The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1874-10-29
for the farmer.
PRAIRIE FIRES.

The Kansas Farmer has long article, and a
very reasonable one on the effects Of prairie fires
The substance of the article is expressed in the
headings, thus:
first-A Worldwide waste OF hre cursed and
blackeued desert.
S.cnnd-H Hundreds of thousands in the land of
drouth looking anXiOusly but hopeiessly for rain.
Third-A world Of dying vegetation and dis
hcartened and almost hopeless people swept by
the whitening red-hot simoOn from the blazing
desert.
Fourth-The case nf PlIaraoh-the plague of
E.ypt-the final destruction of prosperity and
hope.
Fifth-A disheartened, beggared and hungry
people, with special session of the Legislature.
The Farmer gives a history of our State from
1853 to the present time, showing that ever year
of dronth had its hot winds and grasshopptr
plague, ard was invariably proceeded by whole
sale burning of the prairie grass. 1t says OF the
remedy:
w. have now seen how the burning precedes
the drcuth, how the drOuth u Shers ia tbs hot
winds and with the fiery blasts of which comes
the voracious cnrse of Egypt, leaving behind
them sorroving, impoverished people, with q
special session of the Legislature
There is but purpose discernible that will
iustjfy them in narrowing over this field of sut-
feriDg, and that purpose is to ind and proclaim
the cause of its occurrence, and the remedy
against its repetition. The cause we have seen,
and seeing the cause, we cannot fail to recognize
the remedy.
Since burning the grass is the sole, grand
cause-Of all of these suffrTin.s and deprivations
the one grand remedy is to leave the grass on the
ground. Nature is ever true To herself, and
knows invariably what is aud what is not essen-
tial. Leave natures work it comes from ma
lures hands, and destroy IL not, or you VIII 90
down in the general ruin.
Leave this years crop ofgrass ali on the ground
and the SHOWS aud rdins VIII lie retained on the
surface as a fund reserved for next year, and the
grass and other crops will next year be double
1I,.sr SAINT 81 and fb.r will ha mn oh
thing possible drouth, hot winds or gTasshop
pers.
Leave the next years grass alsoon the ground,
and the grass and other crops will nearly double
again, or, in any event, largely increase.
After two OF three crops of grass have fallen
upon the ground and become partially decayed,
they will hold all snow and rain like a sponge
and let il gradually soak into the ground, and
nothing less than food can till our creeks
small shower now does from the barren hillside.
Remember that a quarter-sectioD or a town.
ship is not going to change our climate, but all
our people everywhere must at once aud forever
stop these prairie fires.
OF all times in the history of Our State, this IS
the best to establish such plans as will mosteffec-
tnally, and forever, stop the burning
The plan is simply this: Let NJ f. Hudson,
master of the State Grange, issne an address TO
the County Councils, urging upon them the i'm
pnrtance of this matter and directing them to see
toit that each subordinate grange III their respec-
tive Counties, shall be joined to each other by
proper fire guards, formed by burning slips along
roads section township lines, so as tn proper
" guard their respective jurisdiction. The uni
ty of action necessary, can he secured through no
other organization than that of the grange, and
they can, with bnt little trouble, at once redeem
the State from the ravagcs of the fire fiend.
1t is useless TO talk and investigate if we do
not act when the time for action comes.
Let the grand master refer this matter to sub
ordinate oranges, with such instructions as will
insure harmonious action and let it be done at
once, for the time of annual scorching is at
hand. Consider, unite and act as one man. if
you would save yourselves and country from a
repetition of those curses that have falsiied
our energies in the past, and from which we are
now suffering.