The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-08-09
A MAN AND HIS FAMILY
Can Live on Five Arces And Grow Rich
On TWantv Acres

The Board of Trade rooms now, in
part, and later on will more fully, show
productions of the soil, raised this season
IN this neighborhood that is surprising.
Surprising because it had been thought
that many of these valuable fruits and
vegetables could not be grown to such
perfection in this climate; but it IS the
result of wet year, and could be dupli
Gated every year and many more anC
much more valuable products of the
soil could be produced in large yields, OF
larger size, finer and of better flavor ev-
cry year by the aid of irrigation.
a late Los Angeles paper has COM
munication from resident of the San
JoQuin valley, in Central California,
from point more than one degree north
of Wichita, who gives his experience IN
the successful cultivation of the French
walnut. An acre of these trees, say ten
years old, in full bearing, in the soil OF
this valley would with the aid
of irrigation produced walnuts to
the value of $500 to $500 per acre. In
cents per pound. Compute sixty trees
to the acre, 100 pounds to the tree is not
an excessive yield, or 5000 pounds to
the acre, at s cents, would be $3.50. All
the labor required is no greater amount
of cultivation than corn ought to have,
to which add two or three irrigations,
this year one would be sufficient), and
then go to gather and market the nuts.
This variety of walnut saves you the
labor of hulling, as the outer covering
separates itself from the nut proper
when it drops from the tree.
Then pecan grove would be equally
profitable. This delicious nut tree grows
wild in western Kentucky, southern Mis-
souri, and Illinois and to the south of
there. 1t would thrive IN the Arkansas
river valley proper, and with irrigation
it would yield as it never has in state
of nature. The best mammoth soft
shell pecan of Texas would thrive here
and be as profitable as English walnuts,
without doubt.
Then look at the cabbage now on ex-
hibition at the Board of Trade. An acre
of such cabbages, in an ordinary year
ought to yield from $500 to $500 in
money under irrigation.
What man would not rather have
twenty acres of early and late apples, of
good varieties, than 100 acres of wheat,
oats and corn? We are not endeavoring
to belittle those necessary staples for
there are no products of the soil more
important to Kansas. But they can be
raised anywhere in the state, and more
TO the acre than elsewhere, while there
is only one Arkansas valley in the state
where the enormous benefits of irriga-
ton can be SO cheaply and so satisfac-
torily utilized.
Then, think of the enormous yields of
plums, peaches. necarines, apricots,
prunes, cherries, all the berries, nuts,
alfalfa, etc. Why, an I'M
ending catalogue of the products of this,
under irrigation, would have to be writ
ten out.
Let us get to work and demonstrate to
each other, and to that immigration SO
certain to come to this great valley,
what we can do. The doing of these
things will better advertise us than all
the literature alone that could be printed.
We invite the cooperation of every
one who can see the importance of this
matter, or who has any knowledge or
experience in irrigation.
1t is our purpose to start the ball roll
ing and we confidently depend upon the
hearty support and aid of our intelligent
people to develop the grand possibilities
Of what will, when developed, prove to
be the richest, the grandest, and most
unique valley on the earth.
Consider for one moment the return
our state would receive in taxes from
the increase in the value of the lands in
he valley of the Arkansas. In the state
he valley is probably not less than
miles wide by 400 miles LONG,, 900
square miles, or ,024, 600 acres. This is
lOw worth an average price of $50 an
acre. With successful irrigation, OF
which all authorities now entertain no
loubt, this same land would sell more
'eadily for 500 per acre than it would
low for $50, an increase of $50 per acre
o the credit of present owners, making |
IN aggregate of SS1, 920, 900 increase of
he valley lands of the Arkansas alone. |
Why not set about the development of |
his grand opportunity forthwith?