= ie i “s es he AGRICULTURAL SERIES No. 12 AGRICULTURAL SERIES No, 12 UNITED STATES RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION UNITED STATES RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION NEBRASKA-—BEEF, BREAD AND BUTTER STATE | ,\, Messages from State Officials I have always advised the people of Nebraska that there were no greater opportunities for success in industry, agriculture and home building than are to be found in this State. The very same reasons that I have offered in connection with that statement are the ones which I have offered to people outside the State, who are seeking a new location. Even now, though Nebraska is a young state, it stands foremost among the agricultural states of the Union. More important still, however, the fact that the agricultural products that are grown here are those which enter most prominently into the very life of the Nation. Wheat is an essential food product. In its production Nebraska stands second. Corn and alfalfa represent the most economic ration for pro- ducing beef, pork and mutton. In these Nebraska stands well toward the top in the quantity and quality produced. Grazing land is essential in the economic production of cattle, and, of course, Nebraska has a very large area of the finest pastures in the world. Of very great importance in connection with the permanent agriculture, is the ability to produce crops which at once provide for the maintenance of soil fertility and the rotation of crops. The crops which I have above enumerated facilitate both of these ends, so it is possible for the Nebraska farmer to not only grow abundant crops, but to maintain the productiveness of his land while he is doing it. There are not large areas of land open to entry in this State, nearly all of the land being deeded, but it may still be bought at reasonable prices and therejis abundant opportunity here for further agricultural development. I know of no State in which:,the opportunities are so great. is Very truly yours, Aa Oy NOY Governor. There are good possibilities under the climatic limitations of Western Nebraska for men who will establish themselves there and work in accord with Nature; but it requires intelligent effort for success. Naturally, there must be a relation between the returns from the land and the cost of production, all of which is governed by prices of land, labor, material, and the products raised. The man who is to win must not be hampered by false hopes that climatic conditions will change or have changed, nor must mere theory govern his practice. He cannot carry with him hard and fast rules by which to farm. Under the erratic climate conditions ob- taining, any system of farming to be successful must be sufficiently elastic to meet conditions as they arise. All factors that influence production and_ profit must be considered. Whenever men move into new sections and unfamiliar conditions, there is a certain amount of risk through attempting to grow the same crops and employ the same methods they formerly used. One of the biggest factors insuring success is the adaptation of crops and practices to local conditions. Nature sets the limits and we should try to meet her conditions. In going into new localities, there- fore, one should first attempt to familiarize himself with those conditions and to learn what the best practices are. This can be accomplished by observing what the successful farmers in the new locality are doing. The farm practices of the best farmers in estab- lished districts are usually sound. Most counties now have a county agricultural agent who will be able and glad to furnish information and whatever assistance he can in aiding newcomers to establish themselves. The State also maintains experiment stations—the central plant at Lincoln and substa- tions at North Platte, Mitchell, and Valentine. It has been the business of the experiment stations to study crops and methods. Any information they may have will be gladly furnished to any one calling or writing for it. 26 oe A). LJ. (Coca Acting Dean, Agricultural College. U. S. RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION Headquarters on a Western Nebraska ranch. There are many large ranches now being cut up and placed upon the market at prices ranging from $25 to $100 an acre THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOKLET HOW THE RAILROADS CAN HELP THE HOME-MAKER This booklet is issued by the Agricultural Section, Division of Traffic, United States Railroad Admin- istration, J. L. Edwards, Manager, Washington, ID) Or The information was compiled by the Nebraska Agricultural College and representatives of the following railroads: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, Chicago Great Western, Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha, Chicago & North Western, Missouri Pacific, and Union Pacific. The purpose of the booklet is to help to direct ambitious and industrious home-makers and