Page:Kansas A Cyclopedia of State History vol 1.djvu/50

 55,255 acres, 106,268 tons, $515,269; Kafir corn, 630,096 acres, $1,794,032 tons, $6,856,845.50; Jerusalem corn, 3,231 acres, 8,251 tons, $35,402.50; tame grasses, timothy, 413,148 acres; clover, 182,789 acres; bluegrass, 232,172 acres; alfalfa, 878,283 acres; orchard grass, 2,956 acres; other tame grasses, 77,550 acres; of tame hay in 1907 there were 1,429,119 tons cut, with a value of $9,534,290; in 1908, 13,744,690 acres of prairie hay was fenced; in 1907, 1,145,643 tons of prairie hay was cut and its value was $5,495,083.50; the live stock products in 1908 were valued at $87,678,468; and the horitcultural products of $995,829, making a total cash valuation for 1908 of $277,733,933.

The large acreage of crops and their excellent quality is due, not only to the efforts of the farmer but also to the excellent properties in the soil and the salubrious climate. The soil of the upland prairies is usually a deep, rich clay loam of a dark color; the bottom lands near the streams are a black, sandy loam; and the lands between the uplands and the bottom land show a rich and deep black loam, containing very little sand. All soils are free from stones, and except a few stiff clay spots on the upland prairie are easily cultivated. The climate of Kansas is remarkably pleasant, having a large percentage of clear bright days.

The final transition of the poor Kansas homesteader into a rich Kansas farmer has been the theme of much newspaper witticism. The first families who came lived in habitations of the crudest sort. While a few possessed cabins of native lumber, many occupied dugouts or houses built of squares of sod taken from the prairie. The dugout consisted of a hole dug in the side of a canon or any sort of depression on the prairie that would serve as a wind break. This hole was roofed across, about on the level with the prairie with boards, and these were covered with sod. The sod house was more pretentious and comfortable. It had walls two feet in thickness, a shingled roof, doors and windows set in, and sometimes was plastered, altogether making a neat and commodious dwelling place. The land laws of the United States are such that any citizen of this country, can, under certain conditions, file his homestead or preëmption papers at a nominal cost on a quarter section (160 acres) of and agricultural land belonging to the government. If he makes an actual residence upon it for five years he secures the homestead for the price of filing fees; if he proves up, that is, gets title from the government before the five years are passed, he is required to pay $1.25 per acre for it. While the land is given to the settler for developing it, the process usually requires several years and some money. Fences, out buildings, implements and stock are accumulated slowly, especially when one is poor, as nearly every settler is. The situation in Kansas was similar to that of other new States, money was needed to forward the interest of the state and of the individual, hence in early years the loan agents representing eastern capital did a thriving business. Especially was this true between the years 1884 and 1888, a period during which 24 counties were organized in western Kansas, where some 250,000 new citizens had made homes.