worth 81
125,716 more than the combined value
of winter and spring wheat: its value
exceeds by S424.443 that of the corn
crop of 1908, which heretofore was
the greatest income bringer. The
corn of 1897 aggregated little more
than third as much in value
Twenty seven counties each having
two million bushels or more. pro-
duced So per cent of the years out
put, and these are comprised in a "
shaped territory, the bottom of which
is indicated by the counties of Sum-
ner and Cowley, and. from these ex-