The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1895-06-28
The Possibilities Of the Agricultural
Resources OF the Bottom Lands.

The Possibilities OF the Agricultural
Resources Of the Bottom Lands.
The combining of the agricultural opera
tons to the bottom lands only. and using
the uplands for grazing purposes, is
matter many people have under consid-
Grafton, and one that offers the best So
luton of the vexed question of farming
under adverse circumstances. Should
this be done it would be no more than
what irrigated countries have dOue for
centuries past, of using the valley lands
for irrigation and farming and the bills
and uplands for grazing purposes.
1t may be said that an arithmctical
calculation of dollars and cents in the ex.
tent of this circumscribed farming would
not give ample resources for sustaining a
large population. But, if we go to figur-
ing the possibilities Of results from a
cultivation of every acre of valley land
capable of sustaining production under
the rainfall only, the calculation would
seem an almost incredible one. We con-
slider the probable value Of production
from rainfall only. and without irri-
cation.
In Ford county, the bottom proper, or
valley, has an average width of two
miles or more. The county is thirty-six
miles in length. This would make y
square miles, or an area containing 46, $50
acres. This could be divided up in as
large or small tracts as desired. At
present many thousands of acres of
bottom lands are in cultivation sOwn in
alfalfa. Two crops of hay and one crop
of seed is made each season from alfalfa
lands. The 46,OS0 acres In alfalfa would
yield, under a proper stand of the grass
roots, 1874 1920 tons of hay at 81 a ton,
would make return Of 1892 The
product of the seed crop not counting the
hay from this crop would aggregate, at
five bushels of seed to the acre, and four
dollars bushel for seed, the princely
sum of 1921 900. Adding the value of
hay and seed we have the enormous sum
of 81 ,65S, $50. Now this sum divided in
to 2.00O equal parts would sustain farm
ing community of $50 families, and Civ
ing five persons to a family, would make
a population of also. This would in
clude only those engaged in alfalfa rails
ing. We may add those engaged in stock
feeding and the population would be in
creased several thousand more. The hay
product of Ia 800 tons would feed, at
two tons to the animal, 72,160 head of
stock, valued at $50 head, low esti-
mate, making the further sum of S2,164,-
500. and added to the value of the seed
crop would make the sllm of $3,OS6, 400.
This sum divided among the entire farm
ing population would sustain pOpula-
ton in the cities of an equal number of
the farming population, and make an
aggregate of population, allowing $4,000
to each family in farming, total pOpula-
ton in the country OF $1,000. With an
average allowance of $1,000 to each
farmer, who can imagine what further
benefits would he added to the wealth of
the county within ten years. Well may
shake her CORY locks at these
figures.
This is not only within the range of
but it can be made an ac-
fact, brought about by the
Drawn and brain of energy and industry.
The growth OF alfalfa on uplands is
not of the improabilities in alfalfa cu,-
ture. One or two crops in the season can
be realized on the aplands, where the
plant has ordinary rains, and the roots
have taken fair hold. Several expert
ments have been made with alfalfa on
uplands and the results are promising
the planting has been
tested during the past two dry seasons.
With successful alfalfa growing on up
lands stock raising will be the most
E.,1s .,I