Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-07-21
Letters from Kansas, No. /.
GRANADA, NEMAHA COUNTY,
Kansas, June 30.


Kansas, June 80. 5
EDITOR STANDARD: ~ My promise
before leaving Barton, of writing you,
has neither been repudiated nor for
gotten, though long delayed. Opinions
too hastily formed, where everything
is so new and strange, are liable to
be incorrect.
hope not to fall into error through
this cause.
The history of Kansas is well
known to all. Terrible is the ordeal
through which she has passed, yet she
comes out unscathed. Not Virginia,
but Kansas, was the first battle
ground for freedom. The huge SER
pent. that would have throttled her IN
her infancy, was himself throttled,
and driven back to his den to die
So border ruffianism, drouth, famine,
rebel raids, Indian deDredations, and
grasshOppers, have all been serious
obstacles in the way of her develop
ment. And yet, no state has advanc-
ed more rapidly. The history of her
past is a sufficient guaranty for the
future. But facts are what you want,
and | will be practical.
There are no level lands In Kansas,
except the bottom lands, along the
streams. High rolling prairie, great
acaUes of land, some higher than 9th
ers, running in every direction, inter
Secting, and modifying each other ;
such is the great bulk of land. The
soil is mostly very fertile, though not,
| think as fertile as that of Illinois.
1t is usually a dark clayey loan mix
ed with sand 1t is very light and
warm. Seeds terminate quickly, and
grow very rapidly. The country is
natural for fruit, and many kinds grow
spontaneously in the timber, and of
good quality. | have seen some as
nice young apple, and peach orchards
here as | have ever seen. Peaches
will bear in three years from seed
and apples in four. All kinds of
garden vegetables, do well, and pota
toes are the best | ever saw. New
potatoes are plenty at this date. Al
, average crop Of corn per acre is con
. sidered about forty bushels. Wheat
. twenty bushels. Corn in the interior
= is worth about forty cents a bushel
winter wheat two dollars, and spring
wheat one dollar and forty cents
Shipping grain eastward from thi
: locality is but just commencing
This is on one of the great overIan,
: mail routes, and farmers have founC
4 ready mar>et for all their products
10 the trains passing here, which hav
q Deel immense. But the Central Unio
G Pacific Railroad which traverses thi
county, has within two years, put a
end to these things.
~ I.onis. :, Tho f4t,.-o, wall b tn
principal market for Kansas products
1t Stock raising is considered more pro
t itaOle than raising corn at fifty cent
bushel. A very intelligent oil
, farmer of illinois told me that tn
( actual cost of raising corn did not e1
a coed ten cents a bushel. This wa
n ten years ago. 1t will cost but tt
lie more now than then; for the in
+ provement in machinery is nearl
Al equal to the advance in the price o.
IS labor, which is but small 1t is a fac
II that the greater part Of the wealt
OF Illinois was produced by raisin
corn for twenty cents, and wheat fo
.r sixty cents a buShel or for less. O
1T these things | may speak more full
re III a future letter. The wheat harves
VI " IS fairly begun. The yield will nC
, be large, much of the wheat, especia
ly the spring wheat, was killed out b
+ the cold weather in the spring. The
OF late the chintz bug has appeare,
10 which will materially reduce the GRO
a IL costs more to feed the insects,
: the great grain producing regions O
TO the West, than it does to iced tt
IL people.
IN Well, We should not be unwiIlir
d. to share the gifts of our commc
10 mother, with these our fellow mortal
s. In my next letter, | will speak {
the price OF land, stock &c, and sou
"a matters of interest connected Their
II with. I'll, 5. BICKFORD.
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IL Seymour was elected governor {
Ill New York first in 1852, receivir
nearly $4,000 more votes than Was
II