Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-10-03
CREsToN, PLATTE Co., Neb., }
August 81, 1877. {

August 81, 1877. (
Ma EDIToR:-
ne are enjoying ourselves very much
M summer. My health is much better
sn when wrote. Plenty of work in the
Thfl's vineyard, but shall have to leave
bon and return to old Vermont.
The small grain is all cut and in the
sek, and have been out prospecting a
llfile. l have counted over one hundred
aad Fifty stacks within two miles of here
hak are estimated to yield from one hun
s|sd and twenty-five 10 one hundred and
iillg bushels per stack And you will
hoal in mind that this is new place; that
iasg years ago it was unbroken prairie,
and also that every alternate section is
railroad land and uncultivated, and that
within this space there is one section of
school land, also uncultivated, and also
thht the grasshoppers have been here two
arasshoppers have done some damage in
years past, but where they have done one
dollar damage, the Aid Society have done
ten.)
was in the city of Columbus one day
last week, and was talking with some of
the business men and dealers, and they es-
innate TINT there will be at least one
million bushels of small grain in this
county to export; and that, too, if the
hoppers do eat up the corn, and more
than one-half of this will be wheat. But
there is but little prospect of the corn
being damaged with hoppers or frost, for
II will be out of the way of both in ten or
iiileen days at most, and there will be Il
large yield this year.
We are now just about living on mel
ons; and such melons! Why, they just
gather them in by the cart load and put
them under straw to keep for winter use
And they are now getting the hay
Three men in this neighborhood have
lnken job of putting up two hundred
and thirty tons for one dollar per ton. 1t
Ylelds from two to four tons TO the acre; !;
ana one team will cut from ten to fifteen
tons in half day, and the next day it is
sry without any turning, and when it is
raked into winrows, just hitch the hay
loader on behind the cart, with a boy to
drive straddle the winrows, and two men
% load, and the hay is picked up and car
red on to the cart, Just as the straw is car
red away from the throshing-machine;
and if the men can handle it, you can load
ton in one minute; and then stack it at
your leisure. Raising stock is the most
nroftablc business here, just now, and will
Be as long as there is SO much waste land,
aud such good pasturing, and all free at
that.
have talked with some that are in the
hnsiness and they claim that they can
double their money in two years; but |
think it perfectly safe to lay it at three
years. You can get your cattle herded
fol rs cents to 81 90 per head, for the
season; or what is better still, hire herd
al and take in stock enough TO pay his
wages and board One ton Of hay per
lead will keep cattle, large and small,
lirough the winter, and young stock
set very fat on grass alone; and when fat
viii bring within one dollar per hundred
IS much as in Vermont. They are cult
rating large amount of trees in this
elaLe, and it is astonishing how fast they
BROW. ! saw on the Platte bottom a
grove Just one-half mile long, and just
Dne rod wide, with six rows, and the
Hecs set about six feet in the row;
and measured some of them six inche,
from the ground that were twenty inches
ID circumference, and they were set from
ihe cuttings just six years ago last spring,
ind they were from 2j to 40 feet high,
and there must be from Is to 100 cords of
four foot wood on the acre. cuta twig
On the 3Oth day of July that was little
more than one inch in diameter and five
feet and ten inches in length, and all of
this years growth.
There Is good prospect of II rail road
going through this town next season, and
If so, the rail road land will double in
price, if not more; it is now from $3.50 to
$500 per acre on ten years credit with 10
per cent off for cash down. And now if
. man wants to buy land cheap, in q good
neighborhood, now is the time to strike.
Yours, CHESTER Brown.