The Columbus journal., 1880-05-05
Nebraska.


pared and published, and left stand
ing in the Journal, relative TO
Nebraska, its advantages aud pro-
ducts. One more short article must
close the series for this season.
To persons who never saw prai-
rie country, TO look over il is rather
an interesting sight; as a general
thing the absence OF timber gives to
it the appearance of waste and bar
renness TO those who are accustomed
10 live in a timbered country. Tim
Der of every kind common to this
latitude can be cultivated Oh the
prairies Of Nebraska. Near the wa
ter courses and river bluffs a large
quantity OF trees are generally found
growing in great luxuriance.-
Among the varieties fonnd in such
localities are cottonwood, box-elder,
buckeye, maple, locust, ash, hickory,
oak, willow, poplar, sycamore, wal
nut, pine and cedar. The shrubs
include common juniper, Pawpaw,
prickly ash. sumacs, red root, spin
die tree. plum. currants and goose
berries, dogwood, butter bush, l,affa-
10 berry, mulberry and hazlenut.
Cedars are found on the islands of
the Platte. and along the Loup, and
on the Niobrars there is a large
quantity of pine.
But the interesting point we want
to make is the fact that all this
variety of trees will grow and fiour-
ish on the prairie, and that as mnch
timber as may be needed by each
farmer can he raised on his farm.
IL is not a little surprising 10 know
that the early travellers, and, among
others, Gen. Fremont, should have
formed The opinion that the prairies
of Nebraska were a sandy desert.
unsuited for farming purposes. when
III these lines il his been examined
by competent judges and rronounc-
ed without any hesitation 10 be a
region which is 10 be the great grain
and stock producing area Of the
continent. Men don't make bread
OF sand, and they don't, "a general
thing. settle in such localities. The
United States cover 23 degrees Of
latitude /: away 10 the frozen north,
snd down IN The semi.tropic south.
With all ihis choice, from the be-
ginning of western settlement the
great current of movement has been
within central belt five or six de-
grees in width. and nearly CORES
pondlng with the latitudinal length
of Illinois, which lies between SO
degrees, 56 minutes and t2if degrees.
This is the belt in the United States
in which industry obtains the most
certain and highest rewards. Ii is
temperate in climate-and a man
can work up 10 his best notch. The
land is fruitful, and bears in great
abundance those products which are
necessaries of life, and which there.
fore have steady commercial value. |
The population of Nebraska in the |
beginning of 1856 was 1915, and at |
the close of 1875, 259,9l2, which was
a twenty-fve-fold increase in TWEEN.
ty years.
Corn in Nebraska ia most bounti- |
full in production with fair cultiva.
tion the yield is from so to 90 BUSH
els per acre. Wheat from l5 to % |
bushels per acre. Barley from 80 to |
40 bushels. Rye % to 80 bushels. |
Oats 40 to 80 bushels. A country |
which is adapted to the raising of
corn; small grains; good for grass
and hay, and has at all times fa-
yorable climate, must be a good |
location for stock raising. Live
stock is in great demand the civilized
over, and II is in live stock the far
mer finds great deal of his wealth.
1t has been demonstrated among
the Nebraska farmers that mixed |
farming is the most profitable, there
fore every farmer should combine
grain and stock raising. In fact
every farmer that has carried cattle
upon his farm and handled them
with judgment for any length OF
Time is now enjoying the rich profits
OF his investment and labor. Look
around among your neighbors and
IN every ease where money has been
invested in stock and handled with
,are it has brought the largest in
'rease i'm dollars and cents to those
who have invested. And there is
'oom in Nebraska for hundreds OF
thousands more farmers.