Omaha daily bee., 1919-11-23

land and remembers that the frs
white corners visited them less thar
a hundred years ago.
The table, the irrigated district.
and the sandhills all have theil
problems, but perhaps the hardest
of all are those of the last named
the land of the short grass, as the
writers of books have been pleased
20 call it.
Soon on a chill, dull morning
ere the sun has decided to rise
from the musty, fusty murk of a
steam coach, perhaps the ignorant
fastener may term the sand hills
barren and use the word bleak, but
the more fool he. Other lands make
more blatant appeal for affection
The sandhills wait TO be wooed
They will present the softest, sweet
est colors in the world through the
changing seasons, to their lovers.
The very prettiest curves OF
rounded hilltops are theirs. The
most delicate charm of all nature
is here in the gentle shadowing OF
cloud on the surface of mother
earth. Delight for the wielder of
the pencil, pure joy for the man
with the paint box.
The Experimental Farm.
Here the very attractive town OF
Valentine, in fact right tightagainst
it's eastern border lies Nebraska
University Experimental farm. OF
course if you are one of those an
tique creatures who care nothing for
agriculture and expect your potatoes
TO be brought by some miraculous
process straight out of nothingness
to your table and your plate, just
pass this story by. But we assure
you something will be MISSED If
you pass the land of this story by in
similar disdain.
The university farm at Valentine
should be called the Farm of
Hope" and the pleasant young
couple, who, as superintendent and
wife, are just beginning to take up
the task of conquering the dragon
of the sandhills are assuredly
worth your attention. The portion
of the farm where the buildings are
placed is as level as if some rolling
machine managed by giants had
purposely smoothed it. If the super
intendent takes you in his Ford over
the fields and back away from the
town towards the river, you will
finds the land decends and at its
eastern border is of the type the
scientists mention when they
speak of subirrigated land.
Long, Hard Fight.
The sandhills refuse to be con-
quered in day or a year. Had
Hercules lived in this land and this
age they would have been consid-
cred worthy task for his undertake
ing. They ring out now clear,
cold challenge, and there are men
and women who are more than
ready to take up the call. Through
the dunes of Cherry. county the
beautiful Niobrara flows swiftly and
strongly, for very truth, as if it were
Haunting the laxy hills for their
slothfulness in producing crops and
supporting men.
There are at least dozen things
to make the city of Valentine and
the university farm we'll worth the
visitors while. Not far to the
north is the Rosebud agency, where
the Indians live, and of whom the
earliest settlers tell tales to curdle
the blood. Not far away is the ma,
tional forest, where the United
States government is visibly con-
quering the dragon by systemati-
cally planting trees, and more trees.
Mans ingenuity will make this
stretch of sandhills one of the tairr
est spots in all the states some day.
Just mark this prophecy.
The Game Reserve.
Beyond the university farm east
ward lies the national game re-
serve where the early wild creatures
of this region are allowed to live
their lives unharmed by the murder
Gus hand of man. Here you may
see herd of native buffalo, a wilder
colony of elks, and the many birds
that like to spend season IN Ne
braska are sure of shelter. In this
vicinity stood old Fort Niobrara,
built as an outlook point against
the Rosebuds to the north.
But what about the university
farm? It dates from 1910 when ~
acres adjacent to the town OF Valen..
tine were donated by citizens ot
Cherry county as a site. tor the
Farm buildings. Five years later tive
acres were purchased from the
United States government tor ex,
perimental farm purposes. This had
been a part of the Fort Niobrara
reserve. There are six main build
'nps and some smaller sheds. Four
are constructed Of concrete blocks.
The fisheries on the Minnecaduza
are one-half mile from the farm,
which lies in bend of the Niobrara.
This latter comes from the west
and half circles the farm, flowing
Ior a time almost northward. The
Minnecaduza flows almost due east
to join the Niobrara and the -tarm
.:es in a pocket between the two.
Blow-Outs a Problem.
One of the problems to be solved
on the university farm is that OF
the blow-outs which the winds
make, fairly scooping out great un-
manageable holes in the earth. This
aside from the question OF mois..
ture is one of the chief problems of
the farm. The farmer assures US
that the problem is solvable. A
top dressing of straw or manure or
the mere allowing of the growth
of weeds will materially assist.
When small grain is planted allow
ing the stubble to stand all winter
is a preventive.
The farmer in the sand hills must
everlastingly try to get as much
organic matter as he can into the
soil. This is not so simple as it