The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-04-11
WHEAT REPORT

f1EA4 HEEON1
In a letter just received from Ed
ward C. Paxton, Field Agent for the1
Bureau of Crop Estimates for Kan
sasa, we get the following report of
Kansas conditions which viii be OF
to all farmers.
In scanning his report, we find that
Ellis County with 220,271 acres In
fall wheat, is the tenth county in the
state in number of acres sown-
The condition of wheat in Deem
Der 1917 in Ellis County was sixtv-
two per cent. This is now increased
to sixty-seven per cent. The eondi-
ton Of wheat In the neighboring
counties is as follows:
Cove County, forty per cent; Ora
ham County, twenty-eight per cent;
Rocks County, thirty-eight per cent;
Rush County, forty-six per cent:
Russell County, fifty-six per cent;
Trego County, sixty-two per cent.
From this It will be seen that FL
lis County wheat is IN better shape
right now than IN any of the neigh
boring counties.
The followig is quoted from Mr..
Paxton's report:
kansas reply to the Kaiser's
spring drive is that on April 1st her
9,840,O00 acres of winter wheat
promised sixty-seYen per cent. of
normal crop and that based upon this
condition Kansas has a chance this
year to produce in the neighborhood
of 0S,00O,00O bushels of winter
wheat to back our allies and armies
in France. The final outcome viii be
either greater or less as climatic con-
ditions from now until harvest are
favorable or unfavorable. is more
than twice as much wheat as Kansas
produced in 1917 1t means not on
ly more food for our soldiers and al
lies, but more money to buy liberty
bonds whenever necessary.
Handicapped last fall by lack of
moisture, Kansas wheat was off to a
poor start, but came over the top of
the winter battling with renewed
vigor from the wet SHOWS of Febru-
airy and the light but timely rains of
March. Starting with a conditions of
seventy-one per cent, it enters April
with batting average of sixty-seven
compared with forty-five per cent. a
year ago and eighty the ten year
average.
Winter killing was severe in some
parts of the state. Those counties ly-
ing IN the drainage system of the
south line, Solomon and Republican
rivers suffered the worst. The NOR
tally was also in parts of the west
ern third of the state even in wheat
counties of important acreage, as
Ford and Hodgeman. From Pawnee
county eastward and south of the
Kaw, conditions are almost univer-
sally above eighty per cent. East of
the Blue and of a line draw south
from its junction with the Kaw, con-
/ dltlons will average over ninety per
cent.
The average conditions of winter
wheat throughout the United States
is estimated to be 1876 per cent, of
normal compared with 1913 per cent.
last December, 63.4 per cent, a year
ago and 1915 per cent, of the ten
year average on April 1st. This con-
dition forecasts a probable produc-
ton of 100000 bushels of winter
wheat IL the United States.
The conditions of rye in Kansas is
estimated to be eighty-three per cent.
of normal as compared with seventy
eight last December, sixty-three pei
cent. year ago and eighty-four pei
cent for the ten year average April
1st. For the United States the con
dition of rye is 85.8 per cent. com
pared with 84.1 per cent last De
cember, eighty-six per cent. a year
ago and eighty-nine per cent. the ter
year average on April 1st
It is also estimated that there is
1925 per cent. as many breeding
sows in the United States as a yeai
ago. Although the number of breed
ing sows in Kansas is estimated a:
scarcely up to the number of a yeal
ago the average American farmer
has demonstrated his faith in the
promise of Food Administration thai
a just ration between the price OF
corn and hogs will be maintained fol-
this spring crop of pigs.
The outlook for heavy production
of all kinds of livestock in Kansa.
and in the United States swas never
brighter. Losses of all classes of live
stock during the past year both from
disease and exposure are estimated
to have been less than year ago anC
less than the ten year average. Thu
present conditions of healthfulnes
OF horses, cattle, sheep and swine
both IN Kansas and all over the Unit
ed States is estimated to be owe
nlnety-six per cent. normal. This i
better than a year ago and better
than the ten year average. No ser
louS outbreaks of contagious diseast
have been witnessed in the past yea
among the livestock. In Kansas hos
cholera has been reduced to the low
est ebb IN many years largey through
the active work of the state and fed
eral officials and the hearty co-opera
ton of the farmers in the applica
ton of sanitary and immuninl