The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1875-09-23
AN IMPORTANT MATTER.
The Herd Law and its Legitimate
Results.


Last week the EAGLE, in it's local
columns, offered few of its editors
convictions and observations upon the
herd law. The article has been quite
extensively noticed and copied already.
The Lawrence daily Journal, edited
by T. Dwight Thatcher, ono Of the old
est and most influential writers in the
State; the gentleman who addressed
our agricultural fair two years ago; a
man who has been closely watching
the agricultural development OF Kan
sas for years, copies our whole article,
proceeding it with the following edi-
torial:
ave have already called the attention
of our readers to the fact that the
western and southwestern counties
are rapidly taking the lead Of the east
ern counties of this State in popula-
ton and wealth.
There must be some powerful cause
or causes in operation to produce these
results. 1t cannot be superiority of
soil. So far as quality of soil is con-
cerned, that part of the State lying
east of north and south line drawn
through Topeka has unquestionably
the advantage. 1t would be difficult,
for instance, to find body of land
anywhere superior, as whole to John
son county. Last year Miami county.
directly south of johnson, led the
whole State in the product of corn.
~Aa, to- hoS
for the unusual excellence Of its farm
ing lands. We need not specify further.
Nobody will pretend that the soil of
the western aud southwestern counties
is superior to that in the eastern part
of the State.
Nor is there any superiority Of eli
mate in that part of the State. The
annual rainfall gradually diminishes as
YOU go west from the Missouri river.
1t is considerably smaller iu the Ion
gitude of Manhattan than it is in that
of Leavenworth And the influence
of the rain in determining the produc-
tiveness of our soil. in any given sea-
son, is much greater than that Of any
other single factor which enters into
the result. The present season shows
what rapid and extraordinary growth
vegetation makes in year when there
is an abundance of rain.
If in the two great elements of soil
and climate, this part of the State
stands pre-eminent, why is it that we
behold a superior growth in the west
and southwest? We confess we do
it be to the gradually extending influ-
ence of the herd law. The effect of
that measure is to save an immense
amount of capital from beii.g locked
up in the unproductlve work of fenc-
ing, and to admit of its immediate use
in producing crops. The settler in
Saline county, for instance, can use all
his money aside from teams, plows,
etc, in putting in crops. The settler
in Leavenworth or DougIas counties
must first expend from $500 to 81, 600
in fencing his land before he can use it.
His land will produce no more corn or
other crops with the fence than it
would without it. The capital put in
to the fences is, so far as production
is concerned, sunk. The use of this
vast amount of capital by the settlers
of the west and southwest in immedi-
ate production, is telling immensely in
their product of grain. They are saw
ing not only the original sums required
to build fences, but the interest on the
same. and the amount required yearly
to keep them in repair.
The practical working of this meas
ure is set forth in the following article
which we copy from the Wichita
EAGLE of this week.
We think the Journal mistaken in
one assumption. and that with refer
ence to the comparative richness of the
soil Of the two sections Of the State
There is no richer, warmer, deeper or
more productive soil in the State of
Kansas than on the lower Arkansas
Valley and the Walnut Valley. We
challenge the world to beat the soil of
Sedgwick, Sumner, Cowley and But
Ter counties.