People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1897-02-25
Many would ask why this land has

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not been put 10 cultivation before.
The reason assigned is that it has
long been in possession Of southern
cattlemen, who had no more concep-
tiOn of its value for horticultural pur.
poses nor Of its strategic Importance
as a deep water port than a donkey
has about style and action. The
railroad company bought $4,000 acres
Of it in a body, and in order to adver-
tise its excellence to the world they
established this experimental farm.
And they have certainly attained
their object. A visit to this farm
will convince anyone that this soil
will produce. The land appears low
and wet, but when drained the unnec-
eSsary dampness disappears, and the
soil becomes loose and Lillable.
The farm is 800 acres, inclOsed by
nine-wire fence and laid out in a sys-
tematic aud practical manner.
Eighty acres are set out in pear trees,
and a like number are devoted to
garden tract, in which every veg
etable indigenous to the sUil Of south.
east Texas is planted. Twenty acres
are devoted to an orchard of assorted
fruits, both citrOuS and deciduOuS;
ten acres are planted in alfalfa and
assorted grasses. Considerable acre
age is also taken up in ramie and car
nagTe, both of which are very valu-
able. From ramie the finest imitation
silks can be manufactured, and car
nagre plant contains fannie acid and
is used extensively by tanners
throughout the world. There is
large demand for both of these crops,
and they bring high cash price 10
the markets.
The farm cottage is a very neat
two-stOry, of the old southern style
of architecture, and is occupied by
the fifteen or twenty employees Of the
farm. The men are under the super
vision Of Theodore Kuhnel, an ex-
perienced and thoroughly practical
farmer. He is a Dane, but has lived
in Texas ten years and says this is
the best soil he has ever handled. 1t
is dark alluvial in character, and
where there is any subsoil it is clay.
The land was only broken out for the
first time last November, and since
then the sud is rOtted and pulverized
like old ground. Mr.. Kuhnel
showed US peas and beans today
which were planted Monday aud
Tuesday. They are up and growing
nicely.
Pears are the great fruit here.
Strawberries are also quite prolific.
We saw them in bloom today. Ali of
these early fruits and vegetables will,
upon the completion Of the Gulf road,
be put on the northern market ahead
of any other section. This secures
the highest prices and the greatest
profits to the producer.
The company have their land d.
vided off into 10, 20 and 40.acre tracts,
and for sale at very reasonable prices
and on easy terms.
Kansas people will be surprised to
learn how cheaply a house Can be
built here. We passed one 10 course
of construction today and to crafty
curiosity and settle guessing match,
we alighted, examined the building
and made inquiry. 1t was a frame,
two stories, 16x32, with an ell 16xl6, IA
foot studding, we'll constructed OF
matchless clear lumber, weather
boarding. papered over building, not
plastered, and the contract price was
only S47O, without painting. Window
shutters and screens went with the
, contract. l do not believe the same
house could be duplicated in Kansas
for less thansS0O or 81, 900. So much for
cheap lumber. While we were out Of
, our vehicles we tested the well water.
, Barring slight taste of new cypress,
IL was good water. The we'll was six
teen feet deep. There was no salt
taste observable.
l certainly canno: see why this sec
tion should not furnish many happy
and prosperous homes. A twenty acre
, tract at cost of about $500, one-third
, cash, balance in one and two years,
ought to yield as much revenue as a
quarter section Of Kansas grain land.
The farm land, as well as the city
property, is selling very rapidly,
Many thousand dollars worth Of prop
: erty has been sold during the two
: days that | have been here.
y This afternoon we boarded the
!, launch and took a ten-mile trip ~
: Taylor's bayou. Tomorrow aparty Of
. six, including Mr.. Edwards. Congress
man Ridgley, S. NJ. Scott, E. G. Dud
, ley, the cOmpany's local agent, ant
I: myself, will take the launch and 20 W
I Neches river to Beaumont.
VI IT, il warm here tonight. In fact II