The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-03-16
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1le Great Limestone
Belt Of Kansas.
The Attractive Region of
the West.
BY MAJOR H. INMAN.

The Great Central Plains" are a geograph-
ical feature of the State of Kansas. Covered
with remarkably nutritious vegetation, for
centuries they were an immense pasturage for
countless herds of buffalo, antelope 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 Valley. Less than ten years
ago this region was believed, by the mass of
the people in the East, to be an improbable
desert, but it is now the acknowledged garden
of the Continent This truly manificent coun-
try can claim the most luxuriant soil of all the
''Great West,' and a climate that approaches
perfection, at least. Dr. 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, de-
clared this to be "the most perfect climate in
the world.n The whole country is traversed
by series of constant streams, sweet and
wholesome springs and springfield pools De-
licious water is also always obtained in wells,
by digging, at easily-accessible depths. 1t is
already conceded that the United States is rap
idly becoming the granary of the world, par
an 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,
especially her peculiarly-wonderful fertile cen
| tral area, comprised in what is now known as
the rhinestone belt" under the test of only a
few years, has proved to the world the i'm
mense average its soil is capable of. Each
! year increases the limit of the wheat belt, as
| the frontier is pushed toward the mountains,
within which are found the greatest possibili-
| ties, agriculturally.
1t is a remarkable fact that nearly all the
| lands of the Kansas Pacific Railway are in
| cluded in the limestone region under consider
alton, and that south of this limit in that di-
rection, it ceases altogether, ard the country
presents another geological formation, the soil
! of which is very sandy, and which, though at
present, from, ftdlI,eSS Of its Uery prinitiueneSS
is capable of producing good crops in seasons
of abundant rainfall, lacks the Inherent quail
ties of Standardization and must rapidly dete-
rjOrdte In this particular the Smoky Hill Val
ley is immensely 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
its combinations, constitutes the essential in
gredient in all the more valuable grains and
grasses. Its presence in the soil is consequent
"a
1t also acts a constitutional ameliorant, OF
much power, and, when mixed with or under
lying tough or viscid clay, it renders them fri
able and consequently more susceptible to the
action of atmospheric forces. Soil in which
there is a due admiXture of calcareOus matter
is not so liable to be injured or rendered plas.
tic by an excess of moisture while under crop.
The quality of the wheat raised in this great
rhinestone beltn is conceded, in all markets,
to be the finest grade known. 1t produces the
g., 4. Al
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 a
due admiXture of calcareous matter, which
has tendency 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 a de-
ficiency of this earth. All our millers will tes-
tify to the peculiar -four making properties of
our wheat, in this essential, surprising that
raised i'll other sections, and it is attributed
entirely to the fact-which the analysis of the
soil contirms-that this socalled :" limestone
belt" possesses all the requisites of the best
wheat land in the world. Sand, it is well
KNOWN is injurious when it enters too largely
into the composition of cultivated soils; in
other words, it is useless beyond certain pro
portion That the 60 limestone belt or ''won-
derful wheat region of Central Kansas as il
is sometimes called, has the amount of sileX
or silica-the basis of sand-tiXedin the proper
proportion, is evident, from the fact that it re-
quires peculiar conditions to "lodge" the
grain in the field, even after the most terrific
showers. Considering the question of the rel
alive fertility particularly in its connection
with wheat culture, present richness of sol
and endurance must enter as essential ele
ments of success, and the capacity of the self
fertilization of the land, an ingredient not tC
be overlooked. The latter quality limestone
region alone can possess, as only a limited
| KNOWLEDGE of Agricultural chemistry clearly
demonstrates. Viewing the subject of wheat
culture, then, in all its aspects, SO far as Kan
sas is concerned an inspection of the Smoky
Hill Valley, and the arenaceous region south
coupled with fair idea of what the culture OF
wheat requires, the conclusion can lead onl,
in one direction-to the infinitely superior ad
vantage of the " limestone belt''
Prospectively, from purely physical causes,
this great inland region must reach the posi-
tion of one of the richest agricultural portion!
of the United States. Only very few YEAR
ago-not decade-husbandry here was pure
ly tentative. From absolutely no dew, eigh
years ago, this region is as favored in tina
particular as any that can be named. From
lying outside of the train belt" so termed
this region has had to be "taken in" TIL,
quantity of water in the streams has aug
mented, springs have burst forth where non,
existed before-in short, just the converse o
that meteorological phenomenon has beer
evolved here, under the march of civilization
which takes in a heavily-timbered country un
der the same social conditions.
4 The following statistics of the rainfall clear
ly prove the accuracy of the foregoing state
ment:
The Fall of Rain and Melted Snow, in inches n
Forts Hays, Larned and Dodge, for the last fv,
years, as shown by the Daily Meteorological
Records kept by the United States Government
at the Posts named