The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1878-03-21
The Great Limestone
Belt of Kansas.
The Attractive Region of the
West.
By Major H. Innan.

Inc Great Central Plalns are a
geographical feature of the State of Kansas.
Covered with a remarkably nutritious veg
citation, for centuries they were an immense
pasturage for countless herds of buffalo, an
telope and other Illuminating animals, whose
habitat was the far-stretching green prairies
that to-day form one of the most beautiful
agricultural portions of the Mississippi Val
ley. Less than ten years ago this region
was believed, by the mass of the people in
the East, to be an improbable desert, but
1t Is now the acknowledged garden of the
I Continent. This truly magnificent country
( can claim the most luxurant soil OF all
/ the Great West" and a climate that APP.
4 proaches perfection, at least. DIR. B. f.
/ Fryer one of the most eminent surgeons in
/ the Army, and who was stationed for years
at Fort Harker, four miles from the town of
/ Ellsworth, declared this to be the "most
perfee. climate in the world" The whole
country is traversed by series of constant
streams, sweet and wholesome springs and
springfield pools. Delicious water is also
always obtained in wells, by digging, at
easily-accessible depths. 1t is already con-
ceded that the United States is rapidly be-
coming the granary of the world, particu-
larly i'll the production of wheat. Kansas,
an Empire in itself, is taking the lead in the
] VI lIlls C6Tedi, ana III II snort time
will be acknowledged queen of all the States
in the production of this great staple The
State, especially her peculiarly-wonderful
fertile central area, comprised i'll what is
now known as the cline stone belt" under
the test of only few wears, has proved to
the world the immense average its soil is
capable of. Each year increases the limit
of the wheat-belt, as the frontier is pushed
towards the mountains, within which are
ha III
turally.
( tits q remarkable fact that nearly all the
lands of the Kansas Pacific railway are in
cluded in the lime stone region under con
sideration, and that south of this limit, in
that direction, it ceases altogether and the
country presents another geological forma-
ton, the soil of which is very sandy, and
which, though at present, Tr0m tUlHeSs 81 its
reiy p1fmt'reneSS is capable of pro iucing
good crops in seasons of abundant rainfall,
lacks the inherent qualities of self-fertiliza-
ton, and must rapidly dcteri0Tdfe. In this
particular the Smoky Hill Valley is i'm
mensely superior TO the arenacious lands of
the region south, which is drained by the
Arkansas and tributary streams. 1t is well
] known by every farmer that lime, in some
OF It's combinations, constitutes the essential
ingredient in all the more valuable grains
and grasses. Its presence in the soil is con-
Il
fertility. 1T also acts as a constitutional
ameliOrant, of much power, and, when
mixed with or underlying tough or yiscid
clay, it renders them friable, and conse
quently more susceptible to the action of at.
mospheric forces. Soil in which there is a
due admixture of calcareous matter, is not
so liable to be in jured or rendered plastic by
an excess of moisture while under crop
The quality of the wheat raised in this great
limestone belt is conceded, in all mar
kets, to be the finest grade known. 1t pro
duces the familiar brands of so-called
southern flour, for which st. Louis is Justly
celebrated. This is easily accounted for
from the fact that the soil in which the
wheat is grown possesses due admIxture OF
calcareous matter, which has a tendency t.
make the hull of the grain much thinner
and the ferina itself in much greater quaint
ty, and in richer quality, than in grain grown
on the lands which exhibit de
ticiency of this earth. All our millers will
testify to the peculiar tiour-making proper
ties of our wheat in this essential, surpass
ing that raised in other sections, and it il
attributed entirely to the fact-whlch the
analysis of the soil confirms-that this so
called Limestone belt" possesses all TIL,
requisites of the best wheat land in thu
world. Sand, it is well known, is injuriou
when 1t enters too largely into the compost
ton of cultivated soils; in other words, i
IS useless beyond a certain proportion
That the limestone belt" or wonderful
wheat region OF Central Kansas" as it i
sometimes called, has the amount of slick o.
sllica-the basis of sand-fxed in the prope
proportion, is evident, from he fact that i
requires peculiar conditions to "lodge" tn,
grain IN the field, even after the most terrific
showers. Considering the question of tn,
relative fertility, particularly in its connec
ton with wheat culture, present richness o
soil and endurance must enter as essentia
elements of success, and the capacity of tbs
Standardization of the land, an ingredien
not to be overlooked. The latter quality
limestone region alone can possess, as only
limited knowledge OF agricultural chemistry
clearly demonstrates. Viewing the subiec
OF wheat culture, then, in all its aspects, 81
far as Kansas is concerned an inspection o
the Smoky Hill Valley, and the arenaceou
region south, coupled with a fair idea o
what the culture of wheat requires, the con
clusion can lead only in one direction-t'
the infinitely superior advantage of tn,
Limestone belt"
Prospectively, from purely physica
causes, this great inland region must reaci
the position Of one of the richest agricul
tural portions OF the United States. Only
very few years ago-not decade-hus
bandry here was purely tentative. From
absolutely no dew, eight years ago, th
regionis as favored in that particular as any
that can be named. From lying outside o
the Grain belt" so termed, this region ha
had to be "taken in" The quantity of VIZ
,, ter in the streams has augmented, spring
! have burst forth where none existed befor
in short, just the converse of that meteorC
logical phenomenon has been evolved her,
under the march of civilization, which take
in heavilytimbered country under tn
same social conditions.
The following statistics of the rainfa
, clearly prove the accuracy OF the foregoin
statement:
The Fall of Rain and Melted Snow, i
inches, at Forts Hays, Larned and Dodg,
for the last five years, as shown by TIA
Daily Meteorological Records kept by tn