The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1857-05-07
Pronts OF a prairie Farm.

given by spractieal settler in the Prairie Coun-
try. The facts and figures are interesting TO
all those who go west and even to those who
stay at home:
A claim should be selected which Is high and
rolling, 1 mile or two away from the bottom
lands and timber. The soil of the elevated
prairie is rich enough, and will not be exhausted
by proper cultivation, in thousand years; in
fact it will grow better from age to age, if sci
ence directs the movement of the agricultural
ist Claims are usually selected along the bot
toms, with the view, in addition to the timber
of getting the water cOnvenientIy-the opinion
generally preaviling that greater depth is re-
quired for wells on the high lands, than along
the bottoms. Such, however, experience has
demonstrated to be an error. On the contrary,
water is usually found quite as near the surface
on the more elevated portions of the Territory
as on the bottoms. We hear of but few wells
which have been sunk greater depth than fifty
feet to find an abundance Of water.
With such variety of claims to select from,
every person, by proper exertion, can find just
such one as his fancy desires. If he has come
from the mountainous regions of New England,
the chances are ten to one he has become weary
Of climbing the hills Of that sterile region, and
will seek comparatively level claim:-while
those from the level prairies of Illinois, will seek
one which is considerably broken, with the
view of escaping the protracted wet periods of
spring and autumn, when the country is fire.
quently almost inundated with water for several
weeks at time. The man of cultivated infor-
nation will seek medium between these, and
sndeavor to find claim on which the water
will not settle at any period of the year; nor so
broken as to render it liable to be washed away
by heavy rains.
When such selection is made, he sticks his
stakes, files his declaration of intentions for
preemption at the land Office, contracts with
one of the heavy breaking teams to break up
the entire 100 acres, costing him $500 for the
same, and makes other arrangements for per-
fecting his improvements. Let us proceed has
tily to invest the 81, 500 with which we sup
pose our claimant is possessed, in the following
manner
Breaking 160 acres $500
Planting the whole with corn, including
seed, $50
One thousand posts, and setting same
around claim 10Ia feet apart, 100
One thousand strips, 2 by inches, 1Ol5
feet long, and mailing to their places, 50
Wire for fence, and putting up, 45O
Kitchen part of house, of stone with
two bedrooms, pantry &C., 500
Well fifty feet deep, stoning and curbing
the same, with windlass, $50
Incidentals $50
Harvesting corn, 200
Total, $3.50
So much for expenditures, which any man in
Kansas, who has had any experience in farming
will admit to be the outside figures. Let us
turn to the other side, and see the result:
The lowest estimate of corn crop, if planted
before the middle Of May, ON sod, without cul-
ture, is thirty bushels to the acre. 1t frequent
ly equals forty and sometimes fifty bushels to
the acre. Thus far in Kansas there has been q
ready market for all the corn grown here at fifty
cents bushel in the cob, while it has frequent
ly sold as high as seventy-ive cents and one
dollar bushel While the heavy emigration
continues, these high figures can be maintained
Taking the lowest estimate as the yield and
the lowest price .ps basis for our figures, and
we have 4, 300 bushels of corn, worth $2,40O,
the amount of our entire investments.
Some will be inclined to doubt our figures
and will set them down as the result of bock
farming, for which they pretend to entertain
supreme contempt. Such persons we refer to
w. Y Roberts, Esq, whose experience in far
ming in this territory is OF practical character
and who will inform the reader that our esti-
mates are wrong each way, by several hundred
dollars; that the cost will not be as much for
raising crop; that the yield, in all human
probability, will be still greater; and that the
sales will amount to one third more than we
have supposed.
: The farmer then, at the end Of the season.
, has the same amount Of funds in his pocket
: which he had when he commenced it in May
and has his claim under high state of cultiva-
ton. If he has made q judicious selection o.
lands, by his own improvements and those o.
hs neighbors around him, his claim has increa.
sed in value from ten to fifteen dollars an acre
Adopting the last figures as approximating tc
correctness then, in six months, our pioneer
: has doubled his money, and has the same
: amounthe commenced with in his pocket fo
future operations. If the lands come into mar
ket, in the fall he pays $500 for title from
government, leaving him $4,000 for next years
expenditures.
Next spring opens, ami we find our this year.
pioneer on a beautiful farm, we'll fenced and il
a high state cf cultivation, and susceptible o
yielding him seventy bushels of corn to tn,
acrc. The cost Of running the plow over hi
broad fields will not exceed $3.50 an acre, o
500 for his entire farm. Another hundred
dollars will plant it in corn. Two hundred ant
7 fity-six dollars will set out row of Osage or
0 ange plants on the line Of his fence, on the in
, side and little labor will be all the care j
e will require to insure him hve fence in thre
years, or by the time the posts Of his wire fenc
r begin to decay.
: What amount Of labor viii be required 70
: cultivating the corn through the second summe
! we are not advised; but suppose it equals 500
4 and the harvesting $500. This with othe
! expenses mentioned, consumes about 81, $50
leaving . l $50 out Of the $240o to be expend
cd in beautiying his fields, in setting out Shade
LAM fall