The Columbus journal., 1880-04-28
Nebraska.


Two brief articles have been pre-
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 q general
thing the absence of timber gives to
it the appearance of waste and bar
renness TO those who sre accustomed
TO live in timbered country. Tim
Der of every kind common to this
latitude can be cultivated on the
prairies of Nebraska. Near the wa
ter courses and river bluffs a large
quantity of trees are generally found
growing in great lnxuriance.-
Among the varieties found 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, buifa-
10 berry, mulberry and hazlenut.
Cedars are found on the islands of
the Platte, and along the Loup, and
on the Niobrara there is large
quantity of pine.
But the interesting point we want
to make is the fact that all this
variety of trees will grow and -four
ish on the prairie, and that as much
timber as may be needed by each
farmer can be raised OH his farm.
1t Is not little surprising to 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
In these times il has been examined
by competent judges and pronounc-
ed without any hesitation to be a
region which is to be the great grain
and stock producing area of the
continent. Men don't make bread
of sand, and they don't, as a general
thing, settle in such localities. The
United States cover 90 degrees of
latitude; away TO the frozen north,
and down to the semi-tropic south.
With all this choice, from the be-
ginning of western settlement the
great current of movement has been
within a central belt FIVE or six de-
grees in width, and nearly CORES
ponding with the lstitudinal length
of Illinois, which lies between &c
degrees, Sc minutes and 42H degrees.
This is the belt in the United States
in which industry obtains the most
certain and highest rewards. 1t is
temperate in climate-and a man
can work up to his best notch. The !
land is fruitful, and bears in great |
those products which arc |
necessaries Of life, and which there
fore have steady commercial value.
The population of Nebraska in the |
OF 1856 was l0,7l6, and at |
the close of 1875, 259,9l2, which was |
4 twenty-fve-fold increase in twen-
ly years.
Corn in Nebraska is most bounti-
ful in production; with fair cultiva.
ion the yield is from so to 60 BUSH
Els per acre. Wheat from ID to 25
bushels per acre. Barley from 80
10 bushels. Rye % to 80 bushels.
Oats 40 to so bushels. A country
which is adapted to the raising of
,orn; small grains; good for grass
Ind hay, and has at all times a fa-
climate, must be good
ocation for stock raising. Live
'tock is in great demand the civilized
over, and it is in live stock the far
ner finds a great deal of his wealth.
L has been demonstrated among
he Nebraska farmers that mixed
arming is the most profitable, there
ore every farmer should combine
,rain and stock raising. In fact
very farmer that has carried cattle
lpon his farm and handled them
With judgment for any length of
ime is now enjoying the rich profits
# bis investment and labor. Look
round among your neighbors aud
n every case where money has been
invested in stock and handled with
are it has brought the largest in
rease in dollars and cents to those
Vho have invested. And there is
DOM in Nebraska for hundreds Of
thousands more farmers.
-.
Tur nolifical con nypnfions op hntb |