Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-04-08

depth, and is there held In reserve until
needed, when 1t unfailingly comes up from
below to supply the needs of vegetation.
These facts were fully demonstrated dur
ing the unusually dry season of 1901, and
the extraordinarily wet season OF 1902 and
1903 Nebraska can raise enormous crops
on precipitation so limited as to pro-
duce drouth and complete crop failures in
the eastern states. Furthermore. the ma
ture OF the soil is such that farm work Is
taken up Immediately after rain In Ne
Draska, whereas in states farther east
there must be a long wait for the drying
Nebraska's drinking water Is exception
ally pure and wholesome and the supply
is inexhaustible,
Health of State.
Climate and health statistics show Ne
brasl1a a leader. Some authorities declare
Nebraska more healthful than any other
state in the union. Others place it second
to only Idaho, and all give 1t rank among
the first four. The regular government re-
ports place Nebraska first among states
free from lung diseases, showing its rate
of deaths from consumption and pneu-
monia to be 1S2 per 1000. whereas the next
lowest rate is Idaho's L62 per 1000. In
New York state the death rate is Is. and
the north, Minnesota's death rate is 81, on
the SOUTH Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and
South Carolina each has a death rate Of 10.
Nebraskas own neighbors have a much
higher rate than it, This contrast is not
accidental, but is the result of Nebraska 5
greater purity of water, the clear air of it's
greater altitude. its abundance Of sunshine
and-this is said seriOusly-its peculiarly
healthful soil
Nebraska's Present Position.
On the authority OF the state bureau OF
statistics. it is announced that Nebraska
has established itself as third in the pro-
duction OF corn, fourth in the production
Of wheat, fourth in production OF oats,
fourth in production of cattle. fourth IN
production Of hogs. seventh in production of
horses, tenth among dairy states and third
among the meat packing states. The man
ufacture OF beet sugar has given its growth
further impetus and 1t is fifth in the pro-
duction of that commodity and has the only
sugar beet syrup and refining plant In the
world.
Il has less illlteracy than any other
state in the union and the mortality sta
tistics show it TO be as healthful as any
other state. not excluding those which are
mountainous.
There are in Nebraska 100000 acres of
decided land outside Of the cities and towns.
This land is worth on an average Of SO
TO $50 per acre, hence the value Of farm
lands is in the neighborhood of $500 ,0O0,0 OO.
Live stock is worth Sl5O,OOO0O0 and agricul-
tural implements are valued at $4,000, 900.
It is impossible to get close approxima-
| ton 10 the value of other personal prop
| erty belonging TO Nebraska farmers, but
II is safe to place it at $So,0OO,OOO Thus
the total value of farm property in Ne
braska assumes the immense proportions
OF SAP 10000. This is about ten times
greater than it was in 1850. more than
twice what il was in 1880 and nearly twice
what It was in 1900. That farm property
has almost doubled in value during the
past fve years is the most emphatic proof
Of Nebraska's agricultural excellence that
could possibly be provided.