Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-09-01
JOttings from Nebraska and Kansas.

Il Burlington Hawkeye.
JOttings from Nebraska and Kansas.
There is a vast difference in the deal
ings of the people with newcomers, in
settling up new part of the country
now, as compared with those of 75 or so
years ago. In those olden times, when
Belmont county, Ohio, was being settled
up, the people would assist the newcom-
conner in every way they could; but
now, in this western country, the in
habitants will trick and cheat the new
conner out of everything they can; and,
as general thing. they won't stop to
tell little lie, to get the advantage of
the newcomer, unless you find an honest
dutchman. and they are very thinly
sown over the western country.
NEBRASKA.
This State is not calculated for grain
growing and general farming. The soil
wears out too fast; it is suited for
great grazing country. The fact is, /
have not seen any soil west of the Mis-
souri, river that would stand the c0htinu-
al farming that the soil will in eastern
Iowa or western Illinois-(and last but
not least, the Captina regions of old
Belmont county, Ohio) The soil in both
Nebraska and Kansas has too much al
kali sand i'll its composition to either
endure protracted wet or dry spell. In
wet weather the alkali scalds the crops
and in dry weather it gets so hot it
burns it up. The alkali is what the boys
had to contend with in going across
this, once the American desert, on their
way from Ohio to Pixies Peak, some 25
years ago. 1t is greater obstacle for
the farmer to contend with here, take it
year after year, than the seourge of the
grasshoppers. There are only some
worthless weeds that can stand the force
of the alkali both in wet and dry wealth
er-such as wild sage, wild watermelon,
buffalo burs, and snow-on-the-mouf-
tain, and other species too numerous 20
mention.
NEBRASKA AND FRUIT.
1t Will be long time before the west
ern part of this State will be good
fruit-growing region; and it is my opin-
ion that it never will be successful
fruit-growing country; and this opinion
is based upon the fact that there is not
depth of soil on top of the bed of white
quartz sand, to support the growth of
fruit trees-and it is impossible for the
tree roots to get down through the sand
to any other substance that may be
bottom to the sand here. 1 have not
found man yet that has ever dug or
bored through it; and from that fact,
conclnde the sand is at least two hun
dred feet deep-for there have been
wells sunk to that depth, and no bottom
to the sand. So you see, whenever the
tap root of the tree enters this heap Of
sand, the tree must inevitably die, as
there is no nourishment in it to keep up
vitality in the tree. The small fruits,
such as are of a spreading rooted ma
ture, may be made a success here, as
they do not require much depth of soil
to support their growth. Now, western
Kansas is somewhat different, as. in re-
gard to the sand but, in place. of sand,
Kansas has solid subsoil, which is so
firm that the tap roots of fruit and 9TH
er trees. cannot penetrate it. Then the
trouble in western Kansas will be to get
an orchard started. Well, while on the
subject of sand, will give the readers
of THE CHRONICLE something to think
about, viz: From the facts already ad-
duced, we conclude that the mound
builders of America must have been old
King Solomon's gold hunters. l tell you,
they have piled up a tremendous heap
of the quartz gravel in this region of
country. This bed of sand is deepest at
the base of the mountains. and is hardly
covered. But as you go toward the east,
it seems to slope off. until. at the dis
tance of 500 miles, it is very thin lay
er of quartz sand. So this settles who
the mound-builders were. You have
probably heard tell of western tumble
weed; it belongs to the rag-weed family.
The seed and blossom raceme of the
tumble-weed are precisely like those of
the Ohio rag-weed, but the leaves are
not exactly alike, yet they resemble each
other very much. The leading distinc-
tion is that the tumble-weed branches
out so as to nearly form perfect globe
of its top. AS general thing, vegeta-
tion don't grow as large here as it does
back east, with theexception of all kinds
of tropical vegetables, for they seem to