Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-08-02
Farming In Kansas.

America. He writes an excellent
letter about Kansas from which we
take tho following:
Saliua, Kansas, May 33.-Probab-
| ly not one of the other "young'
States in the Union has reputation
in Great Britain equal to that OF
Kansas. There it has been known
as an immense stretch of land Git ex-
tends to so, 1880 acres), situated
so as to escape the pestilential climate
of the south and the rigour of the
| north in fact, as forming the chap
py medium of the Far West. Those
| interested in the development of its
resources, which are mainly agricul-
tural, have been careful to display
| it's attractions in Britain in brilliant
colors, and as a n.tural consequence
| the State has received a large num-
Der of emigrants from the old coun-
try. On this side of the Atlantic, too,
it still retains good name, notwith-
standing that during the past yesrs
| it has met with several reverses OF
fortune by grasshoppers, drought,
and otherwise. Some claim for Kan
sas that it contains larger extent
of rich, workable land and more
equable climate than any other State
in the Union and that on the
whole it surpasses all others in gen.
eral fitness for farming. Few deny
that its soil is excellent, and, Judging
from what have already seen of the
State Ga large stretch of the north
eastl, an inclined to think that the
published descriptions of its soil, high
sounding though they be, are color
ed but very slightly, if, indeed, col
ored at all All admit that its climate
is mild and temperate and exception
ly healthy for man and beast, but it
is undoubtedly fact though, thro'
extended cultivation AID planting
trees have done a great deal to miti-
gate the draw back, farmers in Kan>
sas run considerable risk of sustain
ing heavy losses by drought, Not a
| drop of rain falls some summers for
more than two months and again
the autumn and early winter are oc-
casionally so very dry that wheat
never gets a proper start, and yields
barely half an average crop. The
average rainfall in 1876 at nine diff
ferent stations along the centre of the
State was a little over &c inches, the
fall at the most easternly station,
Manhattan, being 42:42, and at the
most westerly, Fort Wallace, 1901
inches. According to a calculation
by the Kansas Agricultural Depart
ment the average rainfall in Kansas
in the months of May, June, July,and
August for period of ten years,
was 1919 inches, or close on 2 inches
more than the average for these
months during the same period in
twenty other States in the Union.
This calculation is doubtlessly cor
rect but then it must be explained
that the distribution of the rainfall
in Kansas is very unequal. For a
| week, or even longer,in May or june
rain frequently falls in torrents Gas
it has done for the past seven days.,
and then probably not a drop may
descend for two consecutive months.
With such an extent of prairie, and
so little wood and cultivated land
(only IL per cent. of the area of the
State is under wood), evaporation is
very speedy, and in marvellously
short space of time after the shower
the soil becomes dry and parched.
The spring and summer rainfall OF
Kansas generally exceeds that of the
great wheat-growing districts OF
Southern Russia, and about equals
that of England, but in these parts
the distribution is moro even than
in the rolling prairies of the Far
West.
AS to the other important advan.
tage claimed for Kansas-general fit.
ness for farming-there are, of course
opinions many and various. Just
now, when grass crops are so greer
and thriving after the recent heavy
rains, casual glance over the State
impresses him who looks with ar
idea that Kansas is indeed an agri'
cultural paradise he is charmed
with the solemn lovlness of the prai
ries, delighted with the wonderful
rich ness of the soil, and surprised al
it's evenness and the ease with which
it can be brought under the subjec.
ton of the plough. Richer soil, bet
ter lying land, and seemingly also 9
better climate, no agriculturist could
desire but when he sees numbers
of half improved homesteads desert
ed, and hears OF whole fields of grair
being destroyed by grasshoppers il
few hours,of all but complete Loss
of the wheat crop through drouth
of Indian corn being used as fuel 81
the most profitable manner of dis
posing Of it, and of sundry othe
drawbacks, his first impressions be
come modified, and his curiosity
aroused.
Here,as almost every whore else il
America, Indian corn is the stapl
crop. OF the three million odd acre
under cultivation in 1875, close OF
two-thirds was devoted to this crop
wheat occupying 100000 acres ry
70, 900 oats 288,000 barley $4,000
buckwheat $4,000; and potatoes 40,
900. The year 1875 was favorabl
for Indian corn, and that year /
! Welded an average of 40 bushels pc
| acre (the highest yield for that yea
in any State in the Union, Nebraska
, being exactly the same), and in th
! market it was worth, on an averag
for the season, % cents per bushe
J or about Ell, It's. per acre. Whea
yielded IL bushels, worth close on E
(87 cents per busheD;rye, II bushel
, worth about FL ,14s.; oats,33 bushels
worth FL, rs; barley, Fl, worth Fl
lis. Potatoes yielded IL bushel
per acre, and were worth about 2
cents per pushed. Over 100000 acre
of prairie hay is cut in kansas ever
year, aud sells at from 3 to dollar
per ton, which is an average yiel
for an anra