The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-05-05

The old Speckled hen and f. the
| Shanghai rooster, in conspiracy with the
gentle dairy COW, appear to be Turing
the Shawnee county farmer away from
the fatted steer as a money making
proposition, according to the annual
report of F. C. Bowen, county assessor,
made public today Figures, for the
| past three years show a tremendous
| decrease in the value of livestock sold
| for slaughter in the county, and steady
| increases in the value of dairy and
poultry products sold.
The value of livestock sold for
| slaughter in Shawnee county during
| the fiscal year ending March 1, 1921,
was only $513,19S, as compared with
| $1.020,522 the year before and ST.
432.746 the year before that, being
] decrease of $506,724 from 1913 and or
| s92O,133 from 1918.
| The total value of all milk and
! cream sold to manufacturers and for
private consumption during the last
year was $449.S60. as compared with
| s44S557 the year before and $S46,-
| ass two years before. being an in
| crease of $1.103 over 1919 and $780,
| IT'S over 1918.
More Country Butter.
There were los. .565 pounds of butter
made in private families during the
! last year as compared with 80, 618
pounds the previous yeac and S6,S63
| pounds the year before that. showing
an increase of 5,49S pounds over 1919
and of 1S $50 over 1918.
The humble poultry business for
which the legislature refused to make
! a $1,000 appropriation on the grounds
that it is not important enough. yield
| ed Shawnee county farmers a total of
S320,643 last year, compared with
/ S274579 the year before and SPA
217 two years before. This is an in
| crease of $46,O64 over 1919 and of
| sos, ASS over 1918.
| Altho figures on the value of butter
| made in private families are not avail
able, 1t is quite evident that the dairy
and poultry industries have far out
stripped the livestock industry in the
country.
Increase in Hogs and Cows.
The number of dairy cows on hand
| March / this year was $685. an in
7SS over the year before. All other
| cattle on hand this year totalled 16,-
821 head. being an increase of 1856
| head over last year. but a decrease of
20S head from 1919.
| An increase of Is, ,001 hogs over last
year is noted, there being 81, $50 head
on hand this year. There has been
steady decrease in the number of
horses in the county. the total this
year being 8675 as compared with
were 1873 mules and asses on hand.
compared with 1908 last year and
1850 in 1919.
The potato acreage this year is
much heavier than in 1920. This year
| 4,277 acres were planted as opposed
to 2,5S6 in 1920, an increase of 1851
acres. But neither year compares
| with the record breaking acreage of
26.047 in 1919.
4 The stand of 1902 acres of al
! fo1f iS is aa =,
1920 and 1877 acres less than 1919.
There were SPA tons of hay cut last
/, year as against 6,06S the year before.
There were 25,934 acres OF prairie hay
this year as against 25,S47 last year
and 29,54S the year before.
1.453, 100 Bushels of Corn.
There were 1,453,11O bushels of
corn produced in Shawnee county in
1920, as compared with 44.s52
bushels in 1919. This is the first
time the county assessors have taken
wheat and corn production figures.
The amount of wheat produced last
! year was 979.0S0, as against 1924, ,3O1
: in 1919. The 1919 figures used for
comparison were obtained from the
state board of agriculture. Farmers
are going to raise less wheat again
! this year There are 55.469 acres in
corn and 4S,4S3 acres in wheat this
year There are 1.433 acres in spring
wheat this year. No spring wheat was
reported in the 1920 and 1919 reports.
An increase in honey production is
seen, the figures this year being 1910
pounds compared with 1,4TS pounds
last year.
OF the s44e,660 worth of milk and
lcream sold in the county during the
last year. $131,S00 worth was sold to
city trade for private consumption
The sales to private families, this
shows. increased $45,640 over the pre-
, vious year, altho the sales to cream
| cries and manufacturers decreased
$54,5S7.
{ Soldier township leads the other
eleven townships of the county in agrl
cultural activities. Soldier produced
I 1T7.115 bushels of corn and III, ,1OC
3 bushels of wheat in 1920.