Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1878-02-09
Climatic Changes Caused BY Clltiva.
tiOn OF Lands.

! The following is from paper lately
read by Prof. c. ID. Wilbur before the
Nebraska State Horticultural Society:
We have seen in Nebraska and Kan
sas during the last 90 years a decided
change of surface vegetation, or grass
es. During that period many thousands
of square miles, once covered with
sparse buffalo grass, are now luxuriant
with thick matted prairie grass. This
change is SO important in many re-
spects that we invite particular atten-
ton to it. The chief agent or produc-
ing cause of this wonderful transforma-
ton of surface, is the gradual western
progress of the army of farmers. In
general, arid regions, deserts and dry
plains perpetuate themselves, and be-
cause they have attained an apparent
permanence are considered eternal. A
desert, however, is the result of condi-
tons that can be controlled by the ge-
MUS and industry OF man. Let us see
how it is done.
On our Western border-line of settle
ments the pioneer with his plow turns
over the soil, or sod if there be any, it
may be 100 or 400 acres. This area is
planted to corn or sown with wheat,
oats, rye, or barley. In due time arises
living surface of dark green which is
at the same time condensing surface,
because it does not receive the heat of
the sun during the day, while at night it
is already cool and permits heavier dew
to descend upon it. This pioneer farmer
has neighbors ON the north and south
who are doing precisely the same kind
of work-that is, by their farming they
are changing the hot, dry surface to a
COO, condensing surface. This work ex-
tends by common consent along line Of
l 300 miles, from the British possessions
to the Gulf of Mexico, until the new con-
densing surface is strip, say 10 miles
in width by 1,S00 miles in length, ac-
cording to the wave of immigration for
the year previous. 1t is easy to predict
the inevitable climatic changes that
must follow the changed condition of
surface. The moisture contained in the
atmosphere over this new-made surface
of living green will not dissipate and
pass away with the winds as formerly,
but will condense, by the well known
law, both asIlew at night and into clouds
under the influence of electric currents.
With the clouds comes precipitation,
which will be greatly increased as the
cOndensing surface increases by the con-
slant efforts of the farmer to enlarge his
domain of crops.
The prairie grasses are the first to re-
ceive the impetus indicated, and accord
ingly their westward march has been
very rapid within the last % years. The
width of new territory occupied
by these grasses, displacing Of
course the dry or buffalo grass, is,
in Southern Nebraska, $50 miles
in the space of % or 80 years, accord
ing to the statement of early settlers.
This condensing or cool crop-surface
once established becomes permanent,
as in the Eastern States, which are now
under laws of precipitation that have
but little variation from year to year.
We know that this work has been
wrought by the hand of the farmerfrom
the middle of Minnesota, Iowa and
Missouri, and extends 400 to 500 miles
west into Dakota, Nebraska and Kan
sas. We know that it is still extending
every year, and that in this year (lS7S)
it will doubtless make a stride longer
than ever toward the foothills of the
Rocky Mountains. The amount of rain
fall per year is steadily increasing west
of the Missouri River. The average, for
nine years past at Omaha, is 20 inches.
With the year ending June, 1877, it was
3S inches in Southeast Nebraska-an
equal to the average of North
ern Illinois. From similar statistics we
are able to show that the rainfall is
steadily increasing westward. following
The pioneer farmer and his pillow, which
is the primal cause of these beneficent
changes.