pro- ducers, desiring to better their condition in life, to localities in which they should meet with success, in proportion to their resources and ability. Our mission is to help industrious men and women to become farm owners and to enable them to lay the foundation for a home and eventually inde- pendence for the family. Bear in mind that none of the agricultural de- partments of the railroads above mentioned has any interest in the sale of lands nor are they en- gaged in the land business. They are, however, greatly interested in the development and general prosperity of the districts served by their respective lines. The interests of the railroads and the communities served by the lines are identical and interwoven. Prosperous communities mean prosperous railroads. A well satisfied settler is a good asset. A misplaced man is a liability. Our interest does not cease with Corn is grown in every part of the State. It is a leading crop in Western Nebraska on non-irrigated land, at yields ranging from 20 to 40 bushels an acre the location of the settler. We are deeply interested in his success. We stand ready at all times to help the newcomer with his problems. Much valuable knowledge of farm practices and opportunities has been gained by observation and experience which will prove helpful to farmers. ‘This is available to all inquirers. The railroad agricultural representatives have for years made a careful study of conditions and keep in direct touch with their respective territories. Owing to limited space, detailed information is not attempted in this booklet, but should the reader desire special information on any subject connected with any branch of farming or stock raising in Nebraska, it may be secured by writing to, or calling upon, the Representative whose name and address are stamped on page 36 of this booklet. State fully just what is desired. Prompt and dependable information will be furnished. Nebraska has no bonded debt. Its total taxable wealth approximates four billion dollars. The value of its property has doubled in the last ten years. The per capita wealth of the State is about $3,000. The average income of the farm families of the State, in 1918, was $5,280. The annual value of Nebraska crops is approxi- mately $750,000,000. Nebraska stands first among the states in the production of beef, pork, wheat, and corn, per unit of population. In total production it is second in hay, third in cattle, third in corn, fourth in hogs, and fifth in beet sugar. Alfalfa production is 2,528,000 tons. Potatoes, 10,500,000 bushels. Nebraska’s annual poultry and egg production reaches $40,000,000. Annual dairy products are valued at $30,000,000. U. S. RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION A small flock of sheep will prove profitable on every farm. Nebraska farms carry more than 2,000,000 beef cattle, 500,000 milch cows, 2,000,000 hogs, and 500,000 sheep. The money value of the live stock reaching its chief market center annually is more than $100,- 000,000. Nebraska having the largest butter market and the largest creamery plant in the world, and being one of the largest alfalfa producing states, it may be understood that dairying is one of the outstanding agricultural features. Nebraska’s altitude ranges from approximately 1,000 feet on the east to 4,500 feet on the western border. It has an area of 76,800 square miles and is 415 miles long and 205 miles wide. The rural population averages but a little above 10 per square mile. It is, therefore, very evident that her farm population may be easily doubled without bringing about a crowded condition. Climate Western Nebraska is a region of rather limited on Expensive shelter is not necessary rainfall, which occurs mostly in the summer when the crops are growing rapidly; of strong contrasts of tem- perature between summer and winter and between day and night; of rather strong winds which in winter at times are severe and cold, but which in summer render the heat less uncomfortable; of skies with a relatively small percentage of cloudiness and of a large percentage of sunshine; of a rather dry, health- ful atmosphere whose summer heat is less oppressive than in some other states of the same latitude, not only because of the nearly constant movement of the atmosphere, but also because it is less nearly saturated with moisture; and whose winter cold for the same reason is much less severely felt than in the moisture-laden atmosphere of most other states. Temperature January is the coldest month, with a mean tem- perature of 25 degrees in the southeastern corner, and 20 degrees or a little more in the northern por- tion. In the coldest days of winter the temperature usually falls to between 10 and 20 degrees below NEBRASKA —BEEF, BREAD AND BUTTER STATE Nebraska stands third among the states in total production of corn. zero, while on rare occasions 30 degrees below zero occurs. During the summer months the temperature ranges from 70 