Notes of William Penn Finger on the 1885 Kansas State Census








I find it very dificult to get very many facts in
regard to Agriculture from the fact that this County
is in a very unsettled condition. Some of the land is
not proved up yet and a good many young men
took up land and lived on it the required time and
proved up and left. Some have Sold out. Some are coming
back. the most of the settlers are Showing a thrifty outlook
for the future and by the next years assessment we will
I think a great deal of progress in Pratt Co.
This book as returned I am Shure will not Show the full
amount of inhabitants that will be here the fst. of May
as they are coming back every day. So it is impossible
to get all in this assessment and innumeration.
Puzey Township as will be the name instead of Paxon as
now lays in the S.E. part of Co. the general surface of County
is a rowling prairie. Soil of a dark Sandy loam very prod-
uctive as high as 40 bu. of corn was raised on Sod last
season 84 oats 25 to 30 per acre on Sod. There is a large amount
of Sorgum raised for stock as much as one ton for acre.
Water is got at from 10 to 100 feet. Shalow water is generally got
in a mixture of sand and clay and mostly by digging in
low places called draws. the water got at 80 to 100 feet is
invarably found in Sand and called Sheet water and
after coming to water it Stands as deep in well as they
go in the sand.
The County is fast Setting with what is called blue stem
grass a very tall and when Seeded out Corse but when cut
just before the stems shoot up for Seed it makes a very fine
hay and yealds from 1 to 2 ton per acre.
There is no timber in the township and in fact very little in
Co. accept very young trees set 2 + 3 years ago by Settlers.
There is being a large amt. planted and set this Spring.

W. P. Finger




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