Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1878-03-21
KANSAS ;;|llI
She Great Limestone
Belt of Kansas.
The Attractive Region Of the
West.
BY Major H. Inman.

The Great Central Plains'' are geOgraph-
ical feature Of the State of Kansas. Covered
with remarkably nutritious vegetation, for
centuries they were an immense pasturage for
countless herds of buffalo, antelope and other
Illuminating animals, whose habitat was the
far-stretching green prairies that to-day form
ono of the most beautiful agricultural portions
ofthe Mississippi Valley. Less than ten years
ago this region was believed. by the mass of
the people in the East, to be an Improbable
desert, but 1t is now the acknowledged garden
of the continent. This truly magnificent coun-
try can claim the most luxuriant soil of all the
"Great West" and climate that approaches
perfection, at least. DR.. B. E. Fryer, one of
the most eminent surgeons in the Army, and
who was stationed for years at Fort Ha1ker,
four miles from the town of Ellsworth, de-
clared 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 spring fed pools. De,
licious water is also always obtained in wells
by digging, at easily accessible depths. It is
already conceded that the United States is rap
G e the Of T the For ka
an Empire in itself,-is taking the lead in the
culture 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 wonderful fertile Gen.
trail area, comprised in what is now known as
the limestone belt" under the test of only
few years, has proved to the world the i'm
mense average its soil is capable of. Each,
year increases the limit of the wheat-belt, as
the fsentier is pushed toward the mountains,
within which are found the greatest possibili-
ties, agricultrally.
It is remarkable fact that nearly all the
lands of the Kansas Pacific Railway are in
cluded in the limestone regien under consider
alton, and that south of this limit, in that d.
rection, it ceases altogether, and the country
presents another geological formation, the soil
of which is very sandy, and which, though at
present, from ssll,,ess Of its very prinsiiveness
is capable of pl oducing good crops in seasons
ties of liberalization and must ,'pidlV dete-
riorate. In this particular the Smoky Hill VAL
ley is immensely superior to the arenacions
lands of the reg zion south, which is drained by
the Arkansas and tributary streams. It is we'll
known by every farmer that lime, in some OF
its combinations, constitutes the essential in
gredient in all the more valuable grains and
grasses. It's presence in the soil is consequent
~ to be considered az a condition of fertility.
It also acts a constitutional ameliorant OF
much power, and, when mixed with or under.
lying tough or viscid clay, it renders them fri
able and consequently more susceptible to the
action of atmospheric forces. Soil in which
is not SO liable to be injured or rendered plas-
tie by an excess Of moisture while under crop.
The quality of the wheat raised in this greal
rhinestone belt" is conceded, in all markets,
to be the best grade known. 1tproduces the
familiar brands Of called Southern -four, for
which st. Louis is Justly celebrated. This il
easily accounted for, from the fact that the soil
In which the wheat is grown possesses due
admixture of calcareOus matter, which has a
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 a deficiency
of this earth. All our mil!ers will testify to
the peculiar fiour-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 con-
firms-that this so-called rhinestone bclt''
possesses all the requisites of the best wheat
land in the world. Sand, it is we'll known, is
injurious when IT enters too largely into
the Of Cultivated SOILS In other
portion. That the rhinestone belt, or won
derful wheat region OF Central Kansas as 1t
is sometimes called, has the amount of slick
or silica-the basis of sand-fxed in the prop
er proportion, Is evident, from the fact that it
requires peculiar conditions to 'slodge" the
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.
NETS of sue cess, and the capacity of the SELF
fertilization of the lar d, an Ingredient not to
be overlooked. The latter quality limestone
region alone can possess, as only q limited
knowledge of agricultural chemistry clearly
demonstrates. Viewing the subject of wheat
culture, then, in all its aspects, so far as Kan
sas 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 conclusion can lead only
in one direction-to the infinitely superior adj
vantage of the rhinestone belt"
Prospectively, from purely physical causes
this great inland region must reach the posi-
ton of one of the richest agricultural portions
of the United States. Only very few years
ago-not adecade-husbandry here was pure
" 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" The
quantity of water in the streams has aug
mented, springs have burst forth where none
existed, before in short just the converse Of
that meteorological phenomenon has been
evolved here, under the march of civilization
which takes in heavily timbered country un-
der the same social conditions.
The following statistics Of the rainfall clear
ly prove the accuracy of the foregoing state
ment:
The Fall of Rain and Melted Snow, in inches,
at Forts Hayes, Larned and Dodge, for the
last five years, as shown by the Daily Mete:
geological Records kept by the United
States Government at the Posts named: