Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1908-06-26
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port from the SunAover State. l
have been stopping for some two
weeks in Barton county, on the Ar
kansas near Great Bend, in what is
known as the "GIeat wheat belt Ct
the West" and well it may be so
termed.
This is q besutifnl, level country,
with mostly a light sandy soil and an
abundance Of vater near the surface.
Fifty years ago it was inhabited
mostly by the buffalo, the wolf, the
jack rabbit and the red man. With
no timber, except very little along
the streams, this country was part
tally settled later on by men who ven
tured for soft snap under the home
stead, the tree claim and the pre-
emption laws.-Some Of those who
we're plucky and withstood the hare
times caused by the hot winds, gras'
hoppers ands the chinch bugs, art
here yet, and have prospered wonder
fully. Others gave way to men WHIT
had means and either went back cas-
or yentured further west.
The country is now pretty vel
supplied with timber. Although
is softIwood, it is well situated ant
more::convenient than the natura
forest.
This counuyis inhabited by in
dustrious and prosperous people ane
will average farm house to the hal
section. Many Of the larger ranches
are owned by persons who live il
towr, or in some other country. ant
areworked by renters. Very few
persons who own real estate have les.
than 100 acres some perhaps as
high as 1000. know one man borr
and raised in Moniteau county, who
owns 100 acres lying on the Arkan
sas river. Land is said to be WORT
from $40 to 500 per acre, owing t
the improvements and location
The principal crop is wheat. A
much asL4 Of the land that is farmed
is in wheat One hand is said to so,
from 100 to 300 acres Of wheat. On,
man hasI7OO acres Of wheat, but di,
not do theIwork alone. They ais
raise corn, .Kafir corn, Milo maiz
and sorghum. The three last the
SOW and make hay Of. One man
said to plant and tend 100 acres Q
corn, don't have the land to break
but put it all in with listers, and sci
dom cultlvate,more than twice. TIE,
use what they commonly call the cor
sled and harrow and later on they us
cultivators. They SOW all their sma
grain with disk drills. have from 5 t.
Is disks. The smaller ones the
use for sowing wheat between tn
corn rows. They harvest their whea
with headers. A full crew of hand
is seven, with ten horses, and run
barges, work SIX horses abreast I
header All the corn fodder is Gu
with a binder. They also raise alta
ia and have prairie hay. The frs
crop of alfalfa is about harvested
The ranchman here raise altogether
hard::wheat. lathe early inhabitant
except the::cOyote and jack rabbit
are thing Of the past, but they ar
quite plentiful.
One man sometimes runs two @
the corn disk sleds, cthey put tw
horses!to one side, and make then
walk on the high ridges between thu
corn rows. They turn one aroun,
start them in and then turn the othe
and drive them both. The disk slec
has no handles. but have shields O
tenders to.keep the dirt off the corn
Some have what they call doubl
sleds, and cultivators that plow tw,
rows at time. When they work bi,
teams here they work the horse.
abreast.
This Isl fine grazing country, Blu
there Amt many cattle, some few
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