The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-04-20
THE LA&D o. MUTTON.
How Kansas IS Becoming the Leadin
sheep State OF the Union
Talk with Ranehmen and Recital of
Their Experience in Making a Start
oE Small Capital.
The RaPidIty With Which FIoeks In
crease, the Profits ON Wool, and the
small Risk Encountered

The Counties Best Adapted TO the Indus
try.-Minor Partic alars, Etc.
y correspondent of the Inter Ocean
sends To that paper from Larned the fol
lowing interesting account of the won
derfn1 development of the sheep-gTow-
ing industry in the western part of the
state and furnishes many facts which
cannot fail To engage The attention of
wool-growers:
In the last report OF the Kansas state
board of agriculture are some facts re-
garding the profits of sheep raising that
would startle one did they not come
from a source that is 50 eminenIly re-
liable. This article contains also table
prepared by the Hon. A. NJ. Garland,
president of the National Wool Growers
association, showing the increase usual
ly realized by practical men, that re-
ceives confirmation and Endorsement
from the pens of some of those who
have had experience in handling large
fiocks in Kansas. do not propose to
quote it, for figures are cumbersome,
but merely allnde 10 the fact that the
average annual net increase in Hocks is
80 per cent from breeding, allowing 10
per cent. per annum for casualties.
sheep the first year, he will have 800
the second, 2,200 the third, and so on,
until the head swlms with the rapid
growth of the figures.
In Kansas, particularly i'll the western
counties, where the weather and III e
grass is good, the ranges large, and the
shelter adequate, sheep are more prolific
than cattle, as well as more tTactable,
requiring lees supervision, and yield
ing in fleece and hesh larger increase.
No interest has grown SO rapidly in
Kansas as this.
Two causes have combined to pro-
duce marvellous growth. The first is
the climate-its healthfulness, the pure
atmosphere, the short and generally dry
winters, END To these may be added
we'll drained soil, all combining to make
it peculiarly favorable 10 aHlmRl life.
The second is
THE ABUNDANCE OF SUMNER GRAZING,
that can be provided at small cost, and
tie cheapness with which the compare
lively small emount of winter feed can
be produced These tEo things com
bining to give the very best results for
the amount of capital invested, mark
Kansas as the great mutton and wool
producing state of the union.
The tendency of the cattle end sbesp
men is to locate in the southern half of
the state, on account of the milder whit
ers, and in the western half on account
of the higher elevation, pureP air and
dryer winter seasons. Hence the pref
erence given to the country along the
Arkansas valley, so long the favorite
grazing ground of The vast herds of buff
falo, and now of great herds of domestic
animals. This toyn reports that forty
five sheep men, all located within tTsn-
ty-five miles, had tlocks aggre eating g.
$50 head; and 1t Is estimated that be-
tween Great Bend and the west line of
the state there are over 100000 head |
along and tributary TO the Arkansas val |
ley-a three-fold increase in less than
one yeaF-
MR. WALsEaRFH INTERVIEWED.
Mr.. G. II. Wadsworth of Larned, foF- |
meFly of Cedar county, Iowa, is one of |
the largest as we'll as most successful |
sheep growers in Kansas. met him on |
the cars the other day, and asked about |
the truth of the remarkable stories had |
heard of the success of himself and 9th |
ers in his locality Mr.. Wadsworth said |
that his experience in Iowa and Mis- |
soHri in sheep raising was of great value |
to him when he came 10 Kansas, and his |
success was no doqbt DUG largely TO the |
fact that he understood the business |
thoroughly, and attended to his herds |
himself.
AS Mr.. Wadsworth's experience in |
Kansas has been that of niIe-tenths of |
the successful farmers, / will give it in |
detail, in order that it may be seen just |
how and why men "get along" In Kan |
sas.
In 1876 Mr.. Wadsworth came to Kan |
sas and entered 800 acres of government |
land under the homestead and timber |
culture gets, eleven miles south OF Larn- |
ed, the county seat Of Rawnee county. |
He at once put up sod house with a |
roof of matched straw, which was used |
by the men breaking the farm all sum- !
mer. In August, 1876, Mr.. Wadsworth |
bought 2,0s5 head of sheep, including
900 ewes, 1862 wethers and lambs, and |
% bucks; costing him an average of So |
per head, lambs and all, or $4,1T0 for |
the entire flock.
HIS LAND COST NOTHING,
being entered under the law, but he af- |
forwards bought 4S0 acres more from |
the railroad company, for which he paid |
81 400 Before winter he built too long |
sheds, 29x12S feet, running at right an |
giles, and then erected a fence on the |
other two sides of the square for a cor |
raj. a stable for his horses was also |
built and house for his family, costing |
81 800. A we'll was sunk at the corral, |
which touched at thirty feet water |
supply sufficient for 10000 sheep; and |
wind mill was erected to do the pump |
ing. A granary and wagon shed was
erected during the winter, and before |
snowfall twenty acres of wheat was
sown. The place was then in shape, and |
Mr.. WadswOrth had investigated cap
Ital of $I,9I3 as follows;
500 acres of land q Ana
9,0S5. ..-..-.... .-.....--.....-....... g. 10 |