to 78 degrees. The maximum tem- perature frequently exceeds 95 degrees and a few times each summer it exceeds 100 degrees. The hottest days in summer mostly occur in the last half of July, but the hottest spell of the year sometimes comes in August or September. The high tempera- tures seldom last more than a few hours in the middle of the day. Usually there is a fresh wind blowing and the air is quite dry, making the high temperature -less oppressive than the figures would seem to indicate. From the middle of September the tem- perature decreases rapidly—approximately one-third of a degree a day until December. Frosts Light frosts, sufficiently severe to kill tender vege- tation or a few of the less vigorous fruit blossoms, It stands first in production per unit of population. This pile contains 4,000 bushels of corn, raised on non-irrigated land in Duval County, Nebraska are likely to occur throughout May, and sometimes early in June, especially in the northwestern counties. The average date when the last freezing temperature or frost sufficiently severe to kill staple crops occurs, is the first week in May, in a line drawn from the northeast corner to the southwest corner of the State. The date becomes earlier southeastward to the southeastern corner of the State, where it is about April 15th, and later northwest of this line to the middle or latter part of May, in a large part of the more elevated portions of the northwestern part of the State, where the altitude is about 4,000 feet. Light frosts, not sufficient to cause any practicable damage to vegetation, have occurred in a few years in the very last days of August, and several years in the first half of September. Such frosts, and in some years more severe ones, are to be expected dur- ing the last half of September. The average date of the first killing frost in the fall is the last days of September, for a line drawn from the northeastern U. S. RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION Soe: is North Platte, Nebraska, near Scotts Bluff and a portion of the Gering farming district in the distance. Scotts Bluff and Gering are thriving Western Nebraska cities corner of the State to the southwestern corner of the State. This date becomes later southeast of the line to the southeastern corner, where it occurs the middle of October, and earlier northwest of this line, where, in the greater part of the northwestern portion of the State, it occurs near the middle of September. Precipitation The rainfall for the year in Nebraska has a wide range in different parts of the State. It is greatest in the southeastern corner, where it is between thirty-two and thirty-five inches. It is least in the extreme western portion, near the center of the State, where it is less than sixteen inches. Most of this precipitation is rain. The snowfall for the year averages only about twenty-five inches, equal to a little more than two inches of water, or less than one-tenth of the annual precipitation. In fact, the year may be divided into wet and dry seasons; May, June, and July constitute the wet season, with 46 per cent. of the annual precipitation falling during ~~“) these three months. November, December, Janu- arty, and February are the dry months, with but 11 per cent. of the total amount falling during these three months. The other 43 per cent. falls during the remaining five months, or approximately one- twelfth of the annual amount each month. As this indicates, very little rain or snow falls during the late fall and winter months. A slight decrease occurs in March, but the spring rains begin in April. The period of heaviest rainfall is during the month of June. This is also the period when the rainfall is most certain; that is, least likely to vary from the average. In July the showers are slightly farther apart, although the monthly rainfall is nearly as large as in June. The rainfall for the crop season, April to August, inclusive, exceeds twenty inches along most of the Missouri Valley and decreases regularly westward to a little more than ten inches along the Wyoming border. It will thus be seen that a very large percentage of the annual rainfall occurs during the A typical country church. There are thousands of such churches scattered over the western part of the State, offering ample opportunity for religious services growing season and in this respect Nebraska com- pares favorably with the great agricultural states of the Union. Records of rainfall have been kept in Nebraska for more than sixty years, and there is no indication of a progressive change, either towards an increase or a decrease of rainfall, although there are wide variations from the normal—some wet years when the average rainfall for the State has been nearly thirty-six inches, or about 50 per cent. above the normal, and some dry years when it has been about fourteen inches, or nearly one-half the normal. However, in a great majority of years, the State averages