The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1905-07-28
DESERT LAND IS FERTILE HOW
WILLIAM f. CURTIS WRITES
BACK To CHICAGO ABOUT II
nlarkabIe That 1t May Be Called
a Phenomenon.


belt Of Kansas. and not many years
ago Now IL runs to Page City, on the
1920 meridian In fact, wheat is now
growing everywhere in Kansas with
out irrigation This year it is believ-
ed that a $1,000, 600 bushel crop has
been grown upon what was formerly
called the Great American Desert
Barton, Harper, Kingman, Phillips,
Pratt Reno. Rice Rocks and Stat
ford counties, which contribute a
great share Of the wheat crop, are in
the desert
The boundaries Of the cultivated
area, the agriculture frontier, have
been extending gradually westward
ever since the settlement Of the state
In 1860 the extreme limit Of cultiva-
ton was EmpOria, 10 miles from
Kansas City; in 1870 the people Of
Manhattan we're blowing up the
ground and making gardens. in 1880
Salina was the agricultural outpost,
2S6 miles from the Missouri state line
Before and after 1890 there were
seven lean years, and many farms in
the central and western parts OF the
state were abandoned, but in 1896
there was plenty Of rain and plenty Of
sunshine and the empire resumed its
westward march. In 1900 Ellis coun-
ty was the limit, but since then the
plOwman has reached the boundary
Of Colorado, and the railways run
ming east and west are now lined with
wheat farms on both sides
Increase OF Rainfall.
There are many theories concern
ing the increase Of the rainfall in
Kansas. 1t is the popular impression
that the blowing Of the ground in,
an arid region is necessarily follow
ed by increased precipitation. on the
theory that before blowing the rains
runs of the hard surface as it would
from a roof, while after blowing II
sOaks into the soil and is easily suck
ed up into the atmosphere by the rays
Of the sun. There is no doubt that
the wild buffalo grass which covered
the prairies Of Kansas with its matted
roots formed a surface as hard and
impenetrable as a slate roof, and that
formerly the water as it fell from the
sky ran into the coolies and streams
Immediately, without soaking into
the earth. When the turf is turned
the thirsty soil drinks in all the rain
that falls upon it, and the water per
colates through to the clay or bed
rock. There is no doubt that this con-
tributes much to the fertility Of the
soil. but there is nothing to prove an
increase of rainfall. There are rec
Ords for only a few years in the west
ern part of the state, and they are
neither accurate nor complete. The
human memory is very unreliable
also, and il is easy to obtain plenty
of testimony on both sides.
The average annual rainfall
throughout Kansas, for eighteen
years, from 1887 to 1904 inclusive,
was 27.44 inches. The average rain
E.T . - O
1903 it was 1854 inches; and for 1902
it was 1922 inches. The average an
nual rainfall for eighteen years in
eastern Kansas was 35.16 inches; in
middle Kansas 1851 inches, and in
western Kansas 1892 inches A com
parisOn of years shows great vari-
alton, but no increase. The greatest
precipitation was in Greenwood cOun-
ty (5O.S2 inches) and the least was
at Dodge City, Ford county CHS
inches.)
In Wallace county. in the extreme
northwestern part of the state, rec
ords have been kept for twelve years
which show that there has already
been more rain thus far in 1905 than
during any previous year since 1903
There were also good rainy seasons
in 1898, 1895 and 1902. The dryest
years were 1898, 1899 and 1901. The
record for twelve years proves that
there has been no permanent change
one way or the other, and the remark
holds good for the entire state. It is
useless for anyone to assert that the
cultivation Of the soil has increased
the rainfall.
Many Great Changes.
At the same time, there have been
1 some remarkable changes-sO re
markable that they may be called
phenomena Dodge City offers one Of
| the best illustrations. twenty-five
years ago, when it was the end Of
| the drive. nothing would grow there
| The soldiers at the military post tried
/ in vain to make a garden. The ex-
periments were repeated from year TO
year. each time with better success.
until now very fair crops are harvest
/ ed from the dry farms in that neigh
l bOrhOOd. while in the towns there
/ are gardens as good as you can find
! anywhere.
Old Fort Hays, where Sheridan
made his headquarters in the Indian
i war Of 1867. was the center Of the
/ Great American desert, and anybody
/ who imported a pillow, or even a sickle
| twenty-five years ago would have
/ been an object Of public ridicule. 1t
i is now within the richest part Of the
1 grain belt. and the Union Pacific rail-
/ way hauled 2,1O4 cars Of grain out Of
/ that station last year The cattle have
/ not entirely gone. however There
/ are some large ranches in the neigh
/ bOrhOOd. Eighty thousand head or
/ more OF cattle will be shipped from
/ there on the Union Pacific line alone
/ this year.
| WinOna, forty miles from the Colo
Il RADIO border. 81 the extreme western
i grain shipping point Of Kansas, and
/ several train loads have been sent
/ from there annually for four or i've
| years Before that time il was sup
Il posed that nothing but buffalo grass
| would grow in that neighbOrhood, but
I now there are many dry farms
/ that IS, farms cultivated without frri-
/ cation. from which profitable crops
/ are harvested every year
/ There Is no government land Of any
\ value left in Kansas The school land
/ has also been pretty well sold out, and
/ the proceeds have been invested in
! state bonds The government lands
sold for S1-25 an acre when they were
not taken up by hOmesteaders; the
school lands brought an average OF
I 50 an acre. and the lands Of the rail-
way grant an average OF S2-25 per
! -aFT--ar~ land