Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1878-02-05
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1878.
For the News.
SOUTHWESTERN x ANSA S.
The Great Farming Country.

SOUTH W WESTERN x n n > A y.
The Great Farming Country.
BRISTOL, TENN, Jan. 29, 1873.
Editor Of the Bristol Ne10s u:
Having spent the greater part Of the
pregent month in Southwestern Kan
sss, and thinking 1t might not be un-
interesting TO some Of your readers 10
know something Of the rapid growth
snd deveIopment Of this new country,
/ submit the following TO them, If you
think it worthy q place in your col
umns:
This country was opened up some
three wears ago by the AtchisOn, To-
ueka & Santa Fee Railroad Company,
and from an open prairie with Buffa-
10. Elk, Antelope Coyote, Wolf, Prai
Dogs. &c, has, by the labor Of the
hu-baHdman, been made to blossom
as the rose" This railroad enters the
Arkansas Valley at Newton, and
touches the river at HutchisOn, two
hundred and thirty-fOur miles from
Kansas City, and follows the north
bank of the river TO the west bend of
the State into Colorado. In regard
TO the climate, it is very much like
our own the winters not being. more
severe, except the wind, and the sum-
mers more pleasant. Owing to the
popularity Of the soil, they have COM
paratively no mud, while their neigh
Dors east of them can't move their
produce TO market On account Of it,
The atmosphere is very dry aud pure
and entirely free from malaria, a great
bugbeRr to mOuntaiueeTs going west.
Water-there is an abundance of new
or. falling pure water, u 10 erO u
streams, in the absence Of which il is
only necessary to dig from to 25 feet
below the surface 10 find an ineXhaus-
tible supply, which does not vary in
depth, wet or dry. The banks of the
Arkansas river are not over two or
three feet high in many places, and
never overflow. The soil is n sandy
loan Of great depth aud fertility, pro-
ducing abundant crops of everything
grown il this latitude, except tame
grasses, which have not yet been test
ed sufficiently TO know what can be
done, but the small sOwiDgs have
welded we'll. The soil has all the re-
quirements claimed for Alfalfa and I
what little has been sOwn has done /
we'll. If too much is not claimed for |
il in California, and il can be success !
fully grown through the first two sea /
sons here, then the suU-irrigatiOn OF /
this valley will do for Alfalfa vi bat |
California can never do without ira /
gEuon.
WHEAT
The production Of wheat seems to /
be : specially, and magnificent crops /
OF IS fine wheat as ever grew reward /
tLe farmer for his Ia Dor, yielding from
sixteen to twenty Xad thirty bushels
per acre, depending upon the skill .
used la preparing and seeding the
ground.
HC.o the farmer can use ali kinds Of
iebor-sRvinE machinery, the Header
even finding employment in the hHr-
Aest fields OF account Of the dTynesE
of the atmosphere a fact which Cali
fOrDIsns have so long bossted of as
being peculiar to the Pacific Coast.
1t might not he cat Of the way to
mention Mr.. t. e. Henry's experience
in wheat raising, as stated by himself.
He does not claim to be practical far
nlsF, but had twelve hundred acres OF
prairie broken, stirred, sOWn, harvest
ed, threshed and delivered in market
l. !
one half bushels per acre, and sold at
Sl.052 per bushel. After deducting
oil expenses incurred he had the snug
little sum Of SIS. .S949O left. Quite a
number Of farmers realized the past
sesson from twelve to twenty-five
hundred bushels or of from fifty to
one hundred acres seeding. Barley,
Oats, Ruck wheat, Rye, Flax, Castor
BeSns, all produce abundant crops.
l saw a sample of oats raised at
Lnrned, which was claimed TO have
yielded one hundred bushels per acre
Flax seed is furnished the planter and
contracts made with them for the crop
Ofsoed if desired. Corn yields well, the !
sod crop last season producing from /
fifteen to twenty bushels per acre.
This crop, as all western men know,
has 10 cultivation whatever.
MANNER OF SETTLING AND LIVING.
Lsnds can be had of the Railroad
Company at from two to eight dollars
per acre, depending upon its proXimi-
ty TO cities and towns and there Is
stIll government lsnds, outside Of
Railroad limits. subject to hOmesteads,
DC. Immigration at present is i'm
meRse, coming by rail and overland.
bringing, generally, their household
goods, stocks. &c. Those who have
the means, build frame buildings
others more needy are satisfied with
kansas brick,n or a sod house. if YOU
please. And even these can be made
very comfortable by being plastered
and C1aled and saw them carpeted,
having no floor but mother
earth. Emigration from the States
east of this is now being rapidly de-
and practical formers Of
means are coming there and building
large houses and barns, painting them
of, and moving things as western
men are wont to do. The man who
goes there and expects TO live without
neigh bOEs will find himself very
much mistaken. These are q pro-
gressIve people, building fine public
buildings which surpass anything we
have. No man need fear be will be
cut OF from free school privileges, as
they Gosm TO have q sort of mania for
this Is well as other public enterpri- ,
ses. which are developed to such an
extent as would pat our people to
shame.
AS TO TIMBER
in the Valley they have none. Their
fuel is coal, Of which there is an
on the Railroad. BY going
south 20 the Medicine country, some s
seventy-five miles from the Railroad, I
there i9 On rbundant supply of timber q
and cedar posts, which are delivered
In the Valley at from to 10 cts. each.
Lumber on the r. r, is worth from 9
s25 TO $50 per thousand. Farm hands {
from $l6 to SI8 per month. House .
hold servants IL the country from 81 !
10 81 per week. !,