The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-06-11
SOUTHWESTERN KANSAS.
To the Editor of the Eagle.

| To the Editor of the Eagle.
/ have just returned from an extended
| trip over tlnrty-two counties of south
western Kansas. Having travelled l 600
miles by team and about 500 miles by
rail, I kindly solicit enough space in
| your columns for a few brief notes on the
| progress and prospects of this vast terri
tory Immediately tributary to Wichita.
The climatic conditions of the south
western fourth of the state have been for
| the last eight months identical with
those which hare preceded every boun-
tiful crop year in the history of the state,
SO far as authentic records have been
kept. The rainfall was abundant last
fall, the snow fall in the mountains the
heaviest for six years. and the rains of
the past three months numerous and
plentiful
The results of those favorable condi-
tons have been apparent. The yield of
winter wheat promises TO be enormous
throughout the southwestern portion of
the state. In Morton, Stanten. Hamil-
ton and other remote western counties |
saw eighty and 100-acre fields
of wheat that will yield twenty
FIVE to thirty bushels per acre
Ruben Lake. of Lake City. Barber
county. has 900 acres which will yield on
low estimate, twenty-five bushels per
acre.
The oat crop is not fully developed nor
Is the acreage so large as wheat. but the
yield promises to be larger than for any
previous year.
The corn is generally small, owing to
the cool weather of April and the fore
part Of May, but is now making a vigor
Gus growth; the acreage Is scarcely as
large as last year.
Rye, barley, sorghum. broom corn,
castor beans and all other field crops look
promising in every county visited.
Stockmen all over southwestern Kan
sas say they have never known live stock
to be in better condition at this season of
the year and the prospects for good prices
more assuring. | have talked with at
least score of Cattlemen and farmers
within the last thirty days who purchased
cattle last fall and winter, who could sell
their entire herds at 100 per cent profit.
James DeGeer, of Deerhead township,
Barber county, borrowed $500 on his
farm four years ago and invested the
money in sheep. He has sold 1900
worth of sheep and wool. His wool clip
this year is worth 5000 He has 500 head
of good graded sheep and over 500
lambs. ]. II. Baker, of Protection,
Comanche county, had in the spring of
SO $50 head of sheep. His gross sales of
sheep and wool amount to So $40 in the
last four years. ard his flock is worth at
least $4,000 today.
If the territory comprising twenty-five
counties of southwestern Kansas were rs
fully utilized for farming and grazing as
is the western half of Sedgwick county,
the crop of 1890 should there be no re-
verses) would be sufficient to buy every
acre of the land at present prices. | am
acquainted with one man in COmanche
county whose net profits each year from
100 acres of wheat will purchase 100
acres of equally as good land in the same
His lowest average yield
was in SO, being seventeen bushels. In
'89 his crop brought $3.50 cash, the av-
erage being twenty-three and one
fourth bushels per acre.
JOHN G.. STEFFEE.