The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-20
CROPS LOOK GOOD.
Wheat Acreage Increases De-
spite 0ne-Third Loss.
General Condition 16.47 Better
Than April Last Year.
CORN ACREAGE To FALL off
Big Increase, However, in PO-
tatO Planting This Year.
Large Amount of Last Years
Crops in Farmers Hands.

Altho one-third of the entire wheat
area of last fall has been abandoned,
the acreage is 2.33O,563 greater than
in April last year and conditions point
10 77.6 per cent of a full crop as
against an outlook of but 60.13 in 1917.
The first report of the year made pub
lie by ]. c. Mohler, secretary of the
state board of a agriculture. shows eX-
tensive acreage abandonments in
many of the big wheat growing coun-
lies. Yet the state has a growing acre
age of 6,39s563 as against $4,000
last year and conditions this year
1917 per cent better.
Long continued dry weather. heavy
winds. freezing and late planting are
responsible for the abandonment of
more than three million acres OF
wheat land in the state of the aban-
doned area. sixty per cent is in the big
wheat producing counties Conditions
for crop are much better in the east
ern counties than in the western sec
lion of the state. Reports are based
en- conditions April Zone week ago
General rains over the state have
greatly improved conditions since re-
ports were sent to Topeka
Counties Have Big Acreage.
Twenty-Five counties-all but two
located in the southern two-thirds of
the central section OF the state-ha
100. 600 acres or more of wheat, as
,teainst a record of but nine counties
in the 100. 900 acre class last year
with the exception OF corn. all crop
acrea-es are this year far in advance
81 the showing of 1911 Corn acreage
will probably he off four per cent
Acrea ges of oats, barley and potatoes
are far in advance of last year.
Kansas farmers, the report shows,
are holding 1857. 400 bushels OF last
On hfu=
corn, slightly more than 10 miiion
bushels of oats nearly two million
bushels of sorghums and 204,OOO
bushels of barley. Spring work Is
progressing we'll in most loca mites;
Mothers report of conditions. yielos
on hand, labor and prospects follows
in detail:
The kansas board of agriculture
today issues its first monthly crop re-
mort of the season. based on can
vass made among 1000 correspondents
on April Is. particular attention nav
ing been given those counties with
the larger acreages in wheat Inc
report follows:
Wheat Onc-third Abandoned.
Winter wheaton the nearly u
-,illion acre area of winter wheat es-
ti1nated as sown in Kansas last ran,
s.pl,roximately one-third IS reported
by correspondents as worthless or
so unpromising that it Will propaoIy
crops. Ninety per cent of this aban-
aoned acreage is in the region lying
north and west of an imaginary hne
,ira wr diagonally across the state
from northeast to southwest peSln
hing at the northwestern corner OF
MARSHALL county and extending to the
southeast corner of Clark county.
This region comprises approximately
One-haIf of the states land area and
embraces so per cent of the total
70 IF1Ta
Counties reporting the larger per-
centages abandonment are Lincoln, 80
per cent; Cove, "a; Graham, 81; and
Sheridan. So; in the northern part
and Gray, SO: Ford, 81 and Meade,
81: in the southern part Not all
the important wheat counties of this
territory suffered such loss, however,
as is evidenced by Cheyenne with 3
per cent abandonment, Rawiins 10
and Jewell 16, all in the northern
Tier and Barton (having 2S1,22S
acres-the largest area sown by any
county, 90 per cent In the region
living south and east OF the diagonal
line across the state the per cent or
failure is given as 10, and is princi-
paIlv found in the south-central coun-
lies, In the eastern third of the
state there is practically no abandon
ment.
This failure of wheat is attributed
almost entirely to long-continued
dry weather, and the blowing of the
soil by the wind. Freezing and late
planting on poorly prepared ground,
are other causes mentioned. 1t Is
g. nossible that the abundant rains of
mis- week in all portions may revive
much wheat believed worthless at the
time of this canvass, Saturday, April
10 but in many localities the rains
came too late to warrant such hopes.
The percentage condition of the re-
naming 6309.563 acres of growing
wheat based on 100 as representing
satisfactory stand and development is
T76. as compared with $4,000 acres
last year. with condition or oO-13 per
cent The best conditions are IN the
aaSferD counties. Chase, Johnson and
Linn each reporting SO, the highest
The lower conditions in the western
counties are due to the same causes
responsible for the abandoned acreage.
Insect damage is reported so infre-
oueDtIy as to be scarcely worthy of
notice While wheat is small and
backward for the time of year, it is
thrifty and of good color. and soil con-
ditions are now favorable for vigorous
growth turnout the site. the general
rains since Saturday having supplied
needed moisture in the few counties
that were then too dry.
Twenty-Five counties, all but two
located in the southern two-thirds of
100000 acres or more of wheat re-
naming, as against nine counties in
such list last year. &
It is reported that there has been
considerable seeding of oats and
barley in thin stands of wheat for a
combination crop.
Increased Dat Acreage
Oats-Of oats there are estimated
to be 2596.504 acres this year. as
compared with 2,324.912 acres in 1917.
or an increase of III per cent and
a gain of more than a million acres
over 1915. Practically every county
reports increased oats acreage, and the
condition is rated uniformly as good,
the general average for the state
being 90.7 per cent.
Corn.-Of corn it appears that less
will be planted by per cent. or a total
OF about $500, 900 acres as compared
with 9I62232 acres last year. In
& Mo u,