near the normal. Sunshine and Cloudiness March, April, and May are the months of greatest cloudiness, when the sun is obscured about one-half the time. The cloudiness decreases rapidly in June, July, and August, giving a large percentage of sunshine during the period of maturing crops. MARKETS Nebraska is well supplied with railroads; no part of the State is more than twenty-four hours from a profitable market. This is a very important con- sideration for the farmer. Most of the state products are shipped to the Missouri River markets —Omaha, St. Joseph, Kansas City. Sioux City is the leading market for the northeastern part of the State. Chicago furnishes a market for many prod- ucts produced in the entire State, while all of the Western and Southern States consume immense quantities of her corn and corn products, also her packinghouse products. Omaha is the principal market within the State, yet there are numerous other towns which furnish satisfactory markets for produce grown locally. The following railroads and their branches serve this State: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Chicago, Burling- ton & Quincy; Chicago Great Western; Chicago, A typical consolidated school. The State has been one of the foremost in educational progress. There are more than 300,000 children enrolled in public schools in the State Rock Island & Pacific; Chicago, St. Paul, Minne- apolis & Omaha; Chicago & North Western; Mis- sour Pacific; St. Joseph & Grand Island, and Union Pacific. Organized agriculture in Nebraska has developed rapidly in recent years, and along with this develop- ment came splendid neighborhood social life. There are thousands of farmers’ co-operative organizations throughout the State. A large number of Nebraska communities now have county agricultural agents and farm bureaus, and the newcomer should make himself known as soon as possible after his arrival, get in touch with the county agricultural agent and join the farm bureau. The newcomer will find congenial home surround- ings. There are thousands of churches of all de- nominations in the State, and in many sections the church is the center of the community life of the district. School consolidation is developing rapidly, and in all parts of the state the people take a keen interest in the improvement of social conditions. Good roads are the rule and make social life pleasant. Possibly no state in the Union has made greater progress along educational lines than has the State of Nebraska. Less than half a century ago there were three schools in the State that were doing work higher than the twelfth grade in our present high schools. These schools were located at Peru, Lincoln, and Fremont and each had but one building. Since that time Peru has many times doubled and quadrupled itself and it has turned out hundreds and thousands of teachers in the State. The uni- versity is recognized as one of the leading universities of the United States. Fremont has given back to the State over 3,500 teachers. To-day the State has 300,011 children attending public schools. The number of counties is 93; the NEBRASKA BEEF, BREAD AND BUTTER STATE Land of this character furnishes excellent grazing for cattle and sheep. Pioneer stock men were attracted to this country because of the good natural shelter for stock, as well as the nutritious grasses. There are good farming lands tributary to these grazing lands total number of school districts, 7,216; total number of schoolhouses, 7,681. Number of teachers employed in the public schools, male, 1,150; female, 12,098. Total amount of money received from all sources for school purposes, including bonds, fines, and licenses, non-resident pupils, and other sources, $14,520,934.33. The last Legislature passed a law which provides for the redistricting of the State of Nebraska for consolidation purposes, as consolidation here is in its infancy. Last year the assessed valuation of the consolidated districts amounted to $12,058,682. STATE AND GOVERNMENT LANDS All the major portion of the homestead lands, suitable for diversified farming, in Nebraska, were taken up years ago and there are no such free gov- ernment lands available at the present time, with the exception of the irrigated homestead lands on 10 the United States Reclamation Project in North Platte Valley. Government irrigated lands in the North Platte Valley are thrown open for settlement, from time to time, as the canals for the delivery of the water are constructed. These lands (which are chiefly in Scotts Bluff County) may be had in 80-acre units. Three years’ residence, of seven months per year, are required to secure title to these lands. The settler must pay for the cost of the water which amounts to about $70 per acre, and is allowed twenty years’ time in which to make these payments, without interest charge. Information about these irrigated homestead lands can be secured by addressing the Project Manager, U. S. Reclamation Service, Mitchell, Nebraska. The lands owned by the State of Nebraska are not offered for sale, but may be leased. Information about these State lands may be secured by addressing the State Commissioner of Lands and Buildings, Lincoln, Nebraska. Experiment Station for the benefit of farmers at North Platte. varieties of crops and to determine the most profitable ones for Western Nebraska The type of farming varies greatly in the different sections of Nebraska, due to soil, rainfall, topog- raphy, and altitude. In Western Nebraska rainfall of half that of Eastern Nebraska, and an altitude of 4,000 feet greater, necessitates radically different farming methods. Many failures of farmers in the past have been due to an attempt to force nature; whereas, har- monizing methods with nature has usually brought success. Experiment and experience have, in the course of years, proven what practices are safe to follow under a given set of conditions. The Extension Service of the Nebraska College of Agriculture seeks to disseminate, among the farmers of the various sections of the State, the most approved practices of successful farmers in those localities; and to make known the successful practices, as proven by the experiment stations and the farmers themselves. This station is maintained by the State for the purpose of testing 1] This is largely done in two ways: Through resi- dent extension representatives, namely county agricultural agents and home demonstration agents; and by extension specialists in the subject matter departments of the College of Agriculture. The county agent and the home demonstration agent work under the direction of the County Farm Bureau co-operating with the Extension Service and the United States Department of Agriculture. The most efficient work of the extension specialist can be done in those counties having a farm bureau organi- zation, but prompt and careful attention is given to all inquiries from unorganized counties. These agencies of the extension service are at the disposal of the new settler. One of the most serious problems confronting the farmer, who locates under a set of conditions differing from those to which he has been accustomed, is that of obtaining properly adapted seed and a knowledge of successful cultural methods. The farm bureau and county agent are especially valuable in assisting the newly located farmer in obtaining seed and live stock and, what is A ranch headquarters in the Sand Hill region of North Central Nebraska. Land similar to this may be bought for $10 to $50 an acre The low-lying lands furnish excellent hay and produce good yields of other crops even more valuable, in acquainting him with suc- cessful farmers of that locality. Discouragement and failure may thus be avoided. The Extension Service stands ready, at all times, to respond to the inquiries of the farmers of Nebraska and takes a deep interest in newcomers, since their success contributes to the welfare and greatness of the State as a whole, and makes for general happiness and prosperity. Every new settler is invited to become a member of the farm gureau in the county in which he locates. The newcomer should make himself known to the bankers and business men of his town, and get acquainted with the county agri- cultural agent at the earliest opportunity. To make clear the value of Nebraska lands for specialized or general purpose farming, a dividing line, beginning on the northern boundary and follow- ing the eastern edge of Holt, Wheeler, Custer, Daw- son, Gosper, and Furnas counties, may be adopted. The area to the east may be classed as fully settled and offering nothing to the newcomer, unless he has means greater than the average man who leaves his field of acquaintance and settles in a new location to carry on farm operations. The eastern part of the State must be seen to be appreciated. Ina large percentage of it comfortable and beautiful homes are built, roads are improved, and the network of railroads leaves no farm distant from market. It is an area comparable with the best of the Corn Belt, and while lands range in price from $100 to $300 an acre, all familiar with the territory know it has not reached the top. Eastern Nebraska lands are good investments. Arthur, Blaine, Boyd, Brown, Cherry, Garfield, Grant, Holt, Hooker, Keya Paha, Loup, Logan, McPherson, Rock, Thomas, and Wheeler counties make up the northern group and cover the great native hay area of the State. Chiefly the lands are sand and sandy loams. Broad valleys flank the streams and extensive basins without surface stream drainage grow a very high quality hay that serves well as a cash crop, since Alfalfa yields from two to five tons an acre under irrigation. Productive irrigated lands with excellent water rights may be purchased for $100 to $300 an acre the insistent demand for it at central markets assures a top price. These valleys are separated by ranges of hills that are covered with buffalo, gramma, and other grasses that furnish excellent pasturage, and their character and soil has caused the area to be widely known as the ‘Sand Hills.” This is primarily a stock country and some of the largest herds of the best bred cattle of the State are found here. These counties cover more than 12,000,000 acres of which approximately 1,000,000 acres are culti- vated. Potatoes are a principal commercial crop and garden vegetables of every kind are grown in great abundance. More corn, wheat, rye, oats, and barley are grown than local demand absorbs, and hundreds of thousands of bushels are shipped to the central markets. This surplus grain, the great prairie hay production, the hogs, cattle, and horses bred and grown in these counties, the large volume of dairy products originating here and the vast quantity of eggs and poultry supply a marketable tonnage that probably excels any other agricultural section of like area that has no greater percentage of its land in tillage. Boyd, Keya Paha, the north half of Holt, and a section of Brown, are chiefly “‘hard soil’’ lands, and a large part of the area is in cultivation. These lands carry a higher valuation than do areas where the major part is pasture land. Several other counties, too, have smaller areas of this character of soil that locally considered is of much advantage, but affects the whole county very little. For such areas market prices range from $40 to $125 an acre, while the range for the sandy lands runs from $10 to $50 an acre. There are 10,000 farms in these counties. Many small ranches, with stock and equipment or without such, are offered by retiring owners at such prices that the normal earnings from the ranch and the increasing value will, in a very few years, pay for the ranch. Large holdings, too, must be divided for more profitable operation, and to supply the demand for a ranch of such size that the farmer and his family can handle it. Northwestern Nebraska counties produce two-fifths of the State’s 10,500,000 bushels of potatoes. Banner, Box Butte, Cheyenne, Dawes, Deuel, Garden, Kimball, Morrill, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan, and Sioux counties form the northwestern group, and are commonly known as the ‘‘Pan-Handle”’ of the State. On account of the large irrigated area and the large acreage of sugar beets and other specialty crops grown, this group contains some of the highest priced land in Nebraska. The northern two-thirds of Garden County and the southern half of Sheridan County are of the same character as the sand hill group, with a broadening of the hay valleys and a corresponding recession of the hill ranges, as the western extremes of the sand hill country is reached. In each of the counties there are scattered parts of sand areas or rough clay and rocky areas, and while such lands have lower values than adjacent prairie they are very desirable for the range stock- man on account of the natural shelter they afford. The timbers from the cafions and rugged slopes furnished the early homesteader fuel, posts, and other building material before railroads made it 14 Dry land seed stock yields approximately 24 per cent higher than seed grown in other sections of the State possible to supply this need. The rough areas are only a small percentage of the total area. They stand in bold outline and sometimes give the new- comer the impression that they typify the country, while the major part of the lands is gently rolling prairie farms and ranches growing successfully all of the common field crops. This group of eleven counties contains approxi- mately 11,000,000 acres of land, 75 per cent. of which is tillable. Within it are some of the largest and most highly developed ranch properties of the State; likewise, some of the smallest and most intensively cultivated farm units. For the entire group about one-eighth of the area is cultivated. The non-irrigated lands range in price from $15 to $100 an acre. This group of counties embraces the chief potato district of the State. The average acre yield is 120 bushels, while the state average is 86 bushels. These counties produced two-fifths of the State’s 10,500,000 bushels. Thirty-five of the 44,000 acres of sugar beets grown in the State were grown here, and three of the Thousands of high-grade dairy cows have been shipped into the State in the past few years. because it requires but little capital to make a start and it offers an immediate cash income. State’s four sugar factories are located here. Three of these counties produced 100 per cent. more wheat than the average of the State. The potash produced in these counties is one-half of the total production of the United States. Nine thousand farms are operated, 6,000 of them by the owners. These “‘Pan Handle” counties have 211,000 acres of irrigated land, and form one of the most important irrigation districts of this country, involving millions of dollars for canal and lateral systems, dams, and other structures