Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-08-31
WESTERN KANSAS.
The Secretary of the state Board OF AgRi-
culture Has a Good Word for That Sec

The Secretary OF the State Board of AgRi-
culture Has Good Word for That Sec
tiOn.
Topeka, Kan. Aug. 23.-Secretary
Coburn, in speaking of western Kan.
sas and its future prospects, gives the
following as his views:
There was never before such q favorable
time for the ambitious, Industrious. willing
worker, native or foreign. to take up his abode
in that region and there begin carving out for
himself a home, a competence and an identity,
as presents itself in this year 1895. Not that
they would all become rich; that is impoSsi-
BILE in any country but the sum of the COM
forts and independence they could acquire
would be so much greater than many Of them
know in their present situations as to make
contrast most striking.
Some of my reasons for this belief are these:
1t is thoroughly demonstrated that western
Kansas possesses climate, taking the whole
year through, nowhere surpassed for healthful-
ness; it is equally well demonstrated that its
soil under favorable conditions of moisture is
productive to a limit yet unmeasured II
there are seasons when that fractional part of
che rainfall which is utilized proves insufficient
for maturing crops it is pretty we'll established
that there is an ample underground supply
available for housing which will go far toward
insuring crops every y ear-Such too as the most
noted agricultural states elsewhere are not
often able to boast of. Further, choice
land there, without stump, stone, hill OF
ravine, every acre fitted by nature for a
garden, can be bought at a lower price and on
easier payments now than ever again, and adj
jacent to land no better that this year will pro-
duce crops on one acre sufficient to purchase
five and even ten equal acres.
However, think that irrigation, with its
large possibilities, is to be secondary in i'm
portance to deep tilIage by thoroughly loosen
ing and diSintegrating the compacted under
soil to the depth of fifteen or twenty inches in
other words subsoiling, whereby the rainfall
will be safely stored in its proper reservoir,
the bosom of mother earth, availa BILE later for
drafts at times when most needed, instead of
running to waste and working devastation by
foods.
One encouraging fact is that our people are
studying as never before the conditions con-
fronting them, the cause of past failures and
the requirements for future success. This de-
termination to better understand the obstacles
| to be avoided overcome, to utilize the ele-
ments at hand and to work out their own pros
perity on their individual farms, rather than
wait for legislation and appropriations to make
them prosperous, is the best possible augury of
the triumphs they will vet achieve.
The superb crop conditions existing will
have great influence in restoring confidence,
but if the plentiful rains of the present season
cause our people to lessen their efforts in
certainlng and preparing to use all possible
water supply and to be careless in planting
crops not well adapted to their attitudes or to
profitable consum ption sale when produced
a great mistake will be made and progress
given a serious check
Those who hold the fort will always be glad
they did so, if they profit by past experiences.
| Intensive farming (better and less, rather than
more), judiciouS selection of crops to plant
| subSoiling, harvesting the rain waters irriga-
| ton and the rearing of well-bred farm animals
will afford "a way OUT infinitely palmer and
more reliable than any likely to come ready
made and bearing a legislative trade mark
| from either Washington Topeka.