New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-06

the wheat Is sold 10 the elevators III goes ehSt w
Chicago. Most Of the small elevator men along the
railway are connected with some large Chicago
| commission house. When they ship a load of wheat
East they draw on this house for rs per cent of the
amount and cash the draft ut the local bank which
enables them to keep the supply of ready money
| that is essential for buying of the farmers. The
| Chicago honse on receiving the wheat returns the
price of the load less the rs per cent advance and
| the commission.
On Saturday last wheatwas selling oin Hutch
| inson at SO cents a bushel, and j probably saw
| 5000 bushels brought into town although not
per cent of the harvest has yet been threshed'
There is as yet no holding back among the farmers,
but they are selling freely and seem satsted WIN
present prices. Considerable interest ~ let among
dealers here rs to the prospects OF spculallom IN
| wheat tits generally conceded that wheat VIII pe
n risky thing to touch as Kansas has yet the only
| assured great harvest and the crops OF the Diuue
States are likely to be poor while nose OF .he
reports favorable But the cron mere means tne
distribution OF nearly three millions Oh uqliaI11
throughout the state ana an II,le'so tcut
| business, 30 that the average hanSln ~ content
| EXCLUSIVE wHEAT-GRowING AN EVIL.
| This exceptional wheat crop however, may prove
| n disguised curse This will be the case If foreign
| immigrants and those from the Middle States are
induced by this years success to devote themselves
| entirely to wheat raising. The history of farming
here as elsewhere proves that reliance on one crop
| is dangerous and unwisc. Exclusive wheat grow
| ing is at best mere gambling This year the Kansas
wheat farmer sweeps the board bat the odds are in
favor of the bank, and he is playing against bank
that he cannot hope to break. The drouths OF 1879
and 1880 taught many farmers bitter lesson
which has yet Injured to their good. There is no
necessity IN soil or climate for the Kansas farmer to
raise wheat alone and the man who grows wheat
only for ten years will then find himself poor beside
| IL I.a Il ID and cattle
do not refer to cattle-raisng it is carried on by
the herdsmen on the great plains of Western Kan
sas but to the business that ia becoming more and
| more generally adopted by small farmers in the
central and eastern parts Of the State. The farmer
buys Texas cattle the spring for, say SD head,
| pastures them unoccupicd railroad lands or ms
| own fields for six months, at cost OF 70 cents
apiece for herdiBg puts 100 acres into corn, and IN
the winter feeds this to his cattle, and at the
| end of perhaps a year and half from the time or
buying, sells his fat steers for cents pound 1--we
weight, which, with iirst-rate cattle, gives HIM
some $50 head. The same plan is followed with
hogs, and wise farmers are learning that there Is
more money in raising and Transforming 1t
into beef and pork, than in devoting their whole
farm to wheat, with the risks that necessarily at
| tend the crop.
| Twenty miles south of Florence, in the Cotton
| wood Valley dined at the house Of Mr.. Avery, le
other daV. lie took up nOmcSt6au lheTc HUI 'hO
war when there few other set ters ana when
1 his wife, left alone in the house, used to watch tue
Indians passing TO and fro ON the tran D'i0w, De
| tween the old Sac and Fox and Wichita heSeIVa7
tons. Occasionally, 100, the noble red men called
| and took everything in the shape OF food that inc
| white sauawh house afforded. Mr.. Avery mas now
over 200 acres of land and he told me that he had
more than 100 acres In corn, ana Dought corn corr ~
| addition to feed his cattle and hogs. heres
more money in 1t than in whedt-raislng, and there's
no better place than Kansas fJr the business" was
| his summing up.
| SOME SUCCESSFUL SETTLERS.
| A few miles out of Hutchinson day or two
since. encountered a young Englishman on horse
back herding drove of splendid cattle. His eX-
| perience was an interesting one. In England he
| belonged to the class of farm-laborers who have
| been so graphically described by Captain Mayne
Reid in THE TRIBUNE. lie came to Kansas some
eight wears since with his mother and three broth
ers and the five settled themselves here to begin
| housekeeping with Just $40 in ready money after
making their first payment on quarter section.
They exchan ged work with their neighbors and Sc
sured enough assistance to break up their land and
plant their crops. One OF the brothers was drowned.
and later the mother died. but the three survivors
held together, kept their house in humble fashion,
! and worked early and late. We've had to work
| aUful hard said the young herdsman, looking at
| me with the expression OF dumb animal seeking
sympathy. Seems like as if we hadn't had time
knows how to farm right. Many make u mistake
| in trying to do too much, and in getting in bigger
crop, than they can take care of. Now, last year
| we leased three farms besides own, but we've
| gwen them up tins year"
The three Englishmen now own their 100 acres,
with the exception of two small payments yet to be
made. and some land beside. They have 100 acres
in corn this year. over sixty in wheat, and herd of
fifty or seyenty-fivc fine cattle This is about the
usual size of the herds among those farmers who
take up cattle.
Near this farm pointed out the place of three
New-York boys who came out four years ago, and
at the end of sixty days, after making one payment
Oh their farm, were completely broke" They
worked for other farmers, borrowed some money.
and struggled along until now they have their farm
two-thirds paid for, own their stock and tools and
will receive II $50 this year for their wheat.
Land is valuable property here now. little way
outside the town | was shown an improved farm,
bought for 81, 200 three years ago, and now valued
nj 1850. although the country is still that
found colony of jolly little prairie dogs hardly
stones throw from the house. North OF Ne wton,
rs wrote and in much of the Arkansas Valley, the
country is devoted TO wheat. But south of Florence
and of this town, and in many other parts of Kan
sas the farmers learning the wisdom of cOmbn-
ing other crops. Don't depend entirely wheat"
IL warning that every intending settler should lay
TO heart.
Corn Will yield this year finely wheat, the
estimate for the State being l7J,00U.0O0 bushels,
but comparatively little of this immense amount
will he shipped outside the State until converted
! into beef and pork. Last year corn worth
some 90 cents bushel. Its estimated price this
year is % cents, but the price will be higher, of
course, if the crops fail in Iowa and Illinois
bushel of corn weighs ffty-siX pounds, and 1t
readily he understood that it is profitable 10
sell corn turned into beef FOR cents a pound than