Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-11-02

THE RUTLAND
dwellings, OF all imaginable kinds are
everywhere to be seen. Huts built of sod
cut square and matched over with bark
or straw, are common; the old log cabin
with crevices filled with mud is occasion.
ally seen ug.outs"-excavations into
the ground covered over with straw, are
met with often board shanties are seen
everywhere, while comfortable farm
houses are the most common. The most
undesirable of these residences" are the
property of pre-emptors of government
land who have undertaken to get the start
of "Uncle Sam" and hold the land with.
out making the expected improvements.
Those who live upon the land and upon
its profits, invariably, have as comfort
able and cheerful houses as farmers any
where. An enterprising firm in Omaha
is building to order large numbers of
Settlers houses" which are shipped on
freight cars to all points on the line of
the railroads, ready for occupancy. They
are large enough TO accommodate fami-
ly of two or three persons, and are quite
comfortable. In riding through this
country, it seems strange to look away so
far and have the view unobstructed by
even single fence and for hundreds of
miles there is not a swamp TO be seen. l
did not see during my whole trip marsh
that would dampen ones feet and I ven
ture to say that one could drive in light
carriage from Fort Kearney to Platts-
mouth, NEARLY two hundred miles,) with
in one hundred feet of the railroad track
without meeting q swamp, stream or
gully that would seriously impede his
progress.
THE SOIL
throughout the State is remarkably uni
form. 1t consists of black rich loan
from two to four feet thick, with a sub
soil of alluvial mixture of sand and clay
This sub-soil is firm and solid without
being clammy or sticky like clay. Ne
braska seldom suffers from the dr0uths
that injure the farmers crops in the cast.
This is because this peculiar sub-soil
absorbs the water during the rainy sea-
SOD, and holds il. II the surface of the
earth becomes parched and dry, the roots
and tendrils of vegetation penetrate be-
low into the earth moistened by the snb-
soil and draws from it the needed nur-
ishmeut. The richness is not confined to
the loan, however, but seems to exist to
a great depth. A gentleman told me that
he raised the very finest of oabbages from
soil taken from the bottom of well eigh-
teen feet deep. This alluvial is peculiar
in many respects. On the Missouri River
it is uniform in texture, color and char
acter to the depth sometimes of seventy
feet. At Plattsmouth a well ia to be seen
of that depth which has never been wall
cd up and shows no disposition to cave in.
For stock raising t1e land along the
Platte Is said to DO the best; for the grass
there grows to the height of four feet,
Three miles back from the river, how
ever, the grass becomes shorter and the
best of farming lands are found.
CROPS, CLIMATE, FUEL.
These are topics to which my space will
not permit me to do justice. can only
speak generally of that which is so all
important. Nebraska is said to be able
to raise greater variety of products
than any other State in the Union. Her
adaptabiiity to the production of wheat,
corn ana other grain is universally known
The farmers generally having no barns
sufficiently large to contain the immense
quantities of corn raised, leave it standing
in the stalk all winter. A gentleman
who is now residing in Fillmore county
in conversation that he knew
of nothing which could not be probably
raised in Nebraska. At the National
Convention of Fruit Growers in Rich
mond, Va, last month, this the baby
State of the Union was awarded the first
premium for fruit culture. Watermelons
weighing fifty pound, and squashes
weighing one hundred and thirty pounds
have been raised on the sod with no cul-
tivation whatever. Peaches have been
successfully grown in some parts of the
State, though till trees and houses break
the sharpness Of the prairie winds they
cannot be regarded as permanent crop.
Cotton, tobacco and peanuts thrive, while
the yield and growth OF potatoes and all
root products is tremendous. k4nsas has
more wood, water and building stone, but
The soil and climate of Nebraska go far
,xcels that OF her sister State, that for
Ill agricultural purposes she must newt
lbly lead the van. The lack of fuel has
2een a great bug-bear in the way of en-
migration to Nebraska ; and even though
t may be disadvantage during the first
years of settlement it can never be very
erious one. Wood and coal are brought (
nto the State by rail at not an unreason-
bile price, and cotton wood may be plant
ID and raised from the seed in five years
arge enough to cut. Ask settlers what
s the difference between tbs cost of rails
ng timber and the expense and labor of
learing and getting rid of it, and they
will not hesitate for an answer. But
within The past year large deposits of coal
AVE been discovered in different parts of
he State and without doubt enough will
have been found to supply all
he demand for fuel. In any event her ;
,ext door neixhbor, Iowa, has more coal .
han both States can consume.
The winters in Nebraska are very dry. r
The wet slushy weather ofthe East is al
most unknown. When it storms the ,
II