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Lyon County, Kansas

KANSAS IS IN NEED OF RAIN

Drought Liable to Make Trouble for Farmers.

WHEAT IN FINE CONDITION

Reports From All Parts of the State Are So Far Encouraging---Pastures Are Ready in Cattle Country.

Kansas needs rain. The reports received during the past week by the weather bureau indicate that almost every point of the state is beginning to feel the effects of drought.

Up to the present time crops have not been injured. Wheat is reported to be in splendid condition. Cattle are on the grass in the southern counties, and corn is rapidly being painted.

The complete report given out yesterday is as follows:

GENERAL CONDITIONS

A warm week with a large per cent of sunshine. No rain fell in the southwestern or northeastern counties, while light showers extended from the northwestern counties across the state to the southeastern, being heavier from the northeastern part of Ness to the southwestern part of Lincoln, and very heavy in Kingman and Sedgwick; some hail fell in the northeast part of Ness.

RESULTS--EASTERN DIVISION

Wheat is growing rapidly in all parts, and is joining in Montgomery. Corn planting is well advanced in the southern counties, is progressing rapidly in the central, and has begun in the northern. Oats sowing is finished; the oats are coming up in the central and southern counties, and the earliest sown in the northern. Flax sowing is finished and the flax is coming up. Peaches and plums are blooming in the north and cherries and early apples in the central counties; strawberries in Coffey and crab apples in Shawnee. Pastures are beginning to support stock. Early potatoes are coming up in Morris. The ground has become hard on top in some of the counties, in others it is very cloddy, needing a rain to soften it. Chinch bugs were flying in Shawnee and Wilson the last days of the week.

Allen County--Ground too dry to work; flax up; corn planted; pastures beginning to furnish feed.

Atchison--Favorable week for farm work; vegetation starting well; peaches in bloom; corn planning begun; stock going on grass.

Bourbon--Oats and flax seeding completed; one-third of the corn planted; oats and flax coming up; prospect good for all fruits; ground breaks into clods; needs rain.

Brown--Oats sown; corn planting progressing rapidly; wheat looks fine; fruit very promising.

Cherokee--Fine week for work; wheat looks very well; fruit bloom in abundance; farm work progressing well.

Coffey--Farm work progressing rapidly; some corn planted before the rain being replanted; sheaf and fruit prospects very good; strawberries are blooming.

Crawford--Good growing week; grass starting nicely; wheat growing rapidly; oats thin and a spotted stand; corn planting progressing as rapidly as ground can be prepared; cherry and apple trees in full bloom.

Elk--Fine week for farm work; apply trees in full bloom; most of the corn in the ground.

Franklin--Oats and flax sowing finished; one-fifth corn ground planted; fruit promises very good.

Greenwood--Half the corn planted; apple trees full bloom 27th; grass has grown finely and stock about all turned out.

Jackson--Good working week; some corn has been planted, ground works hard; early sown oats coming up.

Johnson--Good week for work; plowing and corn planting progressing rapidly.

Lyon--Corn planting progressed rapidly this week.

Marshall--Good week for planting and sowing; oats, potatoes and garden truck nearly all in; much corn planted; grass growing rapidly; fruit trees in full bloom.

Montgomery--A large acreage of corn planted, early plantings had to be replanted; wheat joining, fine condition; oats doing well; apples in full bloom; cherries blooming; stock on pasture.

Morris--Corn planting progressing rapidly; some early potatoes coming up; wheat and oats growing rapidly; alfalfa very fine.

Nemaha--Good week; potatoes planted; plowing for corn; oats up, a good stand; peach, plum and cherry trees in full bloom; other trees leafing; wheat fine.

Neosho--All grains needing rain; wheat apparently suffering from fly.

Osage--Ground in fine condition for plowing; corn planting rapidly progressing.

Pottawatomie--Corn planting well begun; apples commencing to bloom; pastures improving.

Riley--Oats need rain; trees in bloom; some corn planted.

Shawnee--Corn planting general; cherries, crab apples and plums in bloom; wheat, oats and grass growing rapidly; cattle on glass southern part; chinch bugs flying 27th.

Wilson--Corn planting nearly done, beginning to come up; apple trees in full bloom; grass growing; wheat looks fine; chinch bugs flying.

Woodson--Corn planting general, much to be planted; apples blooming; some stock on pasture; wheat and oats doing finely.

Wyandotte--Wheat in fine condition, oats coming up slowly; corn planting just begun; all forest trees very backward.

MIDDLE DIVISION

Wheat is in good condition and growing rapidly; it is 6 to 10 inches high in Smith, and is beginning to joint in Republic; the heavy rain, Friday, in Harper county washed out some large fields of wheat in the southern part. Oats sowing is about completed and the oats are generally coming up. Corn planting has progressed rapidly in most of the counties, while in a few it is just beginning; in the southern part of Harper listed corn was washed out or covered up, necessitating replanting; corn is coming up in Cowley and Butler. Alfalfa is growing well and in Sedgwick better than the other grasses. Peach, pear, plum, cherry and early apple trees are in bloom. Strawberries are beginning to blossom in Reno. In Cowley the early fruits were badly damaged by the frost last week. Pastures are improving and in a few counties are supporting the stock.

Barber--Vegetation of all kinds growing rapidly; cattle doing well on range; cherries and pears in full bloom; garden truck abundant.

