The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1872-01-25

rains, does moro for the reproduc-
ton Of rain than all other human
efforts combined, yet I have nc
doubt the growing Of timber has also
its genial infuencein That direction.
What I have said has been in
reference to forest trees alone. Lest
I shonld be tedious to you, and oc.
cupy more than my share of your
columns, I would briefly say, I have
never seen fruit trees grow more
rapidly. AS a general thing, apple
trees are a little tardy in bearing.--
There are two prominent reasons for
this, however one of which can be
remedied by those planting orchards
hereafter. The first reason is, the
early settlers did not know what
varieties were adapted to our soil
and climate, and so made many
mistakes. Though they planted
good varieties of fruit, they proved
not to be good bearers. Experience
has taught our nursery men that
that there are varieties that will
bear early, and the younger orchards
excel the older ones. The other
reason is, The trees make wood too
fast. Doubtless time will remedy
this.
A neighbor informed me that he
gathered thirteen bushels Of apples to
the tree, only ten years old this
year! I don't call that bad bearing
Peach trees bear every year after
they are three years old. AS to the
size and quality of Kansas fruit, 1
need not tell your readers. The sue
cess of our fruits, when brought in
competition with the fruits of other
States before pomolOgical societies,
horticultural fairs, &C., speaks louder
than words. I would only say, the
finest apples, peaches, &c. I ever
saw grew in Kansas. If Kansas
lacks in spontaneous growth of tim
Der, the facility and rapidity with
which groves are produced, and the
certainty that she will continually
grow better in this respect, will
more than compensate for her lack.
The numerous strata of coal that
underIie the whole country, guaran-
tee an abundance of fuel. The end
less variety, and inexhaustible guam
tity of rock insure ample building
material for all time to come.
Eastern Kansas abounds in blue
and gray limestone, of any dimen-
sions desired. In the city of Atch-
ison, and around it, is a stratum
composed of long logs of stone, so
to speak, twenty or thirty feet long
and about two feet square, lying
side by side, as if stored away for
some grand purpose. Who knows
but that the grandest Capitol in the
world may be built of this material,
by the greatest Nation, in the most
beautiful State in that Nation?
Further westward, The limestone
assumes a lighter color some of it
as white as chalk. South of the
Kansas river it is mostly hard, and
has to be worked with the ordinary
tools for working limestone. North
of the Kansas river, and a few miles
west of the Missouri, it is called
Magnetism limestone, and when first
exhumed it is soft, entirely clear of
sand or grit, and is worked with
common edge tools, such as the saw,
chisel, plane, &C., without injury to
the tools, and with as much ease and
speed as wood can be worked.
This is the poor mans "Eureka"
on the western frontier. He takes
his hand-saw or his wood-saw, and
saws this stone into blocks to suit
his notion or convenience in build
ing fues, chimneys, or other struc-
lures. A circular-saw attached to
two-horse power, will cut an enOr
nous amount of this material into
shape for building in short time
Though this stone is at first soft and
easily worked, when it is exposed
to the sun and atmosphere it hard
ensand is very durable, and prom
ises to be of inestimable value.
Gray sandstone is also plenty
The abundance Of building stone
with which Kansas is blessed, is an
incentive to better class of build
ings than is common in new eoun-
tries. Quite a large proportion of
the churches, school houses, barns,
and dwellings, throughout the coun-
try, are built of stone. As the coun-
try grows in wealth and population
this tendency will increase.
Friend Boardman, 1 did not in
tend to weary your readers with a
long article, but my subject would
not admit of a shorter one. Pardon
me for the intrusion.
Yours respectfully,
4. J. EVANS.
A large roll of unpaid bills in his
breast pocket saved the life of a