McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1883-12-27
RUSSIAN MENNoN1rEs.
How Colony OF Them are Living I'm Me-
braslka.

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Dies Mones Register.
That your readers may know what
has become of and been done by at least
one of the colonies OF Russian Mennon-
ties about whom SO much was said q
few years ago, will tell Of my visit
Yesterday to the settlement of a colony
of seventy families that came to Jeffer
son county, Neb., eight years ago last
spring. They bought twenty sections
of land, in one body, short distance
from Fairbury, and begun to make
homes thereon. At first they tried
wheat raising, rs in the old country,
but that would not always succeed, and
they finally learned that mixed crops
were more certain, and now more
prosperous set of farmers does not ex-
list on the continent. Every family has
good orchard of the hardy fruits of
their old home raised from seeds and
roots brought over with them, or since.
These consist of many varieties of APP
pies, crabs, small fruits, the white Rus
sian mulberry and Russian apricots. All
of these seem as hardy and vigorous
as oaks. This mulberry is one of the
most vigorous and rapid growers have
seen; attaining a growth, in eight an
nular rings, in piece that is well
seasoned, of seven and three-fourth
inches in diameter, tough wood. They
use it for hedges and wind breaks,
making the most perfect of each that l
have ever seen in, deciduous growths.
One hedge / saw is stock proof, nine
feet high and only five years from the
seed The apricots have never winter
killed, and bear. at three years from
seed. - .re .ra
Silk culture is now one of their in
dustries and the mulberry is the basis
for it, as it furnishes the food. 1t is an
easy work and can be conducted by the
women and children and yields them a
handsome income.
At the house of Abraham Thiessen /
was shown a lot of the cocoons from
last summers crop and several quarts,
of the eggs which he has stored away
for next years breeding. These people
have set an example to the careless
style of the western farmers that is be-
inc followed by their immediate neigh
bors and should be by every one.
Numerous ssdraWs" act as natural
drains to most of the table lands in Ne
braska and these have been damned
in convenient places by these industrious
people and are now doing duty in sup
plying stock, water, ice, tempering the
air In summer aid supplying the fami-
lies with fish. Being more valuable by
many fold than any other way they can
be used.
The women and children have planted
and cultivated the fruits they have, and
from the surplus have sold to their
neighbors many thousands of the null
berry plants and apricots, thus being
producers of nearly equal value with
the men. Their little nurseries are as
clean as flower gardens, of weeds, and
are an evidence of their perseverance
and industry. In a few years these
folks will be supplying the less provi-
dent Americans, who have been here
longer than they, with every variety of
fruit that the climate can produce, and
at figures that mean good profits on
The land and laborinvolved. Yet these
same Americans will not learn the easy
lesson conveyed in the example of these
simple people until they have paid
double for the schooling. II. c. G.