The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-09-24

7
| petent engineer. these half-watered land:
| would soon become fruitful fields While
/ the nation would reap rich return II
the better development Of body OF the
best bread lands on this side Of the Rocky
| noun tains.
| Outside of mere fees and commissions
| to give title. this great government canno'
| afford TO call on these settlers for a single
! dollar, except it be expended in some such
| way as has been indicated TO aid in chang
| ing the Climatic conditions" Of these
| landS
But il is not Of scientific neglect or o!
! the mistaken policy OF the government as
TO these lands, that We write. but what
we say is mainly ard especially intended
to draw public attention to the value OF
these lands, the causes Of their semi
aridity and If possible TO Indicate a
remedy for the same.
We refer now TO that portion OF these
lands lying between the Rock mountains
. and the Missouri river, and between the
Rio Grande, on the south ard the Yellow
stone, on the north. \ vast area of rich.
kindly land. which. If It can be made re-
liable and productive. will be an ele-
ment of immense strength to this great
nation. These rich. warm lands are
mainly situated IN mild climate under a
clear sky, ard for ages has been in a
state of PREPARATION to produce, when nee
essity demands, an abundance of the
purest and best golden grain that can be
grown in the United States.
The cereals from these lands will not
reach the market or the mills. Mouldy,
sprouted and half decomposed, by reason
of having been grown and harvested on
wet lands Wheat. rye. barley and
oats do not need a wet, water-leached
land. What is needed is a good soil.
plenty of sunlight and a proper amount of
moisture and rainfall sufficient to vigor-
Gus growth.
The damp atmosphere. the cloudy
weather and the heavy rainfall OF ILL
nois and Indiana are no criterion for these
lands To make crops success We need
more moisture and an additional rainfaii
over what we now have. And We need
better supply Of vapor In the lower strata
of the air than We now have in most
years.
If what has been said Is correct then a
deficiency of moisture is not all evri, pro-
vided such deficiency can be SO far rene
died that better and a more wholesome
bread grain can be secured. To be SEMI
arid" is to be deficient In moisture ana
rainfall. Afifrmatively, these lands, or
quite portion Of them. have sufncient
rainfall and moisture to mature medlum
crop Of small! grain, and some seasons
produce a good crop of corn. But In a
majority Of the years the rainfall ara
moisture on most Of the land is not SUI
ficient for a full yield" Hence the
lands are called "semi-arid." And the
result IS more or less short crops.
This condition is mainly the result OF
two causes, viz: First a deficiency Of
moisture or vaDor in the air" over the
plain belt, and secondly, a deficiency OF
water on the earth's surface, during the
summer months" The great elevation OF
the continental divide TO the west, the
high lands Of Old and New Mexico in
tercept the inflow Of moisture from the
west and southwest. While. at the same
time the Gulf of Mexico is too far to the
east to afford a proper supply of vapor
from that source. The motion Of the
earth eastward, aided perhaps by the ex-
pansion of the air over the plains, causes
the vapor from the west part Of the Gulf
OF Mexico to move east OF a due north
course during the heated season. Hence.
except when there or southeast wind, We
secure but little vapor from the gulf. 1t
it is true that when western Arkansas
and Missouri lands. and lands in eastern
these lands are materially benfitted by the
locality But We are compelled to accept
the conclusion that in most seasons there
is deficiency of vapor in the air over
these lands for crop success.
Again, it will be seen, that there IS
deficiency of water on. the earth's sur
face over almost all of these lands. There
are NO large bodies of water, compare
lively very few lakes or rivers or creeks
of any considerable volume, and but few
ponds to hold the surface water. Be
sides our streams have their source in
the high and dry plateau of elevated land
to the west. Hence the spring and early
summer rains pass quietly out Of the
country to the east and southeast. And
by the time the heated season commences
there is little or no water on the earth's
surface from which nature can manufac-
ture vapor for the air.
These are the prime causes Of our semi
arid conditions. Besides these there are
this result. These causes may be deemed
secondary or approximate" They owe
their existence and their deleterious pow
er to the lack of a proper volume of mois-
ture 'in the air. over the plain belt, to
dim and obscure the suns rays on the
earth. If the air Is properly supplied
with vapor, either from large bodies of
water at a distance, or from a proper
volume of water on the earth's surface,
such moisture breaks the power of the
suns rays on the earth. and the earth's
crust does not become so greatly heated.
Nor is plant Efe so severely taxed to re-
tain its moisture.
Again. If the air is properly saturated II
not only does much TO shade the earth and
keep il cool, but II neutralizes the violence
of the south wind on these lands. The
most careless observer cannot fail to see
that a strong south wind drinks up the
moisture as the OK dI1nketh the water"
A general rain on the plain belt VIII, for
the time being, and for some time after,
almost annihilate strong south wind.
The air filled with moisture conpells 4
calm.
Doubtless the action CT gravity on the
S ira tilted air tends 20 compel the better
saturated air of the elevated lands. near
the mountains, to drift 10 the lowlalds-
This fact tends 10 increase ar!dity on the
high lands, and as a result, such lands
TO be made productive, VIII need an in
crease OF surface water over the lands Of
less altitude.
II would be quite easy to show IL space
would permit, that an atmosphere de-
fc!ent IN d proper volume Of moisture is a
store house of evil
There IS another fact of special signifi-
canoe, that should not be overlooked, viz:
that science and practical observation
unite IN determining that the deranged
OF the afr on the plains is con-
fined almost exclusively 10 the lower
strata OF the air" or that strata that rests
Immediately or the earth's surface. To
his lower strata, We are 10 look Tor any
and almost al abnormal atmosphere |
phenomenae appertaininS 70 our atHos- !
phere. The heat OF the sun, and that |
heat radiated TO the air. is the active dis |
;urbing agent Of the lower strata OF our |
air.