The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1869-04-30
REPORT OF KANSAS.
SURVEYOR GENERALS OFFICE,
LRAVENWORTu kansas July y 1888

Hon. Jos. s. Wilson, Commissioner Gen. Land
Office, Washington. d. c.:
SIR: In reply to your letter of March
last, relating to the subject of rendering
MT for agricultural purposes different To-
calities represented as "barren" or "des-
erts," which would by cultivation be
reclaimed, and as to the most efficient
measures to insure their reclamation
and adaptation to agriculture, and re-
Questing me to furnish you, at my earli-
est convenience, such data as / may be
able to collect, respecting the extent of
such lands within my district, marking
them on the diagram sent for that pur-
pose also, the means and natural facili-
ties that can be employed in irrigating
them the soil and character of vegeta-
ton peculiar to them; the effect of irri-
| CATION where it has been tested if any
actual experiments have been made the
best methods of irrig alton and any Otler
information that may tend to throw light
upon the subject, have the honor to
herewith submit the diagram, and the
following report on the subject referred
to, in accordance with your request:
The surveyed portion of this District
contains no large tracts of barren" or
| "desert" lands. There are, however, IN
various localities, irregular belts of
sandy, unproductive lands, usually
found in the form of drifting sand hills,
bordering on valleys of rivers subject
to overflow. The largest of such tracts
is found bordering the south bank of the
Arkansas river, between ranges Z and17,
west of the sixth principal meridian,
embracing an area of about $50 square
miles. Deputy Surveyors who execut-
| ed surveys in this locality report the
river as sinking, during several months
of the year, (water above and appear
ing again below this locality in album
dance,) leaving a wide sandy bed to be-
come dry, and by the action of the
winds to be piled up i'll sand hills on the
neighboring lands.
In the Western part of the State the
divides between the streams are usually
arid, and to q certain extent void of
vegetation. The divides are ola more
fixed nature than the sand hills, being
sandy, but permanent in their localities.
The vegetation of the latter is the cactus,
sage bush, and kindred plants while the
drifting hills, from river deposits are
found void of vegetation. All noun
tain streams in this State bring down
| their channels large quantities of quick
| sand from the mountains, and wherever,
| from the peculiar conformation Of the
banks of the streams an annual overflow
occurs, making its sandy deposits, belt
w.
| ing in extent to the area inundated. The
banks of all the rivers in the western
part of Kansas are low, but owing to the
rapidity of the, currents seldom over
flow.
Upon the diagram, herewith enclosed,
| have indicated line, from where the
Republican river crosses the northern
boundary of the State, south to the Ar
kansas river. This line may be regarded
as the western boundary of the Permian
Limestone in which belt are found nu-
merous salt springs, iron pyrites, mex
haustible beds Of excellent gypsum,
4 about twenty Varities of magnetism
limestone, and several varieties of mar
BILE. This Office is not familiar enough
with the country south of the Arkansas
river, to locate this line further south,
but sufficient is known to state that it
extends beyond the southern boundary
in a south-easterly direction. From the
original Pacific railroad surveys, l have
| indicated certain elevations above the
sea. 1t will be observed that where the
various streams cross this line the eleva-
ton is little less than ], 200 feet; the
Republican Valley, however, appears to
be the lowest ofthe streams. Whenever
this line is crossed wonderful change
in the surface appearance of the country
is observed. The valleys continue ofthe
same uniform width, but covered with
a new and peculiar vegetation, the short
thick wiry grass which is almost equally
nutritious in winter Eas summer. The
upland slopes gently towards the
/ streams, with the same vegetation as the
valleys.
The divides between the streams usu-
ally present an aspect peculiarly weird
and forbidding. l can use no more fit
ting expression in the description, than
to borrow the phrase of plainsmen,
Ragged Hills"
They are often quite void of vegeta-
ton, and present precipitous surfaces
appearing as though formed by, or wash
ed into their present shape by the action
of water. Often, while the abrupt de-
clivities appear naked, the moist nutri-
the more gentle slopes of the same
hills to their SUBMITS. The area of alb
solutely barren lands of these divides
is quite small, and when taken in. con-
nectiOn with the valleys and gently
sloping uplands, amounts to but little
in treating Of the lands of the great table
bordering the Rocky Mountains.
The prevailing rock, west of the line
Indicated, is soft, porous sandstone pro-
nounced by Biologists to be a recent for
nation. Frequent beds of ignite are
am of the opinion they will continue tC
appear and improve in quality towards
the west.
The vegetation of these table lands
being of the most nutritious character
and the borders of streams protected
from the prairie fires, producing the
same varities of timber as the lands
} further east, proves the soil to be not de
: ficient in the essential elements of pro
Effectiveness, while a certain point O.
elevation above the sea seems to deter
mine distinct Geological line, and thi:
line marks the extent properly of thu
timbered portion of the State, and this
change of elemental rock, affecting mos
certainly the characteristics of the soil
still it is the accepted theory / believe
that the aridity of the soil is induced
more from the want of trees to impede
the winds, condense the vapors into rain
. clouds, and to prevent evaporation
: where local springs and streams should
rise, than that it is treeless from ster
, ility.
believe it is an established fact tina
all countries situated remote from
oceans or inland seas, with scarcity
of timber, suffer from lack of rain
aud, perhaps. another fact follows this
. that the table centers of the globe are
lacking in forest-thus perpetuating, il
the absence or neglect ofartificial means
the causes of unproductiVeness. 1t il
already q matter of common remark tina
Eastern Kansas is being visited by more
frequent and seasonable rains than for
merly. 1t is undoubtedly the result Of
the growth of young forests, hedges, or
chards, shade trees, buildings, &C., which
are already exertiBg an important eli
matte influence.
From certain authorities, learn tina
in many of the oldest portions of Eu
7 rope legislation is being had to re-estab
lish the forests, it being determined tina