The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1869-02-19
LETTER rROn ONO.
1prornatlon Wantea Abeut Kan.as.

States. 1t contains about the usual /
number of questions, and for the infor-
nation of Mr.. Leaning and others, we
publish the letter with such answers as |
we are able to give:
WILMTNGToN, OHIO, Feb. 10, 1859.
EDITOR EMPORIA NEWS: i have just in |
ished looking over the EsaPoREA NEWS, and
have partly concluded that you have some
country away out there. have a lot Of boys
nearly all grown up, farmers in business and
nearly all renters, not having capital TO buy
farms here, which are ranging from forty to
one hundred dollars per acre. at the request
Of one Of them who was out in your State last
Spring-down about Fort Scott, and with
which he was highly pleased, I was almost
persuaded to pull up stakes and migrate out
there, but from the descriptions given In your
NEWS Of SOHthtoesterR Kansas, we are turn
ing our attention in that direction, and take
the liberty of writing 70 you for information
relative to your region.
First. what proportion Of Lyon and adjoin-
ing counties is timbered.. and is there sufficient
timber for wood, fence and building purposes.
Second, what proportion actually settled and
| in cultivation.
Third, are your bottom lands all timbered
| and what Is the quality aud what are the va
rieties.
Fourth, is not all your country. especially
the land laying on the creeks, subject to chilIs
and fevers and bilious complaints, generally.
Fifth. what are the average crops per acre OF
corn, wheat, oats, barley and potatoes, by or
binary culture.
Sixth, are your drouths common every sum
mer, so as to burn up the corn and cue your
spring crops.
| Seventh, the grasshoppers so numerous
| as tn 16SfrO fha
Gasd all grain crops.
| Eighth, does the chinch bug visit your
| wheat every season.
Ninth, is the green head nv as troublesome
| to stock as in some parts of Illinois.
Tenth, what can your first rate improved,
ordinary, and first rate unimprOved farms be
bought for per acre. Are many of such sceH
located for sale at any price.
Eleventh, could frugal and industrious
young farmer make himself farm in few
years with the aid of few hundred dollars
and team.
Twelfth, how about the Normal School
Landsl Can they be got that man,
though poor, by using proper exertions, may
be able to pay for farm from the products of
the soil alone. On what terms can they be
had, in what quantities, what are the terms Of
payments and what Is the general character
of the timber, soil. etc.
Thirteenth, what of Amos A. Lawrence's
Lands, what is the quality, terms and con-
ditions of purchase, etc.
An answer TO the above questions will he
satisfactorily received by a large circle of en-
quiring friends in this locality, many Of whom
| are seriously contemplating emigrating to
| your State. If things turn out favorable
shall come out to your place next fall, and if
| things are as good as represented / may
! become citizen of Kansas, if your good folks
| will allow me to, with half dozen Of as good
farmer boys ever located in any country.
Have you any mud out in yonr eountryr
We are now swimming in it and have been for
weeks, about two feet deep. / am ready to
imagine that would be as near Heaven as we
earthly beings ever are if 1 could find
healthy, mUdless country.
! JACOB s. LEANING.
ANSWER.
There is enough timber in this part
of Kansas to supply all the needs of the
country, and since the annual prairie
fires have been in a measure kept out,
| timber is increasing every year. We
are not prepared to say what proportion
| of Lyon and adjoining counties is tim
4 bered.
i But very small proportion of Kan
sas is occupied by settlers and under
cultivation. There is farm of 40 acres,
in Kansas, to every voter in the State
of Ohio, that is unoccupied.
i Timber is only found on the streams
/ and does not extend out into the bot
toms to any very great distance. Oak,
hickory, maple, ash, walnut and cotton
/ \ FL,
native lumber can be purchased in
quantities to suit at $25 to $40 per
thousand-a much lower price than the
same quality can be bought for in In
diana, Ohio or Pennsylvania. In addi-
ton to this Kansas abounds in building
stone of the very best varieties, which
can be put into u wall at cost of about
equal to brick at $500 per thousand
Coal underlies the whole State, and in
sufficient quantities to supply fuel for
ages to come.
Of course people coming here are
liable to have attacks of chills and fe-
yer, but the farms along the streams are
not necessarily unhealthy. The climate
and healthfulness of Kansas cannot be
excelfed. The atmosphere is remarka-
bly, clear, dry and pure. The Summers
are long and Winters short. The heat
of Summer being moderated by a
steady southern breeze, and remarkably
: cool nights, the enervated feelings usual
to this season in this latitude are un-
known. Owing to the dryness and
.. purity ofthe air, lung diseases are hardly
known; aud instances of persons who
came to Kansas suffering with consump-
ton, who have been restored to perfect
health by residence here, are numerous.
, The country is chiefly rolling prairie,
: and so thoroughly drained by nature
that there are no swamps, consequently
. we have comparatively little of those
: diseases produced by miasmatic inffa-
ences, and in few years they will be
entirely unknown.
80 bushels of corn per acre, 35 BUSH
els of wheat per acre, 80 bushels of oats
per acre, 800 bushels of potatoes per
acre is no uncommon yield, while rye,
barley, buckwheat, sweet potatoes, sor-
; ghum, hungarian, timothy, blue grass.
clover and all garden products succeed
admirably. Apples, peaches, pears,
plums, cherries, grapes and all small
fruits thrive well, and are very pro-
ductive.
Streams of pure, swift water, at inter-
walls of three to ten miles, furnish good
drainage, plenty of stock-wate r. and an
abundance Ofpower for machinery of all
kinds.