Hesperothen; Notes from the West, Vol. 1 (of 2): A Record of a Ramble in the United States and Canada in the Spring and Summer of 1881Russell, William Howard, Sir
History
Hesperothen; Notes from the West, Vol. 1 (of 2): A Record of a Ramble in the United States and Canada in the Spring and Summer of 1881
Russell, William Howard, Sir
United States -- Description and travel
In South Central Kansas, forest trees are rapidly growing up; for it
would seem that before the country was settled trees were not found at
all, except by the banks of the streams. Between the Great Bend and
Dodge City the country has the same deep, rich, well-drained soil, but
it presents a great change in the climate and the grasses, the latter
being principally the buffalo-grass, instead of the tall blue-stained
grass of the country farther east. As we go westward from the Great
Bend, there is a higher elevation, a drier atmosphere and a smaller
rainfall, and a different system of cropping is required. Winter wheat
is dangerous to meddle with, because there may be a short rainfall,
which happens once every five years, and then failure is certain; but
broom-corn can get on in dry weather, and the sugar-cane has never
failed. The manufacture of sugar at Larned in Pawnee County is
declared to have been so successful that sugar-growing and making give
every promise of being the coming industry in South-western Kansas;
and in the same district, sheep-raising has made marked progress. But
it is admitted that the result was very much in consequence of the
failure of the wheat-crop. Capital is required here for growing
wheat, broom-corn, or sugar, or breeding sheep or cattle. West of
Dodge City the Company admit that there is only grazing to be had,
except along the valley of the Arkansas river, where irrigation is
being carried on with successful results in fitting the soil to raise
vegetables for the markets in Colorado and New Mexico. It must be
remembered that the average elevation of the great region which is
traversed by the rail is about 200 feet above the level of the sea;
and although I will not go so far as to believe that chills and
fevers, asthma, consumption, and pulmonary diseases do not exist, or
are relieved and cured by the air, I think there is ground for
accepting the statement that the climate is generally healthy.
I cannot offer any opinion on the great question of water supply, but
the Railway Company aver that the eastern half of their grant is well
watered by running streams, and that though in the western half there
are longer intervals between the watercourses, ample supplies of this
great necessary can be obtained at a depth of 15 to 50 feet below the
surface, and it is only on the summit of the high divides that greater
depth must be reached before water is struck. The employment of
windmills is becoming pretty general.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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