The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-05-20
sou THEASTERN KANSAS.

J1On. OeOrSe w. Clement OF THIS CITY
| recently furnished the Orange Judd
Farmer strong communication In
which he took occasion to refute some of
the ISLANDERS and misrepresentation that
are periodically attempted to be put up
on Kansas through the columns of
eastern publications that seem to have
an interest IN traducing the west. Follow
ing are some of the salient points in Mr..
Clements communication:
Having been engaged personally and
practically in farming in Northern Ohio
for some fifteen years, and having lived
| in Kansas seven years, l know that no
state has been SO adversely advertised
| through the eastern press for the past
| three or four years as has Kansas. We
pick up the eastern paper and read of
things happening in our midst that we
never heard of before, and which in fact
never occurred. a good strong wind be-
comes cyclone. If a shanty is blown
over we read that a town has been des-
troyed. If half an inch of snow falls the
railroads are all blockaded-it is a biz
zard. If some extreme western county
is a little dry in the summer,
kansas is burned up with ..drouth. J"
Kansas is a big state. 1t is more than
41O miles from east to west, and more
than 210 from north to south; and con-
tains an area of over 81, 900 square miles.
Its surface elevation above sea level
varies from 720 feet at the Missouri
river to $500 feet at the highest points.
In all this vast territory, with its
differences in elevation, there must be a
var of Of .alt N Ac
an agricultural state, the government
reports place her at the head. Her
record in town and city building and in
building church and school houses is I'M
surpassed by any western state. In rail-
road mileage, Kansas is given as the
third state in the union.
The total farm output for Kansas for
1891, $118, 131 ,347. II. besides which her
livestock was valued at $117 SAT 1851. so.
Kansas has made wonderful growth
the past decade. The center of popula-
ton and wealth has been rapidly moving
to the south, and that portion lying
within fifty miles of Wichita has made
greater progress within the past ten
years than any other section of the state.
The reason of this is apparent to one ia
mliar with the vast resources of this
country. Southern Kansas is the ''cream
of the state" and the great Arkansas
river valley is the cream of southern
Kansas. This valley, from its earliest
Indian history, has been known as the
"stormless valley" The oldest inhab-
liant" here cannot recall a destructive
storm.
The climate is in wonderful contrast
with that Of the northwest. In the seven
years which | have been here, the Their
mometer reached zero but twice; and
natural ice has been gathered but twice.
There has been very little snow. The
days are mostly bright and sunny. There
is no deep frost to come out of the ground
in the spring, and no deep mud at any
time. The roads are good the year
round, and there are very few days in
the entire year when a farmer cannot
take a load to market. The soil is
deep. rich and lnexhaustibIe, and
will produce about all the grains,
fruits and vegetables which can
be grown anywhere in the temperate
zone. Corn is king. For the year 1891
the state of Kansas raised $3.50, 653
bushels of wheat, of which 1880, 1872
bushels were produced in the eleven
counties of Southern Kansas Immediately
tributary to Wichita OF wheat, corn
and oats, these eleven counties produced
in single season, grand total of 75,-
4S2, $50 bushels. Peaches, apples, april
cots, nectarines, pears, all kinds of
plums and cherries grow in abundance
Sweet potatoes are very prolific. The
mild climate and short winters make
this country as favorable for all kinds Of
stock raising as for titled crops. Stock
needs little shelter during the winter.
The native grasses are very nutritious,
and uncut. furnish food the year round.
Tame grasses do not yet flourish so we'll
Clover, however, is raised to quite an
extent; alfalfa grows very luxuriantly;
two and sometimes three crops of it are
cut in the season and it makes a good
feed for all kinds of stock. Kansas is
yet in her infancy. Opportunities are
great, and energy will so utilize them us
to carry Its possessors on to fortune.