Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1885-05-30
CLIMATIC CHANGES.

CLIMATIC CHANGES.
There has been a great deal of talk,
both scientific and unscientific, about the
climatic changes taking place in western
Kansas, and considerable of it has been
somewhat mythical. But according to
the old saying, ''the proof of the pudding
is the eating;" and the man, who, years
ago stuck his 'stakes" on the western
plains, and has continued to stay, has
certainly had substantial, as well as oc-
cular, demonstration that there are
miraculous climatic changes continually
in operation.
The short curly buffalo grass gradually
yields to the tall, Haunting blue stem
which first makes it's appearance in the
buffalo wallows, then in the draws" and
finally spreads itself over the plateans,
forming beautiful meadow of luxuriant
heritage, high as a horses sides. And
such meadow, too,-the mower can run
for miles without meeting an obstruction,
and the surface is as level as floor.
OF course. it takes several years to pro-
duce this transformation, but it is sure
to come in time. Every acre of blue stem
grass, every field of corn, every furrow
plowed, modifes the climate and produces
more rainfall. Portions of the state that
were considered drouthy few years
ago, are now supplied with such an
abundance of rainfall that blue grass
covers the lawns, young forests set by
the hands of men variegate the landscape
with rich foliage, and the thrifty orchards,
decked with their fragrant blossoms,
remind one of the delicate lines of Brown
ing in speaking of her childhood's home:
Screen the land is where my daily
Steps in jocund childhood played;
Dimpled close with hill and valley,
Dappled very close with shade;-
With summer SHOWS of apple blossoms,
Running up from glade to glade"
All It's magic occurs in country
which only a few years ago was called a
desert. The scientific causes of this
wonderful phenomenon we will not at
tempt to explain, but this much we do
know, that the absolute fact exists. Al
ready settlement has pushed itself in the
northern tier of counties to the Colorado
line, and in the coming years it will con-
tinue to insinuate westward until the
shadows of the eternal mountains will
cast their twilight cleaning over the
fertile fields of happy rural homes
[PhilAibs6mrg Herald.
Every sentence of the Heyald's article
is logical We concede that the writer
has splendid knowledge of his subject.
At the same time, the article is not with
out it's misleading features with strangers.
Suppose, for instance, that new inves-
tigator of the agricultural situation in
western Kansas reads the Herald, and
then looks through Phillips county. In
all probability he would ask, els it true
that the face of this country was recently
covered with buffalo grass?" On receiv-
ing the answer, eyes," he would naturally
conclude that western Kansas would do
to trust for farming, and, as land is
assuming comparatively high valuation
in Phillips county, he would go west
further perhaps southwest. Now, if he
could come west-southwest from there,
if you please-with his eyes open, the
coming would be splendid business
move for him. He would come to secure
section or two of land, open up just
enough of it to raise feed for his stock,
and then place live stock on his land as
fast as he could afford to do SO. After
having done this, the stranger would find
that he had made no mistake in starting.
We concede that the change that has
already taken place in Phillips county is
in store for these more westerly and
southwesterly counties, but it is off at
least number of years yet, and he who,
as present, persists in straight farming,
in the sense of ignoring stock growing,
simply shows how impervious to reason a
monumental jackass can be. As fast as
the buffalo grass is extinguished in any
broad area of the New West, we concede
the fitness of that area for the purposes
of general agriculture. But we do not
admit that general agriculture should
be followed as the basis of industries in
every place where farm products grow
well Nobody, save perhaps now and
then freshly imported fellow who mis-
takes his profuse wealth Of self conceit
for brains, presumes to believe that there
would be any money out here, taking one
year with another, in raising grain for the
market, even if each farmer could dictate
the extent of his own yield
IF this language may be called vituper-
alive, we want the Herald to understand
that none of it is meant for that paper.
Its article is timely and excellent only
we think the notifications with which we
have followed it should be placed before
new settlers who would like to make q
sensible start as far west as the one hun
dredth meridian.
Finally-for this time the WORLD is
no believer in the rainfall increasing