Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1879-04-12
cLIMAToLoaY OF KANSAS.

Correspondence OF Rice County Gazette.l
When We examine closely the records in
different parts Of our State, We are led to the
conclusion that the climate of Kansas is
surely changing, and that each year brings
the central and western part Of Kansas near
er the climate it should be. The records Of
water fall shows that twenty years ago,
where the city Of Emporia now stands, very
little or no rain fell from May till January.
In 1860, about eleven inches of water fell,
including few light SHOWS. The moisture
increased in steady ratio till 1870. For
the four years ending with 1874, the aversge
was about twenty Eight inches, and in the
last four years there was an average of ihir.
ty-four inches, the greatest water fall being
in 1877, when it reached the depth Of fifty
three inches. STILL the prejudiced ray that
Kansas will never be state of sufficient
amount Of rain to be an agricultural state,
but the observations of the scientific have
long ago refuted these assertions and proved
BY actual trial, and by climatic records, that
within few years Kansas will b. called the
State Of rain instead of drouih.
Let IA look moment at the history Of
the buffalo grass. Those acquainted with il
know that it is grass that needs but little
moisture; that it is truly called the grass Of
the plains; that it lie not known to grow in a
country of an ordinary amount of rain, and
that, on the other hand, the blue-s,em is not
q dry country grass, but that it requires con-
siderable moisture. Again, scientific inves-
LEGATIONS, not only in KaA-ss, bat through
on, the scientific world, Give established the
fact that the larger growths in timber cor
respond with the wet years in the past. This
being accepted as fact, We only have to cut
down a tree and mole the larger growth to
tell what years in the pas. have bsen wet
years. Wea find that the latter grow,hs
are uniformly larger than those Of many
years ago. At the same time the large
Rrowihs Of late years are much larger than
those Of years ago and of more frequent &C.
currence. Now, as there may be question
about the causes Of these larger growth-, we
will say that these correspond to the record
Of wet years, and that We iud what is true
Of tree is true Of q turnip. bee. aad onion.
The larger growths in these indicate the
most seasonabie parts Of the growing season,
although the tree is cot eficted 60 materially
as the vegetable plants. inasmuch as the
roots of the tree reach deep in the earth,
TO such depth that it ia never
Try. The Network of fbsrous roots ar. to
he tree what the veineus system is to the ,
animal. They are provided with valves, BY
which the tree is supplied with fluid, while =
he cells Of the body absorb the Carbon and /
Oxygen from the air. We find that if We |
axe large tree and one much smaller and !
cunt back the large growth in each will an. G
'wer the same time, % that We may reckon I
he seasons BY examining the timber of our Z
country. q
Some thinking men are beginning to ask,
IF the climatic change goes on, what tind !
II land will stand the seasons best? To ,
shich, after giving it some confederation, We ,
'eply that for the present and future the land
nth little eand is the best. We have many
'easous, bat let few suffice. We find that
he sandy land is Underlined next TO the sur
ace with clay, or eaud and clay mixed, q
shich will enlv admit Of slow absorption.
Where il has not this underlining the sand
'scomes washed, the silicates and phophaies !,
Il lime and other mineral substances sink ,
% deep to Be brought up BY the vegetation. q
The dark or gray soils are the best, - they
re underlined BY the mari clay, which is Of I
he nature Of joint clay, freely admitting . i
downward passags Of water in the VI season g
md Of easy evaporation in the dry season. .