Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1889-01-12

rain or irrigation, so long as the
sub-surface contains sufficient
moisture to start the seed, which is
generally the case in the dryest
seasons. This, then, being. true, it
follows naturally that the crop
which should for number of years
to come be raised in western Kansas
is sorghum cane And raised chiefly
for sugar making.
| To encourage farmers in this To-
cality to devote their attention to
this crop, the Kansas Legislature, it
seems to me, could do nothing better
to populate and build up that mag
nifcent portion of the state than to
pass law giving a bounty of, say
$4,000 a year for the next five
years, for the erection of sugar mills
at proper points, providing therein
that $4,000 a year shall be given
to each of FIVE companies that shall
put up and operate sugar mill the
first year; $4,000 each to five adj
ditional companies the second year,
and $1,000 each to ten additional
companies the third year; and so on
to the fifth year. This bonus should
be supplemented by a bounty. also
provided by the legislature, OF not
less than 2 cents pound for all the
sorghum sugar manufactured for
the term of five or six years, or
until such time when this industry
shall be self-supporting. The bene-
fits of timely legislative aid would be
amply justified by results which,
under existing circumstances, can
hardly be looked for without some
such encouragement.
1t would result in utilizing within
the next five years thousands Of
acres of arabic land in western
Kansas; in turning under a very
large portion of the surface of buff
falo sod; in affording profitable oc-
cupation for the citizens OF that
section; in building to respectable
proportions a large number Of good
towns and, the most important
Of all, it would enable western Kan
sas farmers, while raising this crop.
and getting themselves in comfort
able shape, to experiment with other
crops, and to ascertain what cereals,
if any, could be grown surely and
proftably when once that entire
region has been put under the pillow.
It seems to me, in view Of the results
to be accomplished by such a legis'a-
tive provision as | have named, that
it would be we'll worth the trial,
and the more so, because it is now a
demonstrated fact that by the new
diffusion process-the Parkinson and
Swenson process-sorghum sugar of
a very fine quality can be profitably
made, if the business is properly
managed. The investment of the
amount of money | have specified
would, under the circumstances, be
the wisest the legislature ever made.
To the query that might be raised
in opposition to this plan-that it
is unconstitutional for the state to
provide aid for such purpose--it
may be replied that the Legislature
has in the past. to meet certain
e1igencies, made appropriations not
whit more constitutional than this,
and no one has challenged the wis
dom of its action, or sought by
legal means to prevent its execution.
The state has provided bounties for
timber culture, for silk culture. and
for the culture Of hedges and sor-
ghum sugar. and public sentiment
has sustained the legislature in SO
doing. The same thing precisely
might be expected should the legis-'
lature provide for the development
Of the sorghum sugar industry in
western Kansas. The emergency is
upon US. Something should and
must be done, and at the approach
ing session of the legislature, to
afford just such aid, and for this
purpose. to western Kansas. Let
the representatives and senators
from western Kansas put their
heads together, and formulate and
pass such bill. It can and should
be done, and when done. inside Of
the next ten years, the taxes levied
and collected upon the enormously
increased value of western Kansas
farms and town properties will more
than make good an hundred fold,
the present required outlay.
l have reason to believe that
under such an arrangement as 1
have suggested, Messrs. Parkinson
and Swenson, the owners of the
sorghum sugar patents, would