Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-03-20
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The Great Limestone Belt
of Kansas.
The Attractive Region of
the West,
BY MAJOR H. 1NMAN.
BY MAJOR H. INMAN.

BY MAJOR H. INMAN.
The Great Central Plains" are geographical
feature OF the State of Kansas. Covered with
remarkably nutritious vegetation, for centurie,
tney were an immense pasturage for countless
herds OF buffalo, antelope and other Eliminating
animals, whose habitat was the far-stretchir,
green pralrles that today form one of the mos.
beautiful agricultural portions of the Mississippi
valley. Less than ten years ago this region was
believed. by the macs of the people OF the East,
to be an Improbable desert, bnt it is now the az.
knOwledged garden of the Continent This tru.v
magnificent country can claim the most luXurianl
soil Of all the Great West" and climate that ap-
proaches perfection at least. DR.. E. E. Fryer, one
OF the most eminent surgeons in the Army. ant VI
was stationed for years at Fort Harker four mile:
from the Town OF Ellsworth, declared this to be
1.-The most perfect climate in the world The
whole country is traversed by series Of con-
slant streams, sweet and who esome springs and
springfield pools. Delicious water is also always
obtained in wells by digging, at easily-accessible
depths. 1t is already conceded that the Unite
States is rapidly becoming the granary of the
world, particularly in the production Of wheat
Kansas, Empire in itself, is taking the lead in
the culture of this cereal, and in short time will
be acknowledged queen of all the States in the
production of this great staple. The State cspe.
cially her peculiarly-wonderful fertile central
area, comprised in what is now known as the
Limestone belt under the test OF only few
years, has proved TO the world the immense aver.
age the soil is capable Of. Each year Increases
10 of ho
pushed toward the mountains, within which are
found the greatest possibilities, agricuturaly.
1t is remarkable fact that nearly all the lands
Ct the Kansas Pacific Railway are included in the
nestone region under consideration. and tina,
south OF this limit, in that direction, It ceases
altogether, and the country presents another geo,
logical formation, the soil of which is very sandy
and which, though at present, from fitness Of its
rerg prtmitiUeness, is capable CT producing good
crops in seasons Of abundant rainfall, lacks the
inherent qualities Of Standardization, and must
rapidly deteriOrate. In this particular the Smoky
Hill Valley is immensely superior TO the arena
cious lands of the region south, which is drained
by the Arkansas and tributary streams. Its well
known by every farmer that lime, in some of its
combinations, constitutes the essentia! ingredi.
ent in all the more va liable grains and grasses
Its presence in the soil is consequently TO be con-
sidered as condition of fertility. 1t also acts as
q constitutional ameliorant, of much power and
when mixed with or underlying tough or yiscid
clay, it renders them friable and consequently
more susceptible to the action OF atmospheric
forces. Soil in which there is due admixture Of
calcareous matter, is not liable to be injured or
rendered plastic by an excess Of moisture while
under crop. The quality of the wheat raised in
this great Limestone belt is conceded, N all
markets, to be the finest grade known. 1t pro-
duces the familiar brands of so called Southern
-four, 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 duo
admixture of calcareous matter, which has ten.
dency to make the hull of the grain much thinner
and the farina itself in much greater quantity
and in richer quality. than in grain grown on the
lands which exhibit deficiency Of thb earth. All
Dur millers will testify to the peculiar four-mak-
ing properties OF our wheat, in this essential,
surprising that raised in other sections, and it is
attributed entirely to the fact-which the analysis
OF the soil confrmS-that this Socalled rhinestone
belt possesses all the requisites Of the best wheat
Land in the world. Sand it is we'll known, is in
furious when it enters too largely into the COM
position of cultivated Soils in other words, it is
useless beyond a certain proportion. That the
limestone belt" or "wonderful wheat region Of
Central Kansas as it is sometimes called, has
The amount of slick or silica-the basis Of sand
uxed IN the proper proportion, is evident from the
tact that 1t requires peculiar conditions to lodge
The grain in the field, after the most terrific
showers. Considering the question Of the relative
fertility, particularly in its connection with wheat
culture, present richness of soil and endurance
must enter as essential elements of success, and
TIE capacity Of the Standardization of the land,
an ingredient not to be overlooked. The latter
4lallty, limestone region alone can possess, as
oaIy limited knowledge or agricultural chemis
IT. clearly demonstrates. Viewing the subject Of
wheat culture, then in all it's aspects, so far as
Kansas is concerned, an inspection of the Smoky
I'LL Valley, and the arenaceous region south,
coupled with a fair idea Of what the culture OF
wheat requires, the conclusion can lead only in
one dlrection-to the infinitely superior advantage
o. the & limestone belt"
Prospectiv"ly, from purely physical causes, this
great inland region must reach the position OF
one OF the richest agricultural portions of the
United States. Only very few years ago-not 8
decade-husbandry here was purely tentative.
From absolutely no dew, eight years ago, this re-
glon is rs favored in that particular as any that
can be named. From lying outside of the srain
belt" so termed this region has had to be taken
in" The quantity Of water in the streams has
augmented, springs have burst forth where none
existed before-in short, just the converse OF that
meteorological phenomenon has been evolved
here under the march Of civilization, which takes
in heavily-timbered country under the same
social conditions.
The following statistics of the rainfall clearly
prove the accuracy of the foregoing statement:
The Fall Of Rai~ and Melted Snosc, TN inches, at
Forts Hays, LGrned and Dodge, for the last flee
gears, as sh0tUn by the Daily Meteorological
Records Kept 6y the United States GOUern21aent
at the Posts named: