Year: 1869

them an order and Iieatness which


would be sought for in vain In some
more pretentiOus residences. ~


In some OF the more favored l0ca-
tiOns the settler has the materials for
stone or Lighthouses. Were it not for
the scarcity Of fuel good bricks might
be manufactured. Log, stone, or


brick houses are extremely rare. The
most useful kinds are those described,
or the small frame shanties, built OF
imported lumber, costing from S75 to
$lO0, which are generally the choice
of men of the requisite means. 1
doubt, all things considered, if the lat
ter are as comfortable as the former.


ANY of these structures come within
the requirements OF the homestead
law, which demands that the settlers
dwelling shall have window, door,
floor, and roof, and be a comfortable
house to live In. M


The first duty of the immigrant,
after having provided q shelter for


himself and family, and one for his
cattle, is to prepare his ground for q
crop. The best time for breaking
prairie is beteen May and August, al
though some continue this work all the
year round, when the weather will
permit. Between tie months named
the sap Is running upwards, and the
roots. will die. which Il not the case
when it is descending. Ground bro
ken, later becomes overgrown by
meads OF the reinvigo roots of tie
grass, and it Is found very difficult to
eridioate them. ba


Recently a company having $4,000
acr5s on Salt creek near Lincoln, the
capital of the State, introduced q
steam plough, costing $4,000, from
Leeds, England, and designed contin-
uing operations all winter. They
broke to the depth Of seven or eight
inches, entirely covering the sod the
result of the experiment remains to be
seen. The usual depth of breaking is
about two inches, or just enough to
detach the roots and peel off the sod.


The settler who has means at his
command will have his own teams
and hire assistance, or, If he chooses,
can get his ground broken by contract
at So so per acre. But the majority
have neither means nor sufficient
teams perhaps only one yoke of cat
tie or a span Of horses. The method of
such is to Change work. with their
neighbors, uniting their own and the
lobor Of their teams. In this humble
way they commence operations and
lay the foundation of competency and
independence.


The soil is allowed to remain undis-
turbed until the spring opens, when it
is easily pulveFized with the harrow,
and is prepared for the seed without
additional labor.


No successful attempt has been
made to raise winter wheat in Nebras-
ka.F The ground, in consequence of
the high winds, is kept bare Of snow,
and the sprouts yield to the rigOr Of
the weather.
One Of the resorts of the pioneer to
obtain a crop, when he cannot wait
for the full preparation Of the ground,
is to plant "sod corn.n Having brO-
ken the prairie in the spring and al
lowing it to remain until planting
time without further attention, he
then proceeds to raise the sod with a
hoe, and, at proper intervals, throws
in a few grains of corn, pressing back
the sod with his sfOot; or, if he prefers,
he can cut the sod with an ak, cover
ing the grains, of course, in the same
way. Often a crop of 80 or 40 bashels
of corn to the acre is raised by this



Having provided for a crop, the
next thing which will occur to the sa-
gaeious farmer. is to make an effort to
supply the deficiency in timber. He
will select favorable location, and
after ploughing several furroWs to
prevent the encroachment Of prairie
fires, he will proceed to plant on the
area within the requisite number of
trees. This work is done by making
burrows at intervals of three or four
feet, and then with a hoe securely
setting the roots Of the tWig. The cot
on account Of its rapid
growth, is generally selected. A great
of little trees Of this species
is obtained from the banks of the Mis-
souri,. The lack of fuel is at present
one of the greatest drawbacks to the
prosperity of Nebraska; but If the
present attention to tree culture is
continued, it will in Is or 20 years
have q greater abundance of timber
than manr of the older States.


I commence by referring to the
central location of Nebraska, and
shall conclude with mere allusiOn to
the advantages which her position as
a great agricultural centre afford.
With the mining regions Of the Rocky
mountains on one side, and the hnu-
cry east on the other, as the means of
radiate to all points Of
the compass, her abundant crops, her
fioeks and heres, will find their natu-
raj markets, and rich returns will
come back to fill the farmers heart
with glrdness; civilization will ex-
tend its full power, and every boon
within the scope Of rational human
be granted her people.