The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1886-06-24
From Nebraska.

LINCOLN, NEB., June IA, 'S6.
| To the Editor of the Standard:
According to promise, l will tell you a
little more about Nebraska. Some four
or five weeks ago, Mr.. and Mrs. Creigh-
ton, Mrs. A, Louie and myself took a trip
to the West. We went about two hun
dred miles west of Lincoln. At that
time the farmers were busy planting
corn sc. l was surprised at the great
number of fine farms. The number of
good houses, good barns and well i'm
proved farms exceeded my most sanguine
expectations. 1t used to be the prevail
ing idea here in the west that the tame
grasses would not grow to do any good.
But experience has proven that there is
no state where the soil is better adapted
to growing the tame grasses than this
state Timothy, clover and blue grass do
well here and the farmers, all over the
state, are getting their farms in tame
grass. There will be large acreage of
corn this year and from present indica-
tions the crops will be larger. 1t is much
easier to farm here than in Ohio. In
planting corn many of the farmers do
not break up the ground before planting.
They list it, as it is called. That is,
they used large plow, with dropper at
tached. With this they make the furrow
and lossen the soil, drop and cover the
corn. This saves a great deal of labor
and is claimed to do as well as to first
break up the soil.
On our travels we saw many sod hous-
es, sod barns and sod school houses.
These sod houses are said to be very COM
fortable-being cool in summer and warm
in the winter. AS they are not very ex-
pensiye, they are the favorite houses for
the early settlers.
These are gradually disappearing
though, and frame houses, barns and
school houses are being built. The soil
south of the Platte river is said to aver
age better than that north of the river.
1 have not been north of the Platte, but I
know the soil south of the Platte is the
best ever saw. The state is about 2OS15
miles from North to South and about 413
miles from East to West. 1t has about
49.054.090 acres.
The land gradually rises from East to
West, having an average elevation of
2312 feet above the sea. The greater part
of the land is gently rolling.
There are no mountains but some
ridges and few high hills.
There are a great number of valleys.
1t is estimated that not less than one
fourth of the state is composed of we'll
watered valleys. These bottom lands are
very rich and productive and rarely over
flow. The rainfall in the state is abund-
ant.
Many parts of the state where years
ago scarcely no rain fell, now have plen-
ty. At the Missouri the rainfall avera-
ges 40 inches year: one hundred miles
farther west it is 80 inches: two hundred
west of the eastern boundry it is 80 inch
es and beyond that it lessons until it av-
erages about 20 inches.
Nebraska is said to be very healthy, es-
pecially for persons of consumptive ten
dency. The diseases incident to the eli
mate are rheumatism and neuralgia. AS
the state is being settled these ailments
are gradually disappearing.
The name Nebraska is said by some to
mean 'land of broad rivers and by 9TH
ers shallow water"
In addition to being adapted to the
growth of corn, oats and grasses, the soil
is also adapted to the growth of apples,
peaches, grapes, plums, cherries sc. The
strawberry nowhere does better than
here. l think Nebraska will soon become
one of the greatest, if not the greatest,
stock raising state of the Union. 1t is
especially adapted to this industry and
the people are fast learning this fact and
will govern themselves accordingly.
Stock can be raised much cheaper here
than in Ohio and prices are about the
same. The packing houses that are be-
ing built at Lincoln and at other places
in the state-the new railroads coming |
into the state and thus necessarily bring |
ing about reduction in freight rates,
will give this industry great stimulus.
Already the good effects of these differ
ent enterprises are being felt.
The state undoubtedly has bright fu-
ture. Her people are enterprising and |
industrious-They are abreast the times
and are ready to take advantage of any
thing and everything that will be of ben
fit.
The more 1 see of the West, the better
/ like it.
The people are coming into the state by
the thousands. Towns are springing up
everywhere. Push and go ahead are seen
on every hand.
Come West, John-It will do you good.
Morn anon
c. A. ATKINSON.
What is more disagreeable to a lady
thon To knnw that her hair has NOT