Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1898-11-03

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20 Mississippi river on the west
Flowing on and within her border,
Kentucky has 1000 miles Of naviga
Die rivers. The Ohio is the trunk lin,
Of this great waterway system, max
ing with its 653 miles of windings tn,
states northern boundary. Flown,
into il are the Big Sandy, Licking
Kentucky, Salt River, Tradewater
Green, Cumberland and Tennessee
Emptying into these rivers are mann
smaller ones, the whole making 4
network of waterways, which is one
OF the States most valuable natural
assets.
The fertile land drained by these
beautiful streams has a soil which is
remarkable for its recuperative pow
or. Much of it has been cultivated
for many years, but it continues as
rich as the virgin sod. The most ex-
haustive cultivation does not wear it
out, as is She case in many agricul-
tural regions. This fact, which is
the real secret of Kentucky's bound
less fertility, is due to the continual
decomposition of limestone which
underlies much of the State. Ponce
Ge Leon searched i'm vain for a foun-
tam Of youth, but the soil of the Ken
lucky farmer has found it i'm the hid
den depths of the earth. Little won-
der is it that to such soil the blue
grass is native, springing from it
spontaneously, and that in it is
grown every agricultural staple in
the temperate zone. Wheat of uneX-
celled quality for milling purposes
is raised in quantities far in excess
of the States need, and corn grows
on the rich alluvial bottom lands
taller and larger than in any other
part of the Union. The season for
corn is so long that the crop may be
planted as late as the middle of June
and still reach yellow maturity be-
fore frost. Winter killing of wheat
is rarely known, as the climate is
mild and equable. Vegetables of ev-
cry variety grow abundantly, and the
central location of the State and it's
excellent railway connections with
Northern markets have in recent
years caused profitable attention to
be paid to truck farming.
In the production of tobacco Ken
lucky leads all the other States. The
quality is So high that it fixes the
standard in many kinds. Her Burley
tobacco is so much superior to that
grown elsewhere that the State has
a virtual monopoly Of this staple. AS
the profits of tobacco cul-
ture, crops frequently average from
l 200 to l,500 pounds -" acre, and the
choicest leaf Frequently sells - $50
per 100 pounds. BoSijys the So -ey
.lhs dark ar heavy are. ely
grown. These do not COMMA so
high price as the .olmer, Lat as
their yield is larger heir production
proves quite rs profitable to the
grower.
Kentucky leads the Union also in
the production of whisky, having
just completed her first century in
its manufacture. The beginning of
the industry was the direct result of
the whisky war i'm Pennsylvania in
l79S. At its close there was an exodus
Of distillers over the mountains to
the wilds of Kentucky. The first
distillery was built in what is now
Mason county, but when the State
was organized it was part of Bour-
bon county, hence the name given the
product to distinguish it from the
eastern brand, which was distilled
from rye.
1t Is interesting to note that i'm this
period of general currency discussion
that in the early days whisky was
the principal medium of exchange in
Kentucky. 1t possessed the curren-
cy requisites of improving with age,
of ready divisibility and of portabili-
ty, to say nothing of the fact that it
was in great demand.
As indicating to what dimensions
the industry has grown, the General
receives In revenue
alone about $25,OOO,OOO annually on
the Kentucky product. Measured i'm
money it is the leading industry in
the State, and pays out every year
millions of dollars for corn, rye and
malt, i'm addition to the enormous
to labor. On May l, 1898,
there were i'm the distilleries and
bonded warehouses of the State TO-
5O9, ,42l gallons of whisky. For the
fiscal year ending June 30, 1897, the
production of bourbon and rye whis-
ky was IL, ,470, 1887 gallons.
The thoroughbred is the third in
the triumvirate of products in which
Kentucky leads the union. The Ken
lucky horse is invincible. 1t is
claimed that there is some subtle
quality in the climate of Kentucky
and some peculiar nutrient in the
grasses raised i'm her limestone pas
lures that unite i'm producing the per-
feet horse. Be that as it may, the
fact is fully established that the
blooded horses of the "Blue Grass
State" excel those raised elsewhere
in speed, endurance and beauty.
Mules are also raised in large num-
bers, especially for supplying the
cotton and sugar districts of the
Southern States, and to call a mule
a Kentucky mule has always added
several dollars to its value.
Another branch of the live stock
industry which is highly profitable
is feeding cattle for the European
trade. These cattle, called "export
CATTLE" are as fine beeves as are pro-
duced anywhere i'm the world.
Sheep raising is also followed prof
itobly and every wear more widely,