The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1881-05-26
k6itoriai Correspondence OF the Commonwea
REDEENlNG TIE DESERT.

nLtlC1iSi Correspondence Oh tne SO10I0OuWe8lIO.
REDEEMING TIE DESERT.
The Irrigation Bu.ilss in esgssyah Ceaaty
How tho Aid Lands 81 Westsrn Kan
cas- are Being Msds Prsduetivs
end Valuable.
GARDEN CRY, KAN, May Is, 1881.
While on our way to Kansas in 1856
our party stopped over night with an
old Platte county, Missouri, farmer
He was at that time an "old settler" oil
the Missouri Valley, and being rather
talka'ive, as old settlers generally are,
we learned from him that Kansas was q
dry and barren country. That the bot
tom lands bordering on the streams
might be cultivated TO some profit, but
the prairies were worthless. The hardy
.ioncers WHO first pushed their way as
far west as Lawrence and Topeka, were
well pleased with the country, but when
they were closely questioned about the
great Southwest, which then meant the
Neosho Valley, they expressed the
opinion that while it was suitable for
the buffalo ana prairie dog and the.wiId
Indian, il was not intended for home
for the white man. And from year 10
year this great arid, trcelcss desert has
gradually reccded until the most chrOn-
ic GROWER is-at loss TO designate the
precise spot where the Great American
Desert absolutely exists in all its virgin
simplicity and purity. This gradual
disappearance Of the mythical desert
is due to several causes. II has been
proven time and again that certain Gle
menis IN The soil and atmosphere pro-
ducc vigorous vegetable growth with
very limited amount Of rainfall: aud
alone and beyond all, the climatic
changes have been such tina. not only
are the constituent elements conducive
10 rigorous growth to be found in the
spil itself but the rainfall has so incrcas-
al within the past twenty-five years
than the raising of crops in the eastern
half of Kansas can be as successfully
carried on as in any other portion of the
world.
The south winds from the Gulf of
Mexico carry the moisture which, meet
ing the cold current from the mountains
of the west and northwest, is prccipita-
ted in the form OF rain over the vast
area between the Missouri River and
mountains. Any other theory regard
ing our rainfall is faIlacious. The south
winds which prevail in the west half OF
Kansas and Eastern Colorado are from
the peninsular of Mexico, and, Of course
carry but little moisture. hence the lack
of rain. The southeast winds, which
are only occasional, always bring rain.
Having Travelled from the Missouri
River to the mountains more than
twenty years ago by OK team, and
having crossed these plains still lat
ter on horse back and by Pullman coach
we feel that our opinions are not
gucss-work.
We do not pretend TO deny that the
lack of sufficient rain at the proper
time renders farming not only unprofit-
able. but exceedingly hazardous in
Western Kansas and Eastern Colorado.
But we are ready to-day 10 combat any
ID i,at l,a
not only is this portion Of the State the
best stock riegon on earth. bnt by a sys-
TEN of irrigation. now being adopted
by The people here, viii be the most GER
tain and profitable farming riegon in
the West. The absolute and undeniable
proof of this assertion will be forthcom-
ing within tea wears.
Garden City is four hundred miles
west of the Missouri river, and two
hundred and fifty miles east of the
Rocky mountains in the very centcr
of the Great American Desert, and Of
course, what is true of this section is
applicable for hundreds of miles east
and west.
As we write, light flcccy clouds float
lazily 10 the norihward. and muddy Ar
kansas " hose waters in color and thick
ness resemble Jersey cream, runs swiftly
TO the eastward, while the Atchison, To-
peka & Santa Fc road with its long line
of telegraph poles, standing like grim
seniincls TO mark the track of the iron
trail. with the smoke of the Pacific cx-
press more than twenty miles away
with tia usual broad expansc of prairie
grass and sunshine necessary TO complete
the picture, we have scene not only
grand bat absolutely prostrating in its
tastness.
The river always affords large vol
unc water. The banks are very low,
the adjacent bottoms in many places
from one 10 ten miles wide, the fall in
the stream being almost seven feet TO
the mile. the surface of the ground being
very level and even, or course irrigation
is not only practicable but cheap. liav-
ing taken the water from the Arkansas
river in ditch, say eight feet wide and
not TO exceed three feet deep at any
point, we can take an ordinary prairie
pillow. with four horses and half doz-
en- men, and absolutely flood twenty
thousand acres of land in n week, and
after having once established The cross
bitches we can repeat the performance
nj any given time in a few hours.
The soil Itself is rich sandy loam-
VIC say rich because we mean il. We
have spent two days visiting the firms
that are being irrigated, have examined
the soil the suh-soil. the growth Of
Spring crops and the general condition
of the farms that are using the water
from the riyor,and we must say that the
promise is good. All that the land needs
s moisture and rs the Arkansas river
refuses to be nayigablc as it is unfit to
drink unless well mixed with Dodge
City whiskcy, it is eminently proper
and cxpctiicnt 10 use il for the purpose
IF irrigation.
West of this point, and about four
miles from the river is the ditch Of the
Kansas Irrigation and Water Power
Company, limited. The main ditch is