The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1877-05-18
rHE wasr.
MONTICELLO, JoHNsoN CO.,
Kansas, May 10Th 1877.

EDITORS JOURNAL: The pas
few days Of May reminds me of tn
many ''May daysl' spentoin bygon'
years, on the balks Of the grand ole
Chattahoochee ; surrounded by sing
ing birds, beautiful flowers, and those
we loved SO well--how many of those
who gathered yearly to our "fist
party have passed beyond "The
Beautiful River;" others like my
self have wandered far from those
scenes; which remain ever scarce
upon tho tablet of memory,--no mat
ter where we may roam.
In my last letter | wrote the av-
erage yield of grain per acre. There
are many instances in which the
yield far surpasses the average. Two
years ago one of our neighbors gath
cred and husked seventy-five bush
els per acre, from forty acres Of
prairie land the land had been in
cultivation ever since this country
was settled. Another gathered and
husked (corn is all husked in the
feld) one hundred bushels per acre
from one hundred acres. That was
on the bottoms of the Kaw River (of-
ten called Kansas River.) Could
give other instances, but think that
enough. When the prairie on which
we live was first broken, which was
about the close of the war, thirty
five and forty bushels was not an un-
common yield of wheat. Wheat is
the first crop on land after it is brok
en-. You can imagine what lucra
tive business wheat raising was about
the close of the war from the above
yield, and it sold readily for two
dollars per bushel. Irish potatoes
yield enormously from two to four
hundred bushels per acre when it is
a seasonable year. Sweet potatoes
yield we'll but more trouble to keep;
they have to be sprouted in hot beds,
or the beds are often heated by fur
naces men make that business
and it pays well. Slips sell from
twenty five to thirty cents per huns
dred
The farming implements are very
different here from those used there.
Two or more horses are always used
The corn stalks are cut with a "stalk
CUTTER" it is a revolving cylinder,
with spival knives attached about a
foot apart, is on wheels drawn by
two horses, the driver rides, cuts
one row. The plough used mostly
for breaking the corn or wheat land
is called the "stirring plough" 1t is
twelve and fourteen inches wide,
drawn by two and three horses. The
"gang plough is used some it is
similar to the stirring plough, has
two ploughs attached drawn by four
horses-the driver rides. After the
ground is broken it is narrowed or
rolled; then marked with "marks
err" 1t consists of three pieces of
wood, similar to sled runners, = nails
ed or confined together, equal dis
tances apart, as far as the rows are
to be wide. 1t marks three rows at
once-driver rides. 1t is then cross
ed by "planter )" it lays off, drops
and covers two rows at once is on
wheels ; is worked by two persons,
both ride, is drawn by two horses.
After it is planted "cultivator" is
used until the crop is raised The
cultivators are of different Styles
are made to ride or walk have four
small shovels for cultivating, ploughs
one row every time they cross the
field; is drawn by two horses some
have umbrellas like buggy. A
man seeing one for the first time
remarked, "that was an easy way to
serve the Lord = but few farmers
propose to be so stylish.
There is no fodder pulled here.
Those who want fodder cut stalk and
all, stock it like wheat-until wants
ed for use. The hay mostly used is
from prairie grass Different kinds
of grasses are being sown; clover,
timothy, &c, and very successfully.
They will have to be relied upon en-
tirely soon, as near all the prairie is
broken in this part Of the country.
All the land is under fence, except
the bottoms and bluffs. The prairies
are higher than the timber. We live
two miles from the Kaw River it
has fine timber along the bottoms,
which are extremely fertile. Our
roads all run straight on the prairies
North and South, East and West no
zigzag windings. But | have made
my letter too long. More anon.
T. o. j.