The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-02-06
HOW TO RECLAIM The AMERICAN
DESERT.

ana the natural causes OF these
changes in n tract OF country
known at the present day as the
plains, but which in our boyhood
days, was marked out on our at
lases, and known as "The Ameri-
can Desert" The great mistake
as to this beautiful expanse OF
country being q desert has long
since been discovered, and it is
now admitted that some of the
richest and most fertile portion of
the United States is embraced in
this scope of country. There
have been, however, in my opinion,
some equally absurd theories ad-
vancd in regard to the changes of
the seasons, and the increase of
rain fall, from year to year, on
these plains, as was the former
idea that this vast country was a
desert.
Twenty years residence in this
country, coupled with close obser-
walton, during a good portion of
that time, has led me to venture o
few ideas as the result of such OBJ
servation.
In the first place, 1 wish to say,
that the Great Creator will, as he
has promised, "send rain on the
just and on the unjust" in every
part of this beautiful land, if we
will seek to understand and make
use of these instrumentalities,
which he has placed within our
reach, or under our control. But
if we do not make use of those
means we might as reasonably ex-
pect that he would prepare the
soil and SOW the seed for us.
"The Great God works by means
His wonders to perform"
In this country the condition of
the soil before the wild buffalo
had receded from before the march
of civilization is of q hard and
compact nature, made so by the
constant tramping of millions of
buffaloes, and produces but little
vegetation in most parts, except
a nutritious grass, known as buff
falo grass. This grass appears to
be the only kind that will stand
the constant tramping of the
vast herds which for ages have
grazed upon it. At the same time,
this kind of grass is peculiarly
adapted to the necessities of the
buffalo at all seasons of the year;
for in the autumn it is cured by
the action of the pure dry otmos-
phere into q kind of fine nutritious
hay, that seems as food for them
during the winter. This condi.
ton of the soil and kind of grass
is almost Immediately changed on
the approach of civilization. The
vast herds of buffalo, together
with their rightful owner, the vile
Indian, recede to the more distant
wilds of the far West, while by
the action of the frost the hard
tramped earth, baked by the heat
of the sun for ages, is left in a
more favorable condition to drink
in the early and later rains. By
this means the surface of the
naturally rich soil is so changed
as to favor a growth of other anC
altogether different kinds o.
, grasses, the principal of which il
, kind of grass known as the blue
Joint, kind of grass which grow
to hight of several feet, covering
the surface of the earth very thick
ly, when brought to maturity
: This is usually accomplished il
from two to four years. TIL
: roots of this kind of grass are pro
portionally large and long, an,
strike deep into the earth, an
r thus loosen up the soil. Thi
i heavy growth OF grass not onl
5 shields the earth's surface fror
e the heat of the summer, but act
8 as mulch in winter, thus foster
J. ing the accumulated moisture an
r grasses in the earth; which, t.
e gether with the action of the frol
:, of the next winter, again produC
& a still more favorable condition {
l. the soil, making it comparative
l. light and spongy, so as to absol
.e as much of the rains OF the 1ollov
n, ing season as possible, instead
e, allowing them to flow of, al
W thus be lost. In this way We
E. great and marked change in t.
is general appearance of the earth
i'll surface is effected in a compGr
w lively short time. All of this,
I'll will be remembered, is broug
~ about by the operation of natul
". causes, and without the aid
at man. But this is not all. The
ng is as great change being affect
Ip- in the heavens above, as there b
on been in the earth beneath. 7
his broad expanse of the earth's 8
& face being thus covered with
he more dense foliage, and filed W
Iey moisture, exerts modifying
10; fluence upon the humidity of
in atmosphere; and as consequen
be more rain falls upon the ca
ley than before, and at the same ii
- q larger proportion of what d
DDS fall is retained or absorbed il
,ne the earth. Thus it will be 81
rk. that q sort Of mutual exchange
ner more favorable conditions
get constantly being affected in
r if atmosphere and the earth's |
for face, which greatly affects
de amount of rainfall, and the re
asst larity with which it falls and