The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-04-08
KANSAS, AS A FARMING CoUN-
TRY


The following letter is from the Hon. J
W. Whitfield, the Delegate in Congress
from Kansas, written in reply to a letter
from the President of the Kershaw Is. c.
Kansas Association, asking for information
in regard to the Kansas country:
WASHINGTON, March I8, 1856.
DEAR SIR At the request of Hon. w.
W. Boyce, take great pleasure in giving
you such information in regard to Kansas
as will be useful to persona emigrating to
that country. In regard to soil, Kansas is
unsurpassed, producing from sixty to eighty
bushels of corn per acre; twenty-five to
forty bushels ofwheat per acre. The finest
oats | have ever seen grow, we raise in
,, Kansas; in fact, have seen nothing plant
ed in Kansas Except cotton) that does not
produce more to the acre than the best
lands of Tennessee.
Besides being a fine grain and grass
country, it is part of the hemp region of
the United States. Hemp is decidedly the
most profitable crop now raised, and the
statistics Will show that the planters of Yves
tern Missouri are making more money per
hand than is made in any other State in the
Union. 1t is nothing uncommon for farm
ers to pay three hundred dollars hire for
negro men per year. White men cannot
be hired for less than $25 per month In
addition to our advantages as an agricul-
tural people, we have a trade with New
Mexico, Utah, Oregon and California, a.
mounting to several millions of dollars per
annum; besides, our India trade amounts to
more than one million per annum. In ad-
dition, the government for military supplies
expends very large sum. Military stores
are sent out to all the posts of New Mexico
and the Indian country, and to give you
some idea of the amount of transportation
required for that department-one firm last
year employed over seventeen hundred men,
and twelve hundred wagons, each drawn
by twelve oxen. Kansas is the starting
point of all emigrants going West of US
L was raised in Tennessee, and have been
in nearly every State in the Union, and 1
say to you in all candor, that have never
seen any country that possesses as many
advantages to new and old settlers as Kan
sas. Our friends in Western Missouri
with similar soil to Kansas, make from six
to eight hundred dollars q hand per annum.
This WILL have no doubt, seem large to
you' but | assure you it is strictly true.
The climate of Kansas regard as being
far better than in Tennessee; from LIST of
September until 1st of March we have but
little rain-mostly clear, dry weather The |
past winter has been, though. colder than
ever known before. Our country I regard
as very healthy; in some localities chills |
and fever prevail to some extent--we
have no pulmonary diseases in Kansas
In regard to supplies, you can procure any |
thing you may want in Missouri-if you get
to Kansas by May or June you can raise
plenty of corn. Our lands are ready clear
ed-you can make your location one day
and commence farming the next.
In conclusion permit me to thank you,
and to thank the people of South Carolina
or the noble effort they are now making to
assist US in preventing the best country, in
ny opinion, in the United States from fall
ng into the hands of the Abolitionists.
Respectfully, your ob't servant,
j. W. WHITFIELD.
Hon. JAS CHFSEIrT ~