The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-03-14

Great Limestone
Belt Of Kansas.
The Attractive Region of
the West.
BY Major n. lnman.

The "Great Central Plains" are a geo.
graphical feature of the State of Kansas.
Covered with a remarkably nutritious vege.
tation, for centuries they were IN immense
pasturage for countless herds of buffalo, an
telope and other Eliminating animals, whose
habitat was the far-stretching green prairies
that to-day forms one of the most beautiful
agricultural portions of the Mississippi
Va ley. Less than ten years ago this region
was believed, by the mass of the people in
the East, to be an Improbable desert, butt
is now the acknowledged garden of the Con-
tinent. This truly magnificent country can
claim the most luxuriant soil of all the
" Great West" and a climate that approaches
perfection, at least. DIR. B. E Fryer, one of
the most eminentsurgeons in the Army, and
who was stationed for years at Fort Harker,
four miles from the Town of E lsworth, de-
elared this to be the " mostperfect climate in
the world" The whole country is traversed
by q series of constant streams, sweet and
wholesome springs anil springfield pools.
Delicious water is also always obtained in
It is already conceded that the United States
is rapidly becoming the granary of the world,
particularly in the production of wheat.
Kansas, an Empire itself, is taking the lead
in the cult1re of this cereal, and in. a short
time will be acknowledged queen of all the
| States in the production of this great staple.
The State, especially her peculiarly wonder
| full fertile central area, comprised in what is
now known as the 'limestone 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 front er is pushed to-
ward the mountains, within which are found
the greatest possibilities, agriculturally.
1t is a 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
it ceases altogether, and the country
presents another geological formation,
the soil of which is very sandy, and
which, though at present, from .fauness Of its
very print -veness is capable of producing
good crops in seasons of abundant rainfall,
lacks the inherent qualities of self-fertiliza-
ton. and must rapidly deteriorate. 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. T. is well
known by every farmer that lime, in some Of
its combinations, constitutes the essential
ingredient in all the more valuable grains
and grasses. Its presence in the Ill is con
sequently to be considered US q condition o.
fertility. 1t also acts as q constitutions
dm6llOrdNt, OIL mucu JOHcT, duu, WHICH, MlAct
with or underlying tough or viscid clay, i
renders them friable and consequently more
susceptible to the action of atmospheric
forces. Soilin which there is a due admi1
ture of calcareous matter, is not SO liable tt
be injured or rendered plastic by an exces:
of moisture while under crop. The quality
of the wheat raised in this great "limestont
belt" is conceded, in all markets, to be thu
finest grain known. 1t produces the familiar
brands of so-called >outhern -four, for which
St. Louis is justly celebrated. This is easily
accounted for, from the fact that the soil il
which the wheat is grown possesses a du,
admixture OF calcareous matter, which has
tendency to make the hull of the grain mucl
thinner, and the farina itself in much create
quantity, and in richer quality, than in grail
grown on the lands which exhibit q de
f-iency of this earth. ALI our millers will
testify to the peculiar Hour-making proper
ties of our wheat, in this essential, surpass
ing that raised in other sections, and it is at
tributed entirely to the fact-which the anal
ysis of the soil confirms-that this ~so-oallet
rhinestone bell" possesses all the requisite,
of the best wheat land in the world. Sand
it is we'll known, isinjurious when it enter
too largely into the composition of cult
waited soils; in other words, it is useless be
yond a certain proportion. That the "lime
stone belt" or "wonderful wheat region o
Central Kansas" as it is sometimes called
has the amount of slick or silica--the basi
of sand-fxed in the proper proportion, j
evident, from the fact that it requires pecu
liar conditions to "lodge" the grain in tn
field, even after the most terrific showers
Considering the question of the relative fer
tility, particularly in its connection witt
wheat Gu ture, present richness of soil an,
endurance must enter as essential element
of success, and the capacity of the self-Iel
tilization of the land, an ingredient not t
be overlooked. The latter quality a linn
r stone region alone can possess, as only
limited knowledge of agricultural chemistr
5 clearly demonstrates. Viewing the subjec
of wheat culture, then, in all its aspects, s
far as Kansas is concerned, an inspection Q
/ the Smoky Hill Valley, and the arenaceou
/, region south, coupled with a fair idea of wha
the culture of wheat requires, the conclusio
= can lead onlv in one direction-to the in
fnitely superior advantage of the "Emt
0 stone belt"
Prospectively, from purely physics
causes, this great inland region must reac
the position of one of the greatest agricu
: turaI portions of the United States. Only
+ few years ago--not a decade--husbandry her
r was purely tentative. From absolutely n
. dew eight years ago, this region is as favore
u in that particular as any that can be named
: From lying outside of the train belt" 6
) termed. this region has had to be "take
in" The quantity of water in ne stream
has augmented, springs have burst fort
where none existed before-in short, just til
converse of that meteorological phenomena
has been evolved here, under the march {
civilization, which takes in a heavily-tin
t bered country under the same social cond
tions.
The following statistics of the rainfa
clearly prove the accuracy of the foregoir
r statement:
The Fall of Rain and Melted Snow, in inche
at Forts Hays, Larned and Dodge, for ii
l. last five years, as shown by the Daily Met
g geological Records kept by the Unite
States Government at the Posts named:
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