The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1878-04-02

The Great Limestone
Belt Of Kansas. 4.
The Attractive Region Of the
aad West. q j ta1 'g5
al. By Major H. InInan.
The "Great Central Plains" are a
geographical feature Of the State Of Kansas.
Covered with remarkably nutritious veg
citation, for centuries they were an immense
pasturage for countless herds Of buffalo, IAN
telope and other Illuminating animals, whose
habitat was the far-stretching green prairies
agricultural portions of the Mississippi Val
ley. Less than ten years ago this region
was believed, by the mass of the people in
it is now the acknowledged garden Of the
Continent. This truly magnificent country
can claim the most luxuriant soil of all
the "Great West" and climate that ap.
proaches perfection, at least. DR.. B. E.
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
perfect 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-
coded that the United States is rapidly be-
larly in the production of wheat. Kansas,
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
fertile central area, comprised in what is
now known as the Cline stone belt" under
the test of only a few years, 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
found the greatest possibilities, agricul-
turally. ,--.t = 6s Ido@L
. tits remarkable fact that nearly all the
lands of the Kansas Pacific railway are in
cluded in the limestone 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, from tulness Of its
ve1y pri1aatiueness is capable of producing
good crops in seasons of abundant rainfall,
lacks the inherent qualities of self-fertiliza-
ton, and must rapidly deterS0rate. 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. It is well
known by every farmer that lime, in some
of its ombinations, constitutes the essential
ingredient in all the more valuable grains
and grasses. Its presence in the soil is con-
sequently to be considered as condition of
fertility. 1t also acts as constitutional
ameliorant, of much power, and, when
mixed with or underlying tough or viscid
clay, it renders them friable, and conse-
quently more susceptible to the action of at
mospheric forces. Soil in which there is
due admixture of calcareous matter, is not
so liable to be injured or rendered plastic by
an excess of moisture while under crop.
The quality of the wheat raised in this great
"imestone belt is conceded, in all mar
kets, to be the finest grade known. It 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 due admlxture of
calcareous matter, which has tendency to
make the hull of the grain much thinner,
and the farina itself in much greater quanti-
ty, and inricher quality, than in grain grown
on the lands which exhibit de-
fciency of this earth. All our millers will
testify to the peculiar four.making proper
ties of our wheat, in this essential, surpass-
ing that raised in other sections, and it is
attributed entirely to the fact-which the
analysis of the soil confrms-that this So
called rhinestone 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 compost
ton of cultivated soils; in other words, it
is useless beyond certain proportion.
That the rhinestone belt" or " wonderful
wheat region Of Central Kansas" as it is
sometimes called, has the amount of silex or
silica-the basis of sand-fxed in the proper
proportion, is evident, from the fact that it
requires peculiar conditions to 'lodge" the
grain in the field, even after the most terrific
showers. Considering the question of the
relative fertility, particularly in its connec-
ton with wheat culture, present richness of
soil and endurance must enter as essential
elements of success, and the capacity of the
Standardization of the land, an Ingredient
not to be overlooked. The latter quality
Limestone region alone can possess, AZ only a
limited knowledge Of agricultural chemistry
clearly demonstrates. Viewing the subject
of wheat culture, then, in all its aspects, SO
far as Kansas 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 con-
clusion can lead only in one direction-to
the infinitely superior advantage of the
rhinestone belt" 5-.s., E. So
'Prospectively, from purely physical
causes, this great inland region must reach
the position OF one of the richest agricul-
tural portions of the United States. Only q
very few years ago-not decade-hus-
bandry here was purely tentative. From
absolutely no dew, eight years ago, this
region is as favored in that particular as any
that can be named From lying outside of
the, rain belt, so termed, this region has
had to be" taken in.n The quantity of wa
ter in the streams has augmented, springs
have burst forth wheresno existed before
.-Eg.sA OFT inst the converse Of that mete0ro-
logical phsnomeaon has been evolved here,
under the march of civilization, which takes
in heavily-timbered. country under the
same social conditions. sg&s
The following statistics of the rainfall
clearly proge the accuracy Of the foregoing
statement: lsi4 .9s ssSa AZ essa
The Fall of Rain and Melted Snow, in
inches, atForts Hays, Larned and Dodge,
for the last five years, as shown by the
Daily Meteorological Records kept by the
United States Government at the Ports
named: 9%.'.' 5sss a.