West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-07-26
NOTES on NEBRASKA.
taught ON the Fly by Prestonian Run
ming at Large Out.fhere.

but after travelling nearly $50 miles
in the State, we have failed to find
any "Co,tonwoods," to speak Of.
After crossing the Missouri river
at Rulo, Nebraska, the first thing to
attract our attention. as usual, was
the clouds of dust following the
train. Then the wind was blowing
very hard, and it was also very hot.
something not common when
strong wind is blowing. Upon in
quiring the cause, the natives in
formed US that it was the "hot
winds" as they call them out here,
and that sometimes they blow con
tinuously for week, being very de-
structive to ell vegetation.
Our route was westward on the
Burlington Railway along the Re.
publican river, which flows closely
along the northern border of Kansas,
and through one of the finest agri-
cultural regions in the State. Dur
ing that afternoon we saw more
growing corn and wheat than you
could see in FIVE years in West Va.
ON Sunday morning, 9Th, we ar
rived in BARLEY, and found thriv-
ing little town, composed princi-
pally of people from Barbour, Tay-
lor and Preston counties, West Va.
1t is situated in Red Willow county,
about sixty miles east of the Colo
RADIO line and twenty miles north of
the Kansas line, on the edge of the
sand hills or arid region Of Ne
braska. Here we found it very hot
and dry, with the dust blowing
about in clouds through the streets,
and away out over the prairies it
almost obscurcd the sun at times.
The drought has been so long and
severe that the corn crop here will
be an entire failure, while The best
fields of wheat so far threshed have
only yielded from six to ten bushels
per acre, A great deal of the wheat
has been moved and stacked up for
hay, while some fields have been
burned over to clear the ground for
fall sowing. Rye is the best crop
in this section this year, and it is
estimated this county will furnish
more than 100, 900 bushels of it.
Chinch bugs and grasshoppers
have been unusually destructive this
year, in some instances destroying
whole fields of alfalfa and corn.
The chinch bug is very small and
black, but they come in myriads,
and when they attack field Of
corn, they clean it all up as they 60
along, not leaving a single stalk.
Where they attack millet or alfalfa,
the ground has the appearance Of
having been burned over, as not
vesiige of vegetation of any kind
is left
Yet, in the face Of all these fail
urcs and discouragemeots, the peo-
pie are in prosperous condition,
and are preparing for next seasons
crops They expect these droughts
and failures, and most OF The thrifty
farmers hold over at least one crop
of grain, for, as they say in this
county, everything is uncertain.
So they keep plenty of grain over,
and what they have to sell this year
will bring double the price of last
year.
In good years shelled corn is
worth IS to 20 cents per bushel, and
is profitable a; that, which may seem
strange to Preston county farmers.
But it is easily understood when it
is known that, without any help at
all. one man can plant and cultivate
$50 acres of corn, only having to
hire man TO help harvest the crop.
This is accomplished of course with
the most modern machinery, such
as the lister. which plows the ground
and plants the corn at the same
time, and man can plant fifteen
acres a day with it,
The people here, as a rule, seem
to be better informed and have more
ego ahead" and push" about them
than the farmers Of The east and
south This may be accounted for
by the fact that a very large per
cent Of the people Who have been
here twenty years or more, came
from Ohio, Pennsylvania and West
Virginia, and are of thc most pro
gressive and en,erpde9g class from
these States. Iu ,he face Of bard
ships and dscomasemcut of all
kinds they have founded % pros
porous and happy community
There is another thing peculiar 90