, 1877-11-12
a., q. C. Gibbs on Its Agriculture
Capabilities.
on<.r,atisns on d visit to the Counties OF
S'' Ellis aud Trego.
f.. Climate. Soil, Water, TIMBER and
Grass Of That Section.
4 Country Possessing AL the Hsqui-
.,tes for 8uccessful Farming.


~. ,Ido Of emigration which, during the last
q W. ,vo. bas been steadily settling from tho
JeA.,roxdrd business centres, as we'll a. from
o1eS "sstSer agricultural districts Of htgl1prtccd
~, ,o new md cheap lands. Is turned TO Cen
- md Western Kansas, NJ Offering fertile anu
II, lands, In a temperate and healthy climate,
fror, the objections of txce4svo cold as in
~ ~ ,,nrc northern OF our hew States on the
~ f.. hand. and tho excessive and lonk~conttnuca
r.. and nalarial Influences Of the extreme
soush, on tho other.
! Rat the btatcmcnts which como 70 us In re-
i.-d 10 thls portion Of our frontier country
ARE so CONFLICTING
:. =, ,csve one in serious doubt In regard to tho
is.,t,v. whether the disadvantages do not out
::e.ah Ill the advantages; aud whether. In fact,
!sn Ia climate, soil, md vator'supply, It fur.
'a,.hes Tic conditions necessary to successful
tlno party claims that It Is dry. arid region,
.a.sttntc Of timber and living streams Of water,
Lin a]l9bt and altoRrthcr lnsufaclent rainfall;
.niicct to droughts, grasahoppers, Ind violent
.,orms Of both cold and heat; and In fact, alnft
tor suy ltvlng beings but butEalocs and fndtans.
tor whose benefit md use it was created, and
tor whotn or their succcssors-the cattle
,.nch mcn-tt should be kept, without attempt
ino to Introduce general agriculture md tho clc-
,nsnts which 70 to form civilized and enllght-
.nel communities Some high authorities havc.
ADVANCED and promulgated this theory. Thus
Ma,, Powell Inns made the assertion that at 4
ehok, tho Tooth meridian west tho extreme
4tmi. ofsueccssful agriculture has been Tcacfictl
and Tint beyond tt there was not sufficient raln-
Sajl or moisture to grow or mature crops with.
mi artificial irrigation; and this assertion OF
bs has been worry extensively copied by tic
s1rcss throughout the county,,
OTHERS, on tbs coNTIlAnft
assert tint, up to tho limit given by Nal
: Powell. and far beyond. thcro Il country
possessing a soil unoxcellcd in fertility, and
wel supplied with streams OF satcrs thai tho
rainfall, formerly deficient, }as for yenTs been
eteaIily increasing, owing TO Influences directly
ttaccabIo to tho brcaklng.up and cultivation Of
the roll, tho planting anu growth Of trees, the
lay]nc OF ralroad-tracAs, and building Of telo-
'c?aph.lines; that thcac Influences aro perma-
'peut, and tic change ateady experienced fn tic
climate is q permanent change; that its medium
temperate climate is moro desirable and health
ful thau the colder climate Of tue new States
north Or tho warmer OF those. farther south;
tbat inc graashoppcra are less destructive
fnu sfmeS I'll ssan tho eneh5ur and other foes to
crurs Of the farmers In States further east; mud
IL ahort that, nil things considered, there ia no
moro Inviting fluid OF country to tue Immigrant
than that offered by tho high rolling Fralrtes OF
Western kankas.
Teyy fow OF those who contemplate tmmigrat-
tnc 10 cheap lands cur afford either the time or
expense OF making trip to cxH,nlfc for thcm-
selves In regard TO these conflicting statements.
IL my reports Of tho condition Of things ID
Arkansas and Texas were received with such
general favor, and as know tne dcslrc Tor ~.
llabls Information In regard to knnsasis a. great
throughout tho North az Ii regard to tho States
arst named, vas glad to embrace tho oppor-
tuulty ollcrcd Of ..".....
rnIr TO WESTERN KANSAS
Fxa.x .,n1f $&1 IN NJ ri.
mate, water and timber supply, truit-prospccts,
In short. ia capabilities as IN AGRICULTURAL and
.tock II M rrowing !, wi conntry,-and to communicate
tbo sssne 10 tho readers Of The TRIBUNE.
Right hero will say TINT so1ne Of tho rcar
sons for the lisparaRomcnt Of Western Kansas
Those living in tho Eastern and Central por-
tious Of tho State, and especially those having
lands tu sell, very naturally dcsirc the tmmtgra-
tiun TO settle ut1on tho yet unoccupicd lauts In
those purtB oi the Suite; and II IL not strange
that thoy should spcuk dlsparagEngly Of tho
rc1io,, beyond.
TN. srocK-MRN,
who hayo thctr cattle, sheep, and horse ranches
located on tho rifcrs auJ creeks Of Western
Ks,Isas, W WITH t ueariy tue rhoie Country sppor.
rasses. ] Is settlrrs % and farmers come IN, they
have to moro back. gjuce vcncra4 agriculture
aul stock.rauchcs cannot exist In tho sa1no
community. Tie ecstler Is not required to
1GQcE Ills tr0Db, and tho law OF ttto EtntG U1AkE1
tue owner Ut stock responsible lot all damage
to rrops. llcuco 1t Is tho most natural thlng In
the wurd ti1at tho stoyk-tncn should be united
In lyc]afIpc That the country ID worthicss aa alI
agricultural c,,iutry.
Eastern aud Central Kansas aro we'll cnougt,
known 10 fcolire no lncntiotl. Tho annual Fc,
ports OF tbrIr crups Of rrai,l, their PRODUCTS in
bcef. n,rk .rnnle and frutt. thcfr ifvs-ktock oj
putc Slooi or ti hjrh nra.Ie. ,haYo iii demon
stratcd fLnt. ~ an avrIcuit,1rni country. ii il
now uns,irn1sael. kGtwithstanillng tho triail
and tr{lmnijuus of ia yolit,rer days. it Is l,e
longer bleei!ng, " ~
TIM Hne.i eeiGs ~ .or,,, LIN rIchest. crcencs,
delds of faij sown wheat ths .o,I1,.lcst e9isncst
aud bc.t-iavorcJ nn,,cs. a. coxl live -atDck as
hayo ecan in trnvrirt nTrr sir efntes this tall
H.. aanu ~ tAstsrn asa.! ce ~ n"1a M.ss - =.
mium NJ t,c r,ntann;si 1"st vr.r. a. mla., nj III,
National ElnrfJ,nit,,r.,, C1nyertit,n ii III,
Vuitei statrs tto nrrvto,s year.
Wy study n Wrstrrn Kansas was mainly con
fined to tIe twt, cnnnties nj Tils md Trero. =
tlc Initer shnuf ffEi ntIsa rcxt n thn Mfssnt,r
River nnfl about ctnniiv ,1ivttlri frtMn nnrth h
eoultI by IL" iIrsti ~ ,nrr}f,inn af lonrtiudo wcx
from f;rcrnvfcb ~'
Of tnrsrl Ein. co,,,v :. the 1a.t vet orran
hi ~ ~ .s +t@ 49,, ..s5 ~ ~ ~ b.. - .;r"-. ar,