THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



pend upon the sun being our good friend 

 again in a day or two. The earth is a 

 warm, red, rich soil, no hard clay subsoil, 

 but the sandy loam goes down and down, 

 draining away into subsoil any rains that 

 come and drawing it up again when wanted. 

 There are not a dozen days in the year 

 when the roads are muddy. A very little 

 irrigation is needed to help the rainfall. I 

 have flooded several fields in winter and 

 raised from them the following years im- 

 mense crops of corn and sorghum, though 

 the years were ones of great drouth. 



All the farmers here who have a few 

 cattle, hogs and poultry are perfectly sure 

 of a good living We have fine buffalo 

 grass range for summer up to end of Octo- 

 ber or longer. Then we raise more winter 

 forage, I suppose, than any county in Kan- 

 sas, this being the very nucleus of sorghum 

 and kaffir corns of the finest varieties and 

 winter has no terror for us. When our crops 

 are so heavy we never get them all cut up 

 but turn in the cattle to clean the fields as 

 they will. Hops and poultry thrive and 

 pay all the time. Many families buy all 

 their groceries with eggs and chickens. 

 For larger holdings in cattle, I persume no 

 place could offer better advantages. Grass 



good and cheap for six months in the year, 

 winter feed abundant, shelter and watei 

 everywhere. Good marketing facilities. 



Socially we have a pleasant time. 

 Schools, churches, clubs, etc., an honest 

 and sober people and like most western 

 communities most kindly disposed one to 

 another. 



What's the matter with Kansas may 

 trouble some people, but Barber County 

 begs to say there is not much to grumble 

 at here. Now and then we get a sandstorm 

 a vile rushing wind, that drives the dust 

 and dirt into every cranny and nook and 

 does not leave a sweet tempered woman in 

 town or country; and during these spells 

 the men are, to a man, as meek and mild 

 as milk. In summer we have warm weath- 

 er, but cool nights. We have years when 

 corn burns up, but grass never fails and 

 sorghum keeps green and we have chances 

 to irrigate at an outlay so small it seems a 

 marvel we do not all go ahead and do it. 

 We make many good resolutions, then 

 there comes a season when it is such warm, 

 moist weather, our crops grow by magic 

 and in the many years of plenty we forget 

 the famine. MARY BEST. 



IRRIGATION. 



By Arthur Howard Hall. 



As silver streams through mountain courses 



seek. 



By man's deft aid, the bleaching arid plain, 

 With healing, tranquil flow, 

 Like cooling hand on fever's burning cheek, 

 Bringing new flowers and leagues of wav- 

 ing grain, 



Golden as sunset glow. 

 So in deep confines of the pensive brain, 

 Thought like a lakelet glistening in the sun, 

 Trickling o'er the stones to waste; 

 A hand has turned to bless and heal again, 

 Love's crystal waves by channels new, that 



run, 

 Where man his need has traced. 



Bradford, Mass. 



