Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1877-09-08
Fr. EIIIorr. TExAs. Sept. I ls77.

rather sontbwest-bcg un.ns where left on in
my last, Camp supply, T. The Indian Ter
ri,sry is q portion OF VIVA once the Great
Plains and has been set a rart for the exclusive
use OF The Indians. The T,rdsory Is about iJO
miles long and from IS u 30 miles wide Ii is
bounded on the moran by Kansas, Missouri and
Arkansas On the ,.si, TeNas The south, and
New Mexico sad the an Handle of Texas on
the west.
In the northwestern portion Of ais vast terri
tory is located what wa once med the great
American Desert, cut were any oae fully i'Os-
sessed with the dismal idea OF a barren desert
Of sand-hil!s and dried up streams. let him pas
over The Aforesaid desert and he will find 1t
quite 10 tho reverse. Instead Of sandy deserts
he viii lnd rich loamy soil similar to that oil
other prairie sections in most places, and he
will further find that the eirissiludcs of asri-
culture, which are included frst 10 every new
couafry. have already tired the productiveness
OF the soil of CHS great desert, and it proved all
that couid Ice desired, Their, fore the theory OF
the great barren desert, Tar that location is
concerned is clearly myth, and only originated
IN the diseased mind OF some discouraged ad-
yenturer.
True, there is y range OF sand-hills here and
there along the Cameron and Beaver rivers, but
this sand is piled up there by the winds -weep-
ing down the streams, rs every ole who has
made any study whatever of th.s section OF
country knows that the bottoms and shores Of
all streams are well set with rich pasturag-,
which II IS well known would not grow so spon-
tanoously Were there no soil but sand. Ia fact,
nearly all The soil that / have examined is a
" uvh nd 81
possessing considerable elayty silicaie OF al
umnIa and organic matter. This soil in many
places of course. is the case in many psr,s
of tie western country, has become iinpreg-
mated with sulphate of mssnesia tepsom salt.
which il The white powder seen On the borders
of most streams, especisiiy in low, marshy
seopes) THIS salt in small quantities is valua-
BILE as a fertilizer, but when in excess is very
destructive TO vegetation, hence the barren
tare oil many of these 2pois Immediately On the
borders oil the low streams, sink holes and
pool. have seen the same barren spots.
c.lUsrt, b the same agency, IN Pennsy lyania
ONO and Virginia, but always in waste places,
untitled aud uncsFed for But there is a rem
edy Tor this; these spots can be rendered fer
tile and the solution is easy. Afier the soil
Is well looseneti On top, Il dressing OF quick
lime piled just before u rain viii completely
decomsose the sulphatc Of magnesia and form
salphate OF lime, which is well known to be an
excellent anu valuable fertilizer, while the mag
nesia will soon absorb carbonlc acid and be
converted ia;o carbonate OF magnesia, which
being insoluhle in water, will be much less in
furious to vegetation But lime should not be
thus applied when crop is in :he ground, for
the caus,ic action of The lime and magnesia
would destroy it
Camp supply being located on the peninsula
formed By thc Beaver river and Wolf creek,
about equal distance from each, one-fourth of II
mil. and tuo miles fr,n, t,,.ir iuncti,n Vim
-, - W.. 80,
''' an" NA % ~ wei Anu 20 90
north, and y SIX company post The build