The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1874-08-06

We want to talk a little to the farmers OF
Scdgwick county, and TO other farmer readers
of the Arkansas valley, about the late 'dry
spelr' and the poor crop prospects. The rain
Of last Sunday morning was the first for seven
teen days in this vicinity, while some parts of
the county have bad no rain to speak OF for
nearly or quite two months. How discourage
! ing this fact is can only be properly appre-
ciated by ,ien who with limited means are at
tempting TO open up farms in new country,
away from supplies and markets. or by men
who have passed through the same ordeal
themselves. The drouth Of 1850 found the
writer just in that fix, and that has been the
only year in the history of Kansas that there
was not rain enough TO make from fair TO
abundant crops,-specific crops and localities
sometimes short, but 1860 was the only failure.
That was fourteen years ago, since which
time extensive and destructive drouths have
afflicted every part of the east and south.
! Even last year the drouth in New York was
very severe ard two years before California
suffered greatly from the same cause. And
this year Kansas is not the only sufferer.
Large districts in Iowa. Illinois, Arkansas.
Ohio. Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee
are suffering terribly, and in Kentucky the
drouth has been prevailing 10 such an alarm
ing extent that we hear Of the most gloomy
iorebodings. An uninterrupted spell of dry
weather has destroyed entirely the prospect
of even third Of crop Of either corn or to-
bacco, while in the western part Of that state
they are a complete and total failure, render
ing distressing destitution inevitable. The
chnch bug, which has been committing his
ravagcs in some portions of Sedgwick county
and the Arkansas valley, we see by our eX-
changes has been affecting the farmers of Mis-
souri,, Iowa and Illinois, Indiana and Wis
consin, who have suffered much greater than
have the farmers of Kansas. This year the
upper Arkansas valley is being visited with
the grasshopper or the grillus, and we fear
they may come down this say, but Minnesota
has been practically eaten up by these pests
this year. Northern Kansas had few of
them last year. but the man who run up to
Minnesota TO get away from them did no very
wise thing, A portion OF Iowa has been
stripped Of vegetation by these hoppers, too,
this season, and the people up there are ask
ing for aid. For truth, then, no section or
spot upon Gods green earth is entirely eX-
empt from rayages of some sort, such as eX-
ccssive rains, foods or drouths at times, from
visitations OF insects, such as wcevil, chinch
bugs, grasshoppcrs, and from blights or rust.
Then taking one season with another, Kansas
has had as little TO complain OF in the way of
drawbacks TO agriculture as any state in the
Union, while the fact remains patent that for
the successful raising of stock we stand I'M
riyalled for The growing Of fruit, equaIlcd
by few, and for the raising of ordinary crops, /
with a small amount of actual labor, we aver
age with the best. We ask our farmers to
look the picture we have drawn fairly and
honestly in the face and make answer; for |
we write this in the full knowledge that the |
EAGLE must stand or fall by the success or |
failure OF the farmers OF this valley, the |
largest portion Of our subscribers being farm
ers upon whose success, consequently, rests |
our own.
But the Arkansas valley Is not yet, nor can i
it prove an entire failure this year. Nine
tenihs OF all the fall wheat sown turned of |
from Il good TO an abundant yield; oats made
good two-third crop; corn in the valley VIII
80 from a quarter to over a half crop; but
little trouble will be experienced in harvesting |
great quantities Of hay; vegetables Of all
kinds, over half yield; rye excellent, and
cotton, though not extensively grown, very
promising. In fine, everything looks green
and fair, many things promising, and but few
things indicate entire failure. 1t has been a
dry summer, we admit, but such drouth
would not be seriously ielt were our country
ten years older; and no farmer Oh the lower
Arkan-a, valley should give up because hi,
calculations are unreaZed. We have the
garden spot OF the statc-ayc of the whole
west-and single partial failure should not
discourage any who desire, on account OF the
beautiful and hea!th-giving climate, 10 make
il their permanent home.