Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1879-11-29

uIa1Ns
The Enormous Area Cultivated and
how its product Compares with
the Yield of our Gold
and silver Mines.
The most interesting article tC
Americans in Macmillsn's Magu-
zine for November is that of Mr.. l..
L. Sidway,o of Chicago, OH ''TheGrain
Power of the United
States" We copy some of the most
passages:
The states of Ohio, Indiana,
Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin,, Iowa
and Missouri contain 22O ZOO, 900 |
acres of land.
After making the liberal deduction |
of 7O, ,OOO, 900 for lands which tor any |
reason could not be cultivated prof.
itably at this time, there would re-
nam $50 900, 900 acres, OF which 9O,-
0O0, 900 arc in cultivntion, leaving co.
OOO, 200 which may now be cultivated
with profit.
Minnesota, Nebraska and Kansas
contain 1G0 100000, including prob
ably 40.0O0,0UO acres of the piains OF
Western Nebraska and Kansas, upon
ficicnt for growing grain; the chief
value of this land is IOr grazing only.
OF the remaining 10000, 900 prob
ably 9O,0O0,0O0 acres are adapted TO
profitable cultivation ut present.
Something over 100000 acres OF
these lands arc now cultivated, leav-
ing 100000 acres of uncultlvatcd
land of good quality ready for inn
mediate use. There are i'll the terri
tories Of Dakota, Montana and
Wyoming (chleily III Dakota) large
tracts of fertile leprairle, very product
i've III wheat and other small grain !;
but the lack of transportation facil-
tiles, the long and rather severe
| winter and Inability to procure the
extra hell needed for harvesting the
crops, together with an abundant
| supply of cheap fertile land nearer
| to the markets, have prevented any
large settlements from being made,
Now. however. railways are being
constructed, and the perfection re-
Gently of the selt-bin4ing reaper, with
which three men can harvest the same
amount of grain which seven men
could with the reapers formerly i'll
use, obviates this very serious draw
back and considerable settlements
are now being made.
The area of really fertile land III
these three territories is at present
difficult to determine, nor will it be
settled as fast as the country south
and east-fast enough, however, tt
within few years add materially tt
the wheat production.
The state of TrXls contains $780,
OO0,000 acres, the largest part Of whlcl
is now used for grazing. Much of il
will be used for growing cotton ailu
other southern productions. 1t is safe
however, to estimate that Texas will
furnish 60,000,000 acres of gOOt
grain, beside the cotton and graz
ing lands.
The Indian territory adjoimin:
the north line of Texas contains
about $4,000, 600 acres, most of whicl
is good and mach OF il very superio
land. This territory is now TIN
home of peaceful Indians; but it j.
; only a question of time when the,
will have to give place largely to th'
whites. Probably 30,OO0,000 acre
would be a very moderate estimat
of the grain land it contains, lcaviD.
2O,OOO,O 900 acres for grazing.
If these estimates are correct, and
, think they are under rather than owe
the mark, the northern territorie
and state of Texas will furnish 70
grain growing fully $50, 900, 900 acres
. Crossing to the Pacific coast W
find in California a large aggregat
: of verv fertile wheat land, but it j
not in great bodies as on this side Q
y foip tN.r n
acres yet available is for several rea
SONS difficult TO determine.
l The fertility of the California sol
and yield of grain, fruit and roo
crops is as marvellous as the size q
its forest trees.
In Oregon production has, unit
within the past two or three years
:. been confined chiefly to the Viii
: annette Valley now, however, Il
extensive tract of prairie country i
e Eastern Oregon aud WashingIo,
known as the Walla-W Walla region
p and until recently used only TO
!. grazing, is found to produce vcr
: large crops ofeXcellent wheat and
being rapidly settled.
!; That the supply OF wheat from til
u Pacific coast will steadily if nc
u rapidly increase hardly admits
: reasonable doubt.
G Returning east of the Rocky Moul
v Jains we find in the first named tc
Q states 102 100000 acres i'll cultivatio
and 13S, 100000 yet to be added.
In Texas and the Indian tcrritor,
0,OOO, 900 acres of grain land, of " lic
probably less than 100000 is no
cultivated, and i'll Dakota, Wyomil
J. and Montana probably at least GO
G 100000 fertile acres, of which M
Is enough is now III use to be wort
counting, giving a total of 2S3 ,00O, ,0(
=. acres of fertile land to be added
u the 10Y 100000 acres now in cultiv
II ton i'll the great grain and provisiC
producing center, not including Ca
g ifOrnia and Oregon, and no accoul
l. being made of the fertile valleys
New Mexico, Colorado, Idaho, Uta
Wyoming and Montana, which
aggregate comprise very large are
No account has been made of Lhi
u portion of Canada known as II
IS Manitoba or Red River Countr
u which is said to contain large trac
l. Of excellent wheat land, because it
IS all located north of 40 degrees norI
latitude, still north of the north lin
~ of Minnesota and Dakota, where Il
le winters are very long and eXtreme
y cold, the thermometer hardly cv,
W failing to mark in the neighborhoC
Z, OF 40 degrees below zero, Fahrenlici
u for many days of each winter al
l. although it is good wheat ami o.
country, there is practically no 9th,
crop produced for export, hence ii
farmer has profitable cmpioymel
but little more than halt of the yeal
in the long and severe winters rcnd,
Dt stock-growing for market impracl
4 cable, and as there is apparent
@. nothing to create more than one CO.
& siderable industry, railways wi
g have business but IL few months
le each season, which will render hi.
le freight charges necessity. Alt
o gethcr the disadvantages are
<. many that, while the settirmcn
ut may be considerable, it is not pro
10 abe that the Increased product,
II will be of great Importance in Il
le commerce OF the word, so long AS,
ID least, quite As good land is tn be Ii;
le at n nominal cost in Il more souther
le latitude.
ls In this connection, il may be VIC
N to refer to Il fact which is very il
l, porlant sin considering the qnesiic
< of increased production of grain a,