The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1878-03-21

the most eminent surgeons In the Army, and
who was stationed for years at Fort Harker,
four miles from the Town OF Ellsworth, de.
c!ared this to be the most perfect climate In
the wo.ld." The whole country 10 traversed
oY series OF constant streams, sweet and
iiclous water Is also always obtained In wells,
oy Juggling, at easily Inaccessible depths. It is
already conceded that the United States is rap
idly becoming the granary Of the world, par
dcularly 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
oe oi Of all the Safes IN the
especially her peculiarly wonderful fertile cen
tral area, comprised ir what is now known as
the rhinestone bell" under the test of only q
lew years, has proved to the world the I'm.
mense average It's soil is capable OF. Each
year increases the limit of tho wheat-belt, as
the frontier Is pushed toward the mountains,
within which are found the greatest possibili.
les, agriculturally.
1t is remarkable fact that nearly nil the
lands OF the Kansas Pacific Railway are in
GUIDED IN the limestone region under consider
alton, and the south Of this limit, in that di.
rection, it ceases altogether, and the country
presents another geological formation, the soil
OF which is very sandy, and which, though at
present, from Jul!ness Of its very l''inaiti,eness
is capable of producing good crops in seasons
OF abundant rainfall, lacks the Inherent quail
ties OF naturalization, and must rapidl dete-
Tiorate. 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
us combinations, constitutes the essential in
gredlent in all the more valuable grains and
grasses. Its presence in the soil is consequent
y to be considered as a condition of fertility.
1t also acts as constitutional ameliorant, Of
much power, and, when mixed with or under
lying tough or viscid clay, 1t renders them fri
able and consequently more susceptible to the
there Is due admixt1lre Of calcareous matter,
is not so liable to be injured or rendered plas..
tic by an excess of moisture while under crep.
The quality of the wheat raised in this great
rhinestone belt" is conceded, in all markets,
t to be the finest grade known; ItProduces the
for which St. Louis is justly celebrated. This
Is easily accounted for, from the fact tina! the
soil in which the wheat Is grown possesses a
due admiXture of calcareOus matter. which
has q 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 de-
tify to the peculiar our-making 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 confirms that the so-called rhinestone
oelt' possess es 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 rhinestone belt" or ''won-
derful wheat region of Central Kansas" as it
is sometimes called, has the amount Of silex
or silica-the basis of sand-txed in the prop
or proportion, is evident, from the fact that it
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 soil
and endurance must enter as essential ele-
ments of success, and the capacity of the self
fertilization of the land, an ingredient not 20
beover-looked. The latter quality limestone
region alone can possess, as only limited
knowledge of agricultural chemistry clearly
demonstrates. Viewing the subject of wheat
culture, then, in all its aspects, so far rs Kan
sas IS conce rned, and inspection OF the Smoky
Hill alley, and the arenaceous region south,
coupled with fair idea of what the culture OF
III one direction-to the infinitely superior adj
vantage Of the rhinestone belt.'
Prospectively. from purely physical cause,
this great inland region must reach the posi-.
t'on OF one OF the richest agricultural portions
OF the United States. Only very few years
aSo-not dccade-husbandry here was
eight years ago, this region is US favored in
that particular as any that can be named
From lying outside of the "rain belt" sc
termed, this reign has had to be "aken in. >
The quantity Of water in the streams has aug
mcnted, springs have burst forth where none
existed before in Short just the converse Of
evolved here, under the march of civilization
which takes in heavily-timbered country
under the same social conditions.
.Ihe following statistics of the rainfall clear
~ prove the accuracy of the foregoing state
ment:
The Fall OF Rain and Melted Snow, in inches
ut Forts Hays, Larned and Dodge, for thu
last tive years, as shown by the Daily Mcte.
geological Records kept by the United
States Government at the Posts named: