Coal can be had by going to the railway stations, but the long distances it has to be transported by rail and wagon makes it rather expensive. The nature of the soil is light and extremely sandy, and in many portions of the county it is so sandy as to be utterly unfit for cultivation. The untillable portion, however, is confined to the sand hill elevations, and although the small valleys between the sand hills are also of a very sandy character, they are yet capable of cultivation, and are quite productive. In some places gypsum forms the sub-soil, and in a few considerable alkali is found. The soil seems to be suitable for the raising of all kinds of cereals, and wheat, oats and rye yield abundantly.
Sorghum is a never-failing crop, and one that can be relied upon with certainty in all seasons.
The entire county is sub-irrigated and in sinking wells a sheet of water is invariably struck at various depths, corresponding with the elevations of the surface. In the flat or level places it is usually met with at a depth of from ten to twelve feet. This subterranean water is not in veins, but one vast sheet from three to four feet in depth, and is confined to no particular locality, but underlies the entire county. Like most of the western counties in Kansas, Stafford is excellently adapted to stock-raising, and to this industry farmers are turning their attention, many having herds of cattle numbering from 200 to 800 head. A good deal of attention is also given to sheep raising, there being over 30,000 head in the county, in flocks ranging from 300 to 2,500.