Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-08-03
KANSAS LETTER.

TOPEKA KAN, July II, 1870.
EDITOR CHRONICLE: - Perhaps,
during the hour Of leisure I have this
morning, I may note down some
things Of interest to your readers,
and it is extremely suggestive to dis
course firstly Of IDeather-suggestive
of light clothing, wilted collars, ice
water and a passion for catching the
! glorious southern breezes. Yesterday
was more than warm-perhaps the
warmest day Of the season, with Occa-
sional puffs of hot air, which in go,
during the long drouth, compelled
the Kansans to retire indoors and
close the house, as the coolest place to
be found. This hot air is a feature
though a rare One-of the atmosphere,
which, as a rule, is moderated by the
refreshing breezes from the south.
This, with the cool nights, makes
life enjoyable. All that is needed in
Kansas to make sleep a refreshing
luxury, is to secure a draft through
the sleeping chamber from south to
north.
We have had two good thorough
rains this week, which will ensure
good
CROPS,
Where the conditions Of thorough
husbandry have been complied with.
The wheat crop has been secured in I
fmn nrnar gnn n5 n mrrNnNn mill E,a
one of the best and the largest
crop Kansas ever produced. The dry
weather. in the spring threatened seri- |
ously the entire crop, but opportune
rains developed the berry wonder /
fully. The straw is short, and there /
may be no such enormous yields from .
exceptional fields as has been previ-
Ously reported; bnt a much larger |
breadth has been sOWn, and the gross !
amount will far surpass last year, and ]
be of much better quality. Upland 4
wheat will not, probably, average 4
more than fifteen bushels per acre,
but have seen bottom lands that .
viii make twenty-five and some over
thirty bushels. Oats are short, and /
will not come up to the average of
previous years. I think the average
will not exceed twenty-five bushels
the smallest crop Kansas ever made.
There was, however, q large breadth
sOwn, so that the supply will be abun-
dant. Late rains have made the corn
crop a sure thing unless some unfore-
seen plague changes the very fiatter-
ing prospects. wrote TO friends at
home, under date of July "a, men-
some fields which were higher
than I could reach on horseback
The law valley, from Lawrence to
this city, is almost one solid corn
field, with very fine prospects. Pota-
toes are good and abundant, the new
crop selling at one dollar per bushel.
Gardens are fiourisbing when prop
erly cared for. The fruit CROP. e.
the larger fruits-will be light, owing
to a hard frost, or rather freeze, Just
rs the peach trees were in blossom.
The smaller fruits, including grapes,
will produce well wherever culti- '
waited. Wild gooseberries and straw
berries were very abundant. 1 can
not say whether the wild raspberries
and blackberries are plenty or not, {
having no opportunity to observe. {
Hay, as yet, promises only a mOder- {
lte yield, but will be of much better !
quality than last year, and will only z
require moving over a few more
leres-Of somebody else's land. All
that is unfeneed is, practically, COM y
mon property, so that you not only
have free range for stock, but hun
1reds of acres of prairie to select your c
meadow from. The grass is unusu- I
ally nutritious this season, and stock q
IF all kinds looking well. Another e
advantage Of no small consequence