The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-22
State Raises a Record Oats Crop
This Year.
That Is Shown in Mothers June
Crop Report Today.
YIELD TO Be 70 MILLION BU.
Barley Crop Much Larger Than
Last Year, Figures Show.
More Wheat Abandoned Than
Estimated in April.

The smallest winter wheat yield in
Kansas since 1896 and the largest oats
crop in the history of the state are
predicted today in the June crop re-
! port issued by ]. c. Mohler, secretary
of the state board of agriculture.
Mohler predicts a yield of 100000
bushels of barley. The corn report
will be issued tomorrow.
| Correspondents writing to Mohler
estimated a probable yield of approx
mately 100000 bushels of winter
wheat in Kansas, or an average of 11.S
bushels to the acre on the 3.526.320
acres now reported as left standing.
This aggregate of wheat is about O.
100000 bushels more than the May
| forecast, and the average yield, per
acre, is bushels higher, while the
area left standing is less by about
100000 acres than reported in April
| This years crop is SIS per cent less
than the states output of last year.
and is the smallest since 1896.
With the official returns from as
SCISSORS received from 90 of the states
los counties, Mohler discovers that
the area sown to wheat last fall was
much more than previous estimates by
correspondents had indicated, or a to-
tai of approximately 100000 acres,
by far the largest in the history of
Kansas. Growers now say that of the
area soWn nearly SO per cent was a
total failure, as against SIS per cent
reported in April
Abandoned Acreage Larger.
Additional abandoned areas. since
April, are reported from the western
counties. many reporting the wheat
as practically total loss, as it is in a
number of the north-central counties
Recent hailstorms DESTROYED much
wheat, in the southwest especially. and
not WINDS last week in several of the
south-central counties caused damage
Insects have been conspicuous hecaEse
OF their absence. There is less evil
uence or the HeSsian fly this sea son
imam Tor several years past ONT of
the hundreds of reports received onIv
tnlrty-seven, distributed among sew
ehteen counties, twelve of which are
fly. 'ne
In the eastern half of the state
wheat mas improved in the past month
-. seHerally gives promise of yields
Detter than expected thirty days ago
Inc higher yields per acre are in the
eastern third of the state, south of
the Kansas river, Chase leading with
tWenty-four bushels. The larger ag-
gregate yields are in the south central
counties. Sumner taking first rank
with 2,950,974 bushels, followed nv IFS
nelghbor on the west Harper. with
2,1O1,7SS bushels
harvest has begun in the southern
counties under favorable circum-
stances, and, weather permitting. will
rapidly progress northward, as recent
warm days have been fast ripening
the wheat
Big Oats Crop.
The prospective yield of oats aggre-
gates 70,354,7O9 bushels, exceeding
, the best prior year, 1888, by 16,00O-
600 bushels, and surprising the crop
of 1916 by 100000 bushels. A rec
ord area of 2,225,414 acres was sown
2 90
abandoned wheat ground. The prom
Used average yield per acre of 316
bushels is the highest since 1910.
Conditions in the eastern half of Kan
sas, where the larger acreages of oats
are sown, have been uniformly hos
5 pitable for the crop. Brown county
: reports the highest average yield, Al
bushels. while Cloud is credited with
the largest average yield, 2.754,962
E bushels. followed by Marshall, Marion
. and Washington, with 2.457,2O7,
2,444.S44 and 2,397.442 bushels, re-
spectively.
. Estimates indicate that the yield OF
: barley may aggregate 100000
= bushels. Last year the barley crop
: was 10000 900 bushels, and in 1915 it
was 10,500,000 bushels. The $50, 200
, acres sown last spring is by far the
: largest area ever recorded for Kansas
G The average yield per acre is only fair
8 however, amounting to 17.9 bushels
a conditions being unfavorable in sew
leral central-west and southwest coun-
+ ties having important acreages. Bar
\ ley IS grown chiefly in western Kansas
q and of the four counties that prom
n Use a million bushels or more each
q three are Cheyenne, Rawlins and
n Thomas, in the northwestern corner
: of the state. The other county, Sum-
e ner, which leads with 1,426,250 bush
f els is in the south-central part.
e Showing by Counties.
S The following table shows, by counties
n biased on official returns and growers
A estimates) the prospective yields of whea
n and oats:
COUNTIES WHEAT OATs
Yield 1000 Yield ZOO
omitted) omitted
Bushels Bushe