The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1879-10-23
THE ARKANSAS VALLEY
The Times Correspondent Expa.
tiatss Upon Its Beauties
and Its Wea!th.
A Fair an Impartial Presentation of
Its Many Advantages.
Dodge City and the Part II Plays in
the Commercial World.
The Leading Chsracterist:cs CT Ford
County-Fcrt Dodge.

/
Especial Correspondence TIxFsl
DODGE CITY, KAN, Oct. 14-As it j
the intention in this correspondence Z
write up at some length the Valley of tn
Arkansas river, it is proper that in this, tn
| first communication, brief description O
| a general nature should be given of thi
already xell-advertised section of the State
That this valley ranks high up in al
that constitutes fine country in which t.
live, whether reference is had simply t.
agricultural productions, stock raising Of
both, is q proposition 80 we'll established
that it were time wasted to engage in ar
argument to prove the same.
THE VALLEY OF THE ARKANSAS RIVER
extends distance of shout three hundxed
miles through the southwest and southern
central Kansas; the width OF this remark
ably rich valley varies from thirty to fifty
miles.
THE SOIL.
The soil is dark, sandy loan, and ia very
rich in mineral elements; to the intelli-
gent agriculturslist, no other recommends
tion is necessary, and when we add that the
.
depth, he at once recognizes the fact that in
such coil wheat can be grown in the highest
state Of perfection.
GRASSES
1t ia veil known to all perfons who have
paid attention 10 such matters that soil
that produces good wheat will also prove
10 be good grass growing soil. This val
ley was the favorite grazing ground of the
buffalo, a. it is to-day OF the cattle raiser.
In the extreme western counties the buffalo
grass, which is the most nutritious of the
native grasses. especially for winter graz
ing, holds highest rank. Further east, the
blue stem prevails; it is a fine summer
grass, grows very tail and makes fine hay.
Cattle are very fond Of there grasses, espec-
tally the buffalo or 'ss, on which they fatten
even in the winter season. The tame
grasses can all be grown and cultivated cue
We have shown the character of the soil
and its capabilities, and it only remains
now to establish the fact that this portion
Of the country is we'll wstered and we have
found a country good enough for any of the
degenerate sons of Adam to dwell in {, and
while it may not be . country literally
flowing with milk and honey, stiIl it is q
country offering very superior advantages
to those who may want to settle In q new
The water is very free from al
kali or brackishness, and is found in great
abundance along the valley, in running
streams, in springs, or by driving wells
from Is to so feet deep.
A country with all the requisites to
make it desirable place in which to live
far from meeting all the requirements e.
sen,ial to pleasant location. The Arkan-
,as Valley not Boosting the presence of
native timber, or of coal mines sufficient
10 meet the demands for fuel, still lie we'll
provided for in that rerpect, for be it I'M
ierstood that the
ATcHIsoN, TOPEKA AND SANTA FE RAIL
ROAD,
the course of the Arkansas
liver, is The effective agency in supplying
Ill this vast region of country with fuel.
The principal coal mines of the State are
n Usage county, on the line of this road,
md from their inexhaustible supply fuel
s furnished to points along the valley.
That it may be Understood that thIs great
Ialley is not-more properly speaking
reed not always depend, upon coal for its
uel supply-lt has been satisfactorily dem
instr ated that forest timber can be grown
n less than five years to furnish all the
uel needed.
FRUIT GROWING.
The reputation of Kansas as fruit
rowing State is SO well understood, thst a
mere mention OF the fact that, whenever
he has been brought into competition with
,ther States, in either National or State
exhibitions of fruit culture, she has never
allied to take the prize, especially for APP
,les, settles that matter in a most satisfac-
DRY manner.
As in other things, so in the production
ruits, the Arkansas Valley is not lagg ard.
The rich and warm sandy loan soil Of this
'alley is adapted to all kinds of fruit grow
ng. Peach trees grow very rapidly, and
commence bearing fruit the third year from
seed, and apple trees the sixth and
eventh year from planting. All the small
rui:s grow rapidly.
As a business matter, fruit growing is
perhaps the most profitable OF any in
which man can engage in the
Arkansas Valley, on account OF
he fine market afforded in the mining
egions to the west, said to be the finest
rui. market in the United States. II any
hing more is necessary to establish this
lain for this section oil the State, the fol-
owing figures taken from the State Agri-
cultural Report for 1878, will give an idea
4 what has been done in the matter of
PLANTING orchards in the Arkansas Valley
counties:
Number of trees in bearing-Apple, 2S,-
SO; pear, 1858; peach, S60,09S; plum,
3, 067 cherry, ,627.
Number of trees not yet in bearing-Ap-
DE, Az, 500; pear, Is, SS9; peach, ,079, 256;
blum, Ct, 345; cherry, IS, 906; or q grand
otal of two million, six hundred and ten
thousand, four hundred and twenty seven
rees. Certainly these figures demonstrate
alley as fruit country. What, with
country in which all the cereal crops are
aissd ). where fuel and wafer are abund-
Int; where the fruits grown are az luscious
Is those of the tropics, and in which all
he advantages oil q hrst-ciass railroad are
,njoyed, could be desired in addition? All
hese things and more are the triumphant
,osst of tine citizens Of the beautiful Valley
II the Arkansas.
But time forbids that / dwell upon gen.
.ralities, and 50, without adding more,
hall at once commence toe recount in de-
all the particular advantages offered By
his valley, and shall select As the starting
,oint
FORD COUNTY,
md shall continue nv journey along the
Ialley until the counties constituting the
heme for this correspondence shall have
,een visited.
Ford County was organized In 1873. 1t is
n fifth tier Of counties from the Western
border of the State, aud the second from
he Southern border.
While the county is 90 far from the more
lensely populated districts of the State, it
presents An instance Of rapid
The frrt settlements in the county we're
at Dodge City, in August, 1872, at which
lime the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
Railroad was completed to that point.
Dodge City was organized in 1872, and