Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-03-08

ITEMS. 1850. 1886,
Population . lO7,2o6 1,514, ,54S
Counties es...... SO 106
Acres land in cultivation 372,s35 15,473, ,4S5
Domestic animals ....... 242,1S2 5,364, ,212
Products of live stock. ......- $500 $40
Value of farms. S431, ,4Oo ,346
Taxable property OF
State us6D ............ ss47s7, ,459 sa77, ,S7oo o6a
School children( 1862. 1896 1875
Public school housesus6s) 95S 67S1
Teachers employed...... 319 1887
Money raised for schools
by direct taxationQs62) s1O,ss1 So, $50 o,616
Railroad mileage (1SS0. 1885
Wheat, corn, oats and barley grow to
perfection in Kansas. The last two
years some of our crops fell short of
the average. In 1884 our farmers
raised As, ,05O, ,431 bushels of wheat. and
100, $40, 1856 bushels of corn; the wheat
average being 21.47 bushels per acre,
and the corn acreage AZ bushels per
acre. In 1882 the wheat average was
22.29 bushels. Tame grasses, and all
manner of fruits and vegetables, COM
mon to temperate latitude are success
fully grown here. Sorghum, the future
sugar plant of North America, does
well on Kansas soil. and rice corn,
Kaffir corn, millet and alfalfa do well
in all the western counties, and cotton
and tobacco are good crops in all the
more southern counties.
Kansas is peculiarly well adapted to
stock-growing, af the actual numbers
rarnrta6 from RI chnm Tho
native grasses are nutritious. Sum-
mers are long, winters are short and
usually mild. In 1884 we had nearly a
million and quarter of sheep, and the
wool clip was 5,OOO,O95 pounds. The
falling off so per cent. is because of
low prices paid for wool. Horses and
cattle have increased steadily. The
last report (1sS7) shows 692, 1858 milch
COWS; ,56S, ,62S other cattle, and ,847,-
394 swine.
Dairying has no better field, though
it is not well established yet. Of but
ter made in the State 81 $40, ,1O1 pounds
were reported for 1887, and 1876, 900
pounds of cheese. The greatest meas
ure of success among Kansas farm
ers will be realized in the manufacture
of grass and grain into meat, milk, but
ter, cheese, wool and leather.
Manufacturing establishments in
Kansas now number about one thous-
and. The number reported for 1886
was even nine hundred, with an aggre-
gate capital of S19,OO0,OOO, and turn
ing out products at S31 ,OOO,OOO Mill
ing is in the lead. There were three
hundred and twenty-three flour mills
in active operation in the state the be-
ginning of the last year. OF these, 252
ground 16, ,262, ,S91 bushels of wheat dur
ing the year. The great railway COM
panies have established immense shops
at Topeka, Atchison and other points,
employing large numbers of men.
Mining interests are extensive and
growing. Coal lies under the whole
state, and is found near the surface in
the eastern counties. Fuel and water
are abundant; wool, flax, cotton and
sorghum cane are grown easily and per-
fectly within the state. There is no
better wool growing region on earth,
and we have only three small woolen
factories. Flax grows well in every
part of the state, and the fiber is
wasted. Sorghum cane is peculiarly
well adapted to our soil and climate;
we have one sugar factory built, and
two or three more will be built this
year, the largest one at Topeka. Kan
sas is an open field as to all these great
Industries. Her farmers can raise
wool, flax, cotton, sorghum and meat
enough to supply population of fifty
million. Why carry the raw material
outside her boundaries for manufac-
tsure wfeu It might as VET be dUnh 1t