Barton--Corn planting progressing rapidly; grass commenting to grow; cattle doing well; early apples in bloom.

Butler--Pastures doing finely; corn planting nearly finished, some corn coming up; wheat, oats and alfalfa look fine; peaches all right; apples blooming; early gardens look well.

Cloud--Corn planting nearly done; wheat and oats in fine condition, but most have rain soon; pastures good.

Cowley--Wheat fine condition; corn coming up, but a great deal had to be replanted; early fruit badly damaged by last week's freeze, late fruit unhurt.

Dickinson--Wheat making good growth; oats coming up; corn planting begun; peaches in bloom.

Edwards--Grain in fine condition; pear and plum trees heavily laden with bloom; grass growing finely, stock on pasture; a few planting corn.

Harper--Severe rain storm Friday in south part washed out or covered up listed corn, necessitating replanting; some large fields of wheat entirely washed out; where rain was not heavy all crops in good condition.

Harvey--Wheat generally looks fine, a few fields somewhat yellow; oats growing nicely; corn planting nearly finished, some ground too wet yet; fruit seems uninjured.

Jewell--Oats up; wheat and rye growing rapidly; peaches in bloom; some corn planted; grass starting slowly; alfalfa has grown rapidly.

Kingman--Wheat growing very rapidly; cherries in full bloom; grass growing rapidly; stock doing well.

Lincoln--Planting corn rapidly; top of ground is hard; fine growing weather.

McPherson--A week of rapid growth; fruit trees in full bloom; corn planting well advanced; wheat growing rapidly and no insects reported.

Ottawa--Corn planting begun; peach, pear and plum trees full of bloom; pastures starting nicely; wheat still vigorous, though some complaint of fly and other insects; oats up and doing well.

Phillips--Wheat, rye and oats are doing finely; alfalfa doing well; stock poor; grass starting well.

Pratt--Good rain 26th-27th; corn planting well advanced; wheat looks fine; fruit appears in good condition.

Reno--Fine growing weather; wheat and alfalfa look fine; oats up well; listing corn progressing rapidly; pears and cherries in full bloom; apples and strawberries beginning to bloom.

Republic--Corn planting has fairly begun; much alfalfa sown this spring; rye and wheat beginning to joint; good growing weather.

Rice--Farm work resumed; cherries, plums and pears in bloom; some planting corn; potatoes all planted; alfalfa 6 inches high, looks fine; wheat and oats fine.

Russell--Good rain on 27th; spring work well under way.

Saline--Some corn being planted; wheat generally in good condition; peach and plum trees nearly out of blossom; apple trees blooming; alfalfa growing nicely.

Sedgwick--Apple trees in full blossom; pasture grass very late in starting; farm work much behind; ground too wet to work; wheat and oats are looking well; alfalfa growing better than other grasses.

Smith--Wheat growing rapidly, from 8 to 10 inches high; half the corn ground is planted; peaches in full bloom; apples coming into bloom; gardens coming up; trees leafing.

Stafford--Farm work well advanced; wheat doing well; grass nearly sufficient for pasture.

Sumner--Apples in bloom; most of the corn is planted; fine weather has started everything to growing.

Washington--Trees leafing out; peach, plum and cherry trees in bloom; oats all in and most of it up; getting ready to plant corn.

WESTERN DIVISION

Wheat is growing and generally is in very good condition. Early sown oats and barley are up. Corn planting is becoming general. Alfalfa is growing rapidly and the range grass is quite green. In Finney about 500 acres have been planted to sugar beets. Peaches, apricots, plums and cherries are beginning to bloom in the northern counties.

Clark--No rain but a good growing week.

Decatur--Fine week for work; cherries, peaches and apricots coming into bloom; alfalfa and wheat growing rapidly.

Finney--A large acreage of forage crops being put in; fruit all right so far; about 500 acres have been planted to sugar beets.

Ford--Wheat looks fine; oats and barley are coming up and look well; much corn has been planted; pastures quite green.

Gove--Wheat fields green; pasturage for cattle good; grass is fine; oats are up and look well; fruit promises good; corn planting has begun.

Grant--Fine growing week; grass becoming good; stock improving; peaches in bloom.

Kearney--Warm and dry, rain needed; alfalfa and grass crops starting; prospects for all fruits promising.

Lane--Alfalfa doing finely; prairie grass starting nicely and making good pasture; trees getting green; all crops doing well.

Morton--Fine growing weather; grass growing rapidly and cattle doing well; some plowing and planting, not general.

Ness--Wheat, rye and barley look fine; early peaches and wild plums in bloom; corn planting well advanced; large acreage of forage crops being put in; grass starting nicely, stock on range doing well; good rain in northeastern part, a little hail.

Sheridan--Fall and spring grain doing finely; corn planting general; cherries commencing to bloom, peaches will be a light crop; gardens growing; cattle on grass.

Thomas--Fine growing week; early wheat and rye cover this ground; late wheat thin and weedy; barley and oats coming up; corn planting in progress; stock thin; alfalfa starting well; apricots in bloom.

Trego--Grass getting green; oats and barley sowing nearly finished; corn being listed rapidly; fruit trees in blossom.

Wallace--Corn planting. Kaffir corn, cane and millet sowing progressing; range grass growing well.
(The Kansas Semi-Weekly Capital ~ 3 May 1901)