The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1895-08-29
CONDITIONS IN NEBRASKA.
Corn Promises a Large Yield, Except
In the States Garden Spot.

In the States Garden Spot.
A McCook, Neb.. correspondent says:
On crossing the Missouri River running
to Lincoln, the Burlington land agents
party found a prospect which, from an
agricultural standpoint, could not be ex-
celled. Corn is luXuriant and sturdy and
every stalk shows large-sized ears stick
ing out from it. 1t is so far advanced that
the uninitiated could be made to believe
very readily that it is past all harm from
any source. Notwithstanding its fine ap-
pearance. however, it is not yet out of
danger of frost, and will not be for at
least two weeks.
A fine crop of oats has peer reaped in
this section. Much of it is still in the
shock and a good deal of it has been
stacked. 1t is thrashing out from thirty
to fifty bushels to the acre and will aver
age about forty. The wheat crop has all
been harvested. and farmers are now
busy blowing their land preparatory to
tputting in another crop of winter wheat.
Leaving Lincoln the outlook is much
less promising. Between Waverly and
FairmOnt, a distance of sixty miles, is a
stretch of country which has usually been
described as the garden spot of Nebraska.
Crops have always been abundant here,
however poorly they may have been in
other parts of the State. Last year and
this year have been the only known excep-
tons TO this rule. Somehow this belt has
suffered severely this year. 1t has rained
copiously on all sides of it and all around
it, but he clouds refused to give it a drop
of moisture until too late to save the corn
crop. For a stretch of country sixty miles
long and sixty miles wide the corn crop
is Il comparative failure. 1t will only run
from a quarter to half a crop. averaging
as Il whole about one-third an ordinary
crop.
Oats have not Jared so badly. They are
thrashing out from t%hirty-fve to forty
bushels an acre. Heavy rains fell over
this section at the end of last week. They
came too late, however, to save the bulk
of the corn. Very much of it is wilted be-
yond redemption and a good deal of it
has already been cut for fodder. Wheat
in this section is thrashing out fifteen
bushels to the acre.
West of Fairmont the scene again
changes and an ocean of waving corn
strong and luXuriant. is to be seen as faI
as the eye can reach in every direction
The crop from Hastings to the western
boundary of the State is practically made
and nothing but a killing frost can now
blight it. 1t will average not less than
sixty bushels to the acre. and very many
large fields will yield fifty bushels.
Around McCoOk is where the disasters
of last year were most severely felt. The
gains Of this year have more than made ur
for the losses then sustained. The whole
section of country looks like a veritable
garden. and the people feel buoyant be-
yOnd expression. Winter wheat is thrash.
ing out about twenty bushels to the acre
and the best fields are yielding thirty
bushels. Spring wheat is running from
twelve to eighteen bushels to the acre.
Oats average from fifty to sixty bushels,
the best fields thrashing out 100 bushels.
Alfalfa is a new crop here with which
the people are delighted. All kinds of
live stock eat it with relish. and it is prov.
ing to be fattening fodder. The first
year it yields one ton to the acre. but
after the third year it yields three crops
a year, which foot up seven and One-hali
tons to the acre. 1t is worth in the mar.
ket 81 per ton, but to feed cattle the re.
suits have shown it TO be worth so per
acre. 1t is the coming crop all along the
flats of the Republican valley.