The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1872-04-12

on Kansas valley lands, need no argu
mcnt to be convinced that this soil il
equal to the best in the country. TIL
most productive lands in Kansas hav,
hitherto coilfesscdly been found in tn,
Kansas valley, and none in the Stat,
are SO sandy excepting this valley
! The crops raised in this region durins
the last two years have sufficient,
demonstrated our agricultural wealth
Last year there were grown upon the
sod in this Valley, i. e. upon ground
newly broken, corn from 30. nto 81
bushels to the acre; oats 20itO AZ
bushels, vines of all kinds, potatoes
bects, peas, lettuce, etc. Usage orange
seed. s"wn upon the sod, producc,1
plants from three to five feet in length
The mplands of this region are un.
surpassed in the State. They lie very
gently rolling, and are abundantiy wa.
tered with clear, living streams. The
soil Of the uplands contains consider.
ably less sand than the bottoms. In.
deed its general appearance is but lit
tie if any different from the upland
prairie soil Of Eastern Kansas. The
surface however here is much less
rolling. The subsoil Of the uplands i,
composed Of clay and land so interniix
as to form compact. mass, which stands
in wells, and along the dccasioal little
bluff Of the streams, in perpendicular
walls, but It can be spadcd to any re-
required depth, and will not absolute
~ prohibit the .sub-drailfage of the soil
in wet seasons.
After what has been written of the
Arkansas River. it is almost superfiu-
Gus to say that the water OF all this
Valley region is abundant and pure.
1t is in truth the best watcred portion
OF Kansas, so far Is my observation cx-
tends. On the bottom lands drive
wells, or Cube wells" are universally
used. They consist Of a tube of galva-
nized iron, with steel point, tie low
er end of the tube having small holes
Oh the sides. around which is wrapped
a piece of wirc-gauZc for strainer.
This pipe is driven into the ground.
through a hole in the Kitchen door if de-
sired, or wherever inclination dictates.
and water is reached at depth OF from
six to fifteen feet. A pump i, placed
upon the pipe and in an hours time a
boundless supply VI pure soft water is
obtained. The blessing of the latter
quality will be fully appreciated by
housckccpcrs.
SAND HILLS. -. Ia
So much is said about !..e sl.Id hill,
of the Arkansas by people who have
never been here, that definite de-
scription of their location and ciiarac-
ter will not be out ofplacc. They COM
mcnce in the northwest par, of Harvey
county. lately part o. Sedgwick and
Mcpherson, and run nearly west un-
til about four miles north of iiutchin-
son in Reno county. where they defect
nOrthwartl and extend into Rice co,iil-
ty. Here they are Intercepted by Cow
creek and farther west by the Arkan-
sas River. The row ofhills thus dcfin-
ed are about forty miles in length and
two to four miles across. They r.Zc
above the valley by gentle slopes, to
height of 40 to so feet, and their sum-
mits are made up of small tah!"lands
of 80 to 200 acres in extent. The hill
Ocks are sometimes composed OF pure
sand, upon which nothing Crews but
two varieties Of plums, and large wild
grapes. All least f0ur-fiths of the CHI
tire surface of the sand hills is cover
cd with wild grass of various but nn-
tritious varieties. The most singular
feature of this strange region is that
these hills are full of water. In the
'lryest season. the soil, or even the sand
of the hillocks is moist an inch or two
below the surface, and there are to be
seen a considerable number of lakes
or ponds. several acres in extent, and
always full of pure, fresh soft water,
none OF of them have any Wis
iblc outlet. There are also many liv-
ing springs from which little rivulcts
trickle down the slopes of the hills, I'M
til lost in the bottom lands below.
Some of these streams are the size of
a mans arm, and bulrushcs mar be
seen growing in their waters. These
hills arc q great resort for wild fowl.
and will soon become famous for dairy
ing and frlit growing
South of Fort Zarah and east OF Fl.
Larncd, there is wide extent of sandy
hill country, which is said to possess
all the characteristics of the hills above
described. but its extent will consider
ably interfere with its devclo,Inc
This last named sand hill country COM
menccs about 60 miles west of Wichita.
Excepting the regions above dcscrib-
I'd there is no propriety whatever in
talking about the sand hills of the Ar
Sansat Valley, for there is actually less
waste land within twenty miles of the
liver from Fl. Zarah than there is
,long an equal distance Of the Kansas
Valley.
TIMBER
The Arkansas Valley is but sparSely
imbercd. Indeed il is for this reason
Hone that this valley remained unset
led until the rapid construction of the
Atchison, Topeka Il Santa Fe Rail
'oad rendered II certain that in a very
title time. building material and fuel
would be brought to every mans door
III the cars. There is enough timber
or the immediate necessities of set
lers, and IN this quick soil and congo
nal climate very few wears suffice
% grow timber. Ten acres planted to
quick growing varieties, interlGixed
I,