The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1908-07-03
DESCRIPTION OF
LARAMIE VALLEY
Letter From Enoch Andrus Gives
Glowing Description of Big
Laramie River Valley

Laramie River Valley
A letter from Enoch Andrus OF Barry
county, a prosperous farmer who went
to Wyoming aud purchased land in the
big Laramie River Valley lie says:
DEAR SIR:
Complying with your request, / state
briefly some of 10Y impressions of toe
Big Laramie River Valley gained from
our recent visit there. 1t must be un-
derstood in advance, that these impress
sions are based upon a very brief time
and limited opportunities for observation.
No man can Judge intelligently under
such conditions. He must summer and
winter in a country 10 know much about
it. | had seen some little of the West
before, but not this particular locality.
The valley is certainly a beautiful one
and traversed by one Of the greatest
transcontinental railroads, and contain
ing within it's borders the chief educa-
tional institution, the state university.
Its future certainly seems a bright one.
OF course it must he understood that in
the past it has been almost entirely a
grazing country. Many things connected
with its agricultural development are
still in its infancy, and these problems
are being worked out by the experiment
stations connected with the university.
/ saw Prof. Nelson, the botarist of the
station, aud he said that extended eXper
iments were being carried OF to deter
mine the best variety of grain, vegeta-
bles and small fruits adapted to the
g., 49, ho
grains are concerned the matter seems to
have passed the experiment stage, and
as a grazing proposition, the stock on
the range answers that question. The
horses and cattle, of which one may see
thousands have passed the winter en-
tirely without shelter or protection of
any kind and no feed save the pasture,
yet are in as good coudition as live stock
upon the average farm here. The range
horses are the finest l ever saw, and the
cattle, mostly grade Herefords, show
that much has been done in the way of
breeding up. | brought back specimens
of oats and barley raised on the Ghost
Ranch" that certainly are fine, much
heavier than similar grain raised here.
| examined some oats that had been cut
green for hay and most OF the heads
seemed about foot long. One measured
10 inches.
10 company with two others | at
tempted to reach Bells ranch, concern
ing which | heard much from the outset
Our driver evidently knew little about
the country and insisted upon retracing
our journey when still seven miles short
OF our destination. Fortunately, how
ever, | met Mr. Bell afterwards ia Lara
ME and he confirmed some of the re-
markable stories ahoat concerning his
crops; for instance, raising 1877 bushels |
of oats to the acre. When | asked him
how tall these oats grew, mechanically |
raising my hand somewhat above the |
heighth of an oat crop here, he said,
"Bless you, don't hold your hands down |
there, put them up here, raising his
hand above his head. One thing he |
told me may interest you. he said he .
bought a half section adjoining his .
ranch, a tract that he could convenient
ly irrighte with the facilities he had.
He BROS his up and sowed it to oats
aud this first crop paid tor the land, $50
per acr all the cost u raising aud har.
vesting the same anj left a surplus Of
S7OO ., course | cannot voucn for any
of his statements, but lie scene rank,
and not man built on the "hot air