The Globe-republican., 1891-01-07
FROM THE EAST.

CENTRAL New YORK, Dec. 30, 1884,
En-. GLoBE-REPUBLICAN:-Many per-
sons in the east are much interested In
the growth and agricultural prosperity
of Southwestern Kansas, and hence watch
and read with attention all that is pub
lished in the Kansas papers. relative to
the crop prospects. the acreage OF gram
sown, irrigation schemes. rain falls. the
productiveness of the soil. the extent OF
the yield, and everything else which
points to the thrift and prosperity of the
farms. the farmers and:the people gener-
ally. For months have been an atten-
tive and interested reader of your paper.
and if every publication in your part OF
the state furnished the information you
do. and became advocates of all measures
tending to encourage the farmers, and
Ito make two blades of grass to grow in
the place of one.'' it would not be long
before your portion of the state would be
among the best farming sections of Kan
sas.
That the agricultural industry of the
whole country has been at low ebb and
discouraging. is admitted. So is every
kind of business at times and by turns.
But good times and seasons of prosperity
always return in due time; so it will be
with the farming interests. The rich. deep
and productive soil of Southwestern Kan
sas is too valuable to be allowed to re-
main idle a great while. The growing
scarcity of arabic lands needed to raise
crops sufficient to feed the increasing
population. has been demonstrated so
thoroughly by figures and statistics, as
to be beyond dispute. This is clearly
seen by far-seeing business men, and
hence one of the reasons for the formation
of syndicates to buy up vacant and sale
able lands. and the organization of irri-
CATION companies TO supply portions of
Southwestern Kansas with the necessary
water. History has demonstrated
that -falls-like railroads-keep
march and pace with civilization. The
blowing up and cultivation of the soil at
tract moisture from the clouds, and that
even arid deserts, when properly titled,
Oftentimes become productive fields. This
was the case in Nebraska and in eastern
Kansas.
In this section of New York there are
pine plains. from which the trees were
removed years ago, leaving deep sandy
soil. and yet rye. corn. potatoes and such
kind of crops are raised thereon in abund-
ance; the tilling of the soil seems to
bring the rains from the heavens. True,
this soil bears no comparison to the
deep, rich soil in your part of the state.
nor with other soils hereabOuts in close
proximity, of a better grade; neverthe-
less, these lands have value for those
kinds of crops, just as the soil in South
western Kansas has al adaptation per-
haps for one kind of crops better than
another. All accounts seem to agree
that your part of the state is well adap-
ted to wheat growing, better perhaps
than to corn or any other crop, and that
a larger acreage of wheat than ever be-
for has been sOwn within the past year.
Is the above correct statement. and if
so, let us know through your paper as to
what the crop at this early stage prom
Uses, in the light of rains or SHOWS, and
other circumstances tending to the
growth.
The man who picks up a quarter of a
section, rasies what money he can upon
it by mortgage, and then fits off to do
the same thing elsewhere, Gf he CAM, is
the worst kind of a tramp and among
the greatest curses that can be inflicted
upon an agricultural community. He
Injuries the land, demoralizes the locality
where he squats, and gives to the neigh
borhood a bad reputation. The grass
hopper raid and scare in Kansas less than
a quarter of century ago, gave great
fright to eastern people, and led them
into the partial belief that Kansas was
but little better than barren waste. up
on which even grasshoppers could not
live a great while. Kansas has outlived
that infliction and that reputation, and
the census shows that no state in the
Union, (unless it be within the last year
or SOY, has increased more in population,
nor shown greater agricultural yield
from her arabic lands. You will please
understand am an eastern man. but
have been in the west, seen the great
crops growing in Kansas and Nebraska,
and have not failed to note the great
possibilities of those and other states
with such a soil, and am very slow in
deed to believe they are to be put down,
or to drop out of sight rs agricultural
coofinns nf