AN ENGLISH FARMER IN KANSAS.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2475, 13 March 1882, Page 4

AN ENGLISH FARMER IN KANSAS.

The following letter, received by a friend in Worksop, from Mr W. W. Weightman, late a well-known farmer in Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire, has been published in the "Trades Mercury” :—“ln your last letter you said many people asked for my own experience in regard to farming in the Far West, which I will now endeavor to give with all honesty. I should have written ere now on that topio, but instead of theory I wanted to give practical experience; and now, after a year in the business, I feel better able to speak with confidence. I am not exactly a farmer, but what is called in the West a cattle man. Farming, diversified as I have before said in these high and variable altitudes, is not to be depended upon; but cattle and hogs in this splendid stock region, I may say, is a certainty every time. In the first place, a man coming out from tho old country wants to go slow, set his mind on the kind of business bis means will enable him to undertake, then make himself acquainted with the country, and look out for a suitable location likely to answer his expectations. If his desire is for wheat raising, let him go to the wheat-raising localities ; if his ideas lead him to stock, he cannot do better than come to the extensive plains and territory of the Far West, where, if thoughtful and persevering, he cannot fail to make a success. For instance, with regard to myself, I landed over one year ago in Canada, and travelled steadily on through tho provinces of Quebec and Ontario, crossed over to Niagara, in New York State, through a part of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, lowa, south-eastern and north-eastern and the western prairies of Nebraska, Wyoming, part of tho Laramia plains, the Becky Moun. tains, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, and back again to Central Kansas, where I invested in a stock ranch, which is considered by others as well as myself the most desirable in this region. For instance, I bought the ranch and crops as they stood, for which I paid cash down. The corn crops and feed I had valued by two disinterested persons. The price I gave for the corn was 18 cents per bushel. I then bought myself a pair of horses to tide and drive, a few steers and hogs, just to try my hand on a small scale. The profits by spring enabled me to treat myself to two and a quarter miles of the best steel fencing, which had shipped 1000 miles, for a pasture, or park as you might term it in England. 1 also bought wheat in the fall on speculation at 55 cents, which I sold in the spring for 70 cants per bushel; also a surplus of corn, which cost 18 cents, I sold for 25 cents; so I consider I lost nothing. I set to work in the spring and planted out an orchard of choice apples, pears, peaches and grapes for aroading, of which the majority appear to be growing, although it has been a very dry season ; but I never saw land anywhere that can stand so much drought and produce a crop. I have had a sufficiency of garden produce and melons of the choicest kind in plenty to throw to the bogs. I put my corn in in May. I will explain how the crop is raised. You commence ploughing, say in April, then barrow tho seed bed; I used a planter which I brought from Illinois, it plants in rows 3 ft, 9in. apart, and one grain every I4in. ; one bushel of seed is sufficient for eight acres. A man and a pair of horses is calculated to take care of 40 acres, to which he rides also to plough. I contracted for most of my ploughing, which I got done at 1 dollar 20 cents per acre. I calculate corn can be raised in an ordinary year for 10 cents to 12 cents per bushel; some claim less. It is now worth from 50 cents to 60 cents, owing to the dry season and ohinch bugs, which have done a deal of damage in the States this year. My crops have been good without exception. I have cut the majority of my corn crop, and shall feed it out to the steers —foliage and corn as well. I must explain how feeding cattle are treated. They They are put into a close yard, and fed with what corn and bay they con eat, care being taken that they have a plentiful supply of water, and about two hogs follow one steer to pick up, on which they fatten quickly, and nothing is wasted. I shall have something like ISOOdols worth of fat cattle to ship this fall, and from 1000 to 2000 next spring. I am now very busy building new stables to accommodate my horses used in the business, also a large shed to accommodate 100 head of steers in the finishing off process. lam having it all laid up in dressed stone and mortar. Also I intend planting some thousands of black walnut and other forest trees In avenues and groves. I planted a quantity of osage orange fence last spring ; it is doing well. I shall plant extensively next spring. I am now preparing a vinery to receive 1000 grape vines of the Oonoord, Gothe, Syaname, Wilder, Delaware, Martha, Blvia, and other choice selections, which will add considerably to the value of my estate. To sum up, I may state that I am getting on well, and prefer the New World to the Old for a living any time, J. have plenty of shooting, and no gamekeepers or others to trouble .me, and shall soon have some good sport at the ducks and geese coming from, the north. 1 wish you you were here to have some sport; yon would certainly enjoy it.