Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1917-12-27
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GRAIN CROP
ACREAGE IN KANSAS AL
MOST EQUAL TO THAT
OF 1916
WAS THE LARGEST ON RECORD
Nations Total Acreage Of
Wheat Exceeds that Of
Year of 1917-Recent
Shows Great Benefit

Topeka, Kas., Dec. 22-Indication
are that 9,4s0,000 acres were seede,
to winter wheat in Kansas this fall
This is within one per cent of as larg,
an acreage as was seeded in the fal
Of 1916 which was the largest eve
planted to this crop in the history o.
the state. Kansas farmers undoubt
edly did their best to come up to thu
10000 900 acre mark recommended
for them by the United States De-
partment of Agriculture. Economical
and Genealogical factors were en-
ceedingly hostile. In the best part
of Kansas wheat belt several million
acres Of wheat land had been planted
to corn or sorghums in land that has
been in corn or sorghum during thC
summer. The difficulty was enhanced
in the fall of 1917 because of the
slowness of the corn in maturing
This land was also badly depleted Of
both surface and subsoil moisture
Persistent drought was present
throughout the major portion of the
state with mighty menace. In some
sections the shortage of farm labor
was keenly felt. Seed wheat Of goot
grade was scarce or had to be OBJ
tained from a distance and was higf
y price, 1t was a combination cal
culated to test the patriotism Of the
veriest optimist. Kansas ought to bt
proud of the fact that her farmers
arose to the occasion and planted al
most as large an acreage as was seed
ed in the fall of 1916. In the nortf
central part and western third oi
the state there is undoubtedly
slight falling off in acreage. A few
counties in the northwest, the south
central portion, and the eastern thirt
of the state show decided increases
1t is gratifying to note that those
sections of the state producing thu
best wheat crop in 1916 are the sec
tions now showing larger acreages
The climatic and soil conditions il
these sections justify very optimis
tic outlook. The conditions of tn
growing crop, in December, was esti
mated at II per cent.
Since that date, however, the stat
was covered with an extra heav!
blanket of snow that has since melt
ed and soaked the ground, great!
benefiting the wheat and raising tn
average almost 25 per cent in SOM
parts of the state, particularly in tn
southern section.
Seeding of wheat continued in tn
western half Of the state until tn
first of December. All the crop
present is decidedly in need of NOR
moisture. The light snow fall alread
recorded in the state has been bene
fetal but is far from sufficient.
The acreage estimated to have bee
sown this fall to winted wheat in tn
United States is 42,2O0,O00 acres
compared with 4O,534, 900 acres plant
ed last year. The condition Decembe
first was 1913 per cent of norma
compared with S5.7 last year an
1913 the ten year average condition o
December first. This is the largei
acreage ever sown to winter whea
in the United States.
The acreage planted to rye
Kansas this year is estimated to b
los, 900 acres. Its condition is est
mated to be IS per cent, compare
with 81 per cent last year and 8
per cent the ten year average.
large acreage of rye was sown
hopes that it would grow vigorousl
and produce late pasture. This HOP
was not realized to any great e'
tent. Rye is, as a rule, harder tha
wheat as its better condition ind
Gates. It is estimated that $4,000
acres of rye were sown in the Unite
States this fall as compared wit
,As0, 900 acres last year. The eOnd
ton December first was s4.1 per eeI
Of normal compared with sS.s Ia
year and 92.2 the ten year average
Mrs. Ed. Hendricks and Theo He