Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-03-22
SET A FAST PACE
Japanese Colony in Nebraska
Saving Money to Buy
Desert Land.
SAW THE IRRIGATION MOVE
Clever Sons of Nippon Succeed in Sc.
curing 5000 Acres-GoVern-
ment Will Water.

Farmers in Nebraska are now con
WINGED that the Japanese are the rea
yellow peril" since n colony of Coo
sons of Nippon has settled along the
government irrigation ditch between
North Platte and Guernsey. secured
control of 5000 acres of land soon tC
be watered by the great ditch and Is
showing American farmers how tC
make fabulous sums from land sup
posed TO be arid by producing large
crops of beets and potatoes. says a
North Platte special to the Cincinnati
Commercial Tribune.
The Japanese We're brought to the
North Platte territory last summer to
work in the sugar beet and potato
fields. They had with them Il number
of business agents." who looked aft
err all the business of the company.
Being educated men. these business
agents at once saw the advantage of
owning lands under the big govern
ment ditch. which is to make fertile
100000 acres of land in Nebraska.
Organized Cooperative Societies.
These clever japanese organized CO.
operative companies last year and Sc
cured control of large tracts of land,
now holding more than 5000 acres.
The men Wal work in the beet and
potato fields next summer. They are
bright and clean, doing their work in
diligently and working every hour of
the day. They live cheaply and save
much. The money the American beet
farmers pay the Japanese will go into
the general treasury and will be han
died by the business agents." who
will proceed to procure more of the
land along the government ditch.
Last Dear several of the Japanese en-
tered into competition with the Ameri-
can farmers and planted fields of po-
tatoes and beets. They employed their
countrymen and produced big crops.
Half section Of Nebraska land near
North Platte was painted by one Jap
in sugar beetS. and he took off $500
worth of beets to every acre. Others
planted potatoes. One Japanese laborer
who came to North Platte Il year ago
planted forty acres of potatoes, and he
has realized 81 ,3S5 on the crop, selling
them to firm in Toronto u few days
ago for 50 cents a bushel. Records in
Union Pacific Railroad company show
that the Japanese farmers who only
started last year shipped ninety car
loads of potatoes and four carloads OF
celery.
Raise Fine Celery.
Especially at raising celery do the
Japanese surpass the American farm
ers. They are very particular about
their framing, and celery requires
great care They aim to have every
stalk of the plant not only Of even col
or, but about the same size.
"a Japanese laborer is perfect gar
dener," said A. K. Beemis, a ranch
man near North Platte, who is a great
admirer of the Japanese farmers.
They take such care OF everything.
They care individually for almost ev-
erything they grow, weed out the extra
plants carefully if the beets are plant
ed too thick, cover the seed with an
even amount of soil, SO the plants all
sprout together and grow better. there
being no little ones for those further
advanced to overshadow."
More Japanese are arriving in the
North Platte country dai,y, and the
work in the beet fields in that section
and parts of Colorado will be done al
most entirely by the japanese laborers
this season.