The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-31
SUB:ARID BELT.
now TO REDEEM IT BT ARrEsIIE
WELLS AND SPECIAL TTILA91.

Strip About Two Hundred Miies Wides
Extensing rror, Canada 60 che auis
We hear much OF the vast arid region OF
the United States, stretching eastward from
the Cascade Range and the sierras TO the
plains that lie beyond or west Of the Missis-
sippi Valley proper. But scarcely less inter-
esting, through perhaps less well defined, 10
a sub-arid area lying between that and the
humid regions of the East. This area 10 do
scribed by Mr.. f. ". Smalley in tho June
Forum as about 200 miles In breadth, and ex-
tending from the Saskatchewan to the Gulf
Of Mexico. Il is o part Of what used 70 b
called tho Great Plains, q little less level than
tho land east Of IL and q little less broken
than the land west, its soil being . brown
loan which would be most productive II ma
ture would vouchsafe q dozen more inches OF
rain q year.
This region of deficient rainfall II trnvcrsed
by great rivers, here and there, but its streams
Of local origin are few, and in summer are
nearly dry. Mr.. Smalley selects as Q repre-
sentative Of them the James River, in the
Dakotas, which, though 1T Is moro than 500
miles long. and drains an area larger than
Ohio, has hardly q peroeptible current dur
ing July, August, and September. and can be
forded almost anywhere, having become 1T
tie more than q series of water holes" In
deed, last summer one farmer sunk Q well in
the bed OF the river to get water for his stock
The James Is said TO be the largest non-navf-
gable river on the continent, and may prove
a perfect treasure house for future river and
harbor bills.
In this belt the snow fall is less than in
the Mississippi Valley, and tho average an
nual precipitation ranges from fifteen to
twenty inches, against about twice that
amount in the Mississippi. Most of 10
-----. 49, ---.n- ,ot-. .-H vnnlttnD anA-
while there are usually six or seven rainlees
weeks in July and August. during which Pc
Rod there are apt to be hot winds that blow
for two or three days, and suck the moist
ure out of the growing crops. Mr.. Smalley
traces these bliRhting winds to the rising of
heated air from the semi-scorched plains.
causing a partial vacuum, which currents
from above rush in to fill, their force caus-
ing heat by compression. Much Of the sur
face drainage of this sub-arid belt goes
into ponds, which lose most of their water by
evaporation.
Artesian wells. or systems Of tillage which
will retain the surface moisture of the grow
ing crops. constitute the only hope that Mr..
Smalley sees for the redemption Of the SUBJ
arid belt, which really has millions Of rich
acres open and vacant. From twelve to
twenty years ago there was a great settle
ment OF this belt, together with an extensive
railway building, while 1t CHANGED that dur
ing tho first two or three years there was
exceptional rainfall. This deceived the
new corners, so that afterward, when dry
seasons came. they were believed TO be exc
But they proved to be normal.
The result was that at length rome settlers
drew back eastward and others pushed on to
the Pacific coast, while of those who re-
manned, some, after growing poorer year by
year in attempting wheat culture, turned to
cattle and sheep husbandry, eked out by Q
small fields of grain and roots.
The assertions made on this subject by
Mr.. Smalley will be. to a great part Of tho
country, novel and surprising. He declares
that 1.-The towns in the sub-arid bel t have
up steadily. and most OF them
cannot to-day count half the population they
had ten or fifteen years ago. Only the dis
ali sh' UPON sasrieel turns, are mni pro sp noS ae P ETer a.
where abandoned farms are s,en. with fields
growa up to weeds: on which a heroic AZ
may be CHALLENGED, Mr.. smaliey. supports il
l:4e s. .oSs people .1 While Ia last i year the na ssste o saa
sus found only. l,334, 66s. The eastern par.
u the western, with"its absolute loss Of 900.
has almost entirely Disappeared. In sixty"
Two villages there was a total loss during the
900 6e"r people @lSee Who 4 left the en westerns part tn ne
s ! iIHias. DID l4i so " ss4s ast 'hfs Fous sSD da., n But p asss
we're dried out by the arid climate"
Nebraska took no State census last year,
2ut her western counties are suffering like
alton Of 3as. sos in 1890, and OF sso. 675 last
ear. Z H. a , gain % Of w only R.d lin in five years, Which
probably done better. because any loss Of
in the Red River Valley, which has =
While Kansas was losing nearly 100, 900
'eople between 1890 and 1895, MinnesotS
;a,afia 4iS i, tSss. { sn lies TIVE %he ehiSlS wissim .S Ss Mr. Mr.:
mid region. There is now no fertile iand,''
e says syes I ham the region sn9. Of good r%ainfsll, open
he Vest except in the forest region OF
osthern Wisconsin and northern Minnesota,
,gton, where 1t costs about a Hundred dol
rus AN r Snio tho Se s SlSsr the trees stumps. and
VIII this vast sub-arid. belt, then. be al
attic ranger 1t is as broad as Ohio Sio. and pt eI.
,nds thropghout the western portions Of
a. and Xssinibc;ia tn' NV Two s RasGlsSs' MSiinitS,
,sa,t there 61o are re two Ssu methods q ayerting this
ellis, which is already carried on to G a ran
,arkabls extent In the DaKotas. They have
r nder them a vast artesian basin. known to
anktSn, in south Dsfota, Il S"his is coached
&c. aep Snd or a. 500 feet; further north, at 1000
500 feet. AT present the Irrigation move
Is confined mostly to the lower James
lissouri. In South Dakota. But there sss
ore than 1000 wells bored or boring.
Townships have bonded themselves To car
on this work; farmers have combined In
T; stock companies, sink wells and water
,ges: The su6soil holds water so we'll that
10 years good soaking will produce crops
two and perhaps three years Fields
,us Irrigated in South Dakota produced last
1 ~ th,Ety,hye bushels OF wheat TO the acre
y, prG9 Sn% q o only twelve; THUS a We'll
antira n Sa;ooo 70 $4,000. and watering
self In one year. P"' ''
but artesian wells may not DO sufficient
10 redeem the eub-arid belt, The suh'
Tranean waters percolate through the DO
u = sahustone under hydrortatic pressure.
III each new well diminlshes that prsasnrs
I q considerable area abou, 1t, stli, whers
ioon nnS nat no more wells can be. sunf in
township, there will still DO use FOR tba
neb lands In pasturaee., Besides, there IL
otnnTer hope, namely, In tho improved meth
VI InlhGO which n Aclanlino