needed in operation, and adding tens of millions each year to the production of this area. Land values for irrigated farms range from $100 to $300 an acre, and deliver an income every year warranting these prices and guaranteeing increasing value as further development takes place. Dawson, Dundy, Hitchcock, Keith, Lincoln, and Red Willow have a total of 69,000 irrigated acres. Several other counties have small areas but are of local importance only, since the irrigated land does not materially affect land values for the county of which it is a part. The dairy business appeals to the newcomer It is a safe line of farming to follow. SOUTHWESTERN NEBRASKA These counties may be divided into three groups of somewhat uniform conditions. The counties divided by, and lying to the south of, the Platte River Custer, Dawson, Gosper, Furnas, Red Willow Frontier, Lincoln, Keith, Perkins, Chase, Hayes, Hitchcock, and Dundy—are chiefly ‘tight lands.” Wheat and corn are the principal cash crops. Ninety per cent. of the surface is tillable, and 10 per cent. has only grazing value. Hogs and beef cattle are extensively raised and dairying is constantly in favor. The all-year return from milking cows Is a strong argument for enlarging this industry. Large tonnages of sorghums and kaffirs are grown to sup- plement corn and alfalfa. These counties embrace about 9,000,000 acres, 2,500,000 acres of which are cultivated in 16,500 farms. The area thus has an average of more than 500 acres per farm, and taking into account the relatively small acreage cultivated, it is at once apparent that there is considerable room for develop- The estimated 1919 wheat crop is 80,000,000 bushels and wheat is a leading crop in the State. on the non-irrigated land ment. One hundred sixty and 320-acre farms and ranches, running up to 1,500 or 2,000 acres, are on the market at a range of prices from $20 to $100 an acre. The farmer in this territory, who has based his operations on grain production, in connection with feeding cattle and hogs or milking cows with poultry as a side line, is the outstanding example of success. The farming business in these counties is well organ- ized and undergoing a healthful extension. Hun- dreds of these thriftily managed farms yield their purchase price every few years. There is no abrupt change in the land or climatic conditions between Eastern and Western Nebraska. The change is gradual. Counties to the west have much in common with neighboring counties to the east. Forty counties in the western part of the State offer special opportunities to the man of limited capital, where he may secure a home of his own. These forty counties have nearly all of the 23,000-, 000 acres of unimproved land of the State. They 16 Winter wheat is an important crop have one-quarter of the corn acreage, one-third of winter wheat, and one-half spring wheat acreage, three-fifths of the potatoes, seven-twelfths of the wild hay, one-sixth of the alfalfa. They have one- third of the milch cows and one-half of other cattle. Land values vary greatly in these western counties. Western Nebraska is settled to an extent so that its value as a profitable farming section is proved; yet there is room for double the number of families now living in that part of the State. The homebuilder will find few more inviting loca- tions. The climate is healthful, water for domestic use easy to secure, good roads the rule, rural mail routes, telephone connections throughout, a school system second to none, colleges and high schools, state normals, agricultural schools, experiment sta- tions, and churches—all well supported and thor- oughly representative. Fast growing towns fully meet the trade and market needs. There are several towns of 5,000 population. U.S. RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION tC Patna A Western Nebraska sugar beet factory. There are four of these factories in the State. Where sugar beets are grown, land values are high The following tables contain detailed information of production and development: Alfalfa . | . | | Potatoes NorthiCentraliCounties 1918 Total Tons | Wild Hay Milch Cows | Other Cattle | Horses | Hogs | Sheep Bushee PATUNUYA@OUNMUY aclaue(laseisieie s isie.e 2.0.0.9. m0, 00 2,240.0 | 44,239.5 1,740 2,989 1,640 43 35,000 Blaine County..... 244.0 | 36,948 .0 1,527 2,997 1,728 211 37,890 Boyd County... | 20 1941 5 § 0 5,240 7,663 21,833 157 101,867 Brown County. . | 0 sO.) 3,550 | 8,491 4,850 2,182 280,500 Cherry County.. .| 6 0 | Oo. 2 6,203 | | 28,907 11,917 2,237 323,739 Garfield County. | o | BOK | 2,634 | 4,092 4,849 67 38,988 Grant County... 8 | a) 823 | 4,056 395 180 44,220 Holt County.... 6 6 11,624 | 19,307 2,238 171,440 Hooker County....... oO | wo 956 3,344 8 38,025 Keya Paha County .0 | 0 3,120 7,743 80 37,760 Logan County..... 6 | 0 1,597 | 3,929 313 41,895 Loup County...... 3 0 1,459 | 3,616 349 28,260 McPherson Coun ty se 0 0 A | 5,185 11 71,925 IROGEAG OUT y.oaisiate dleiye.c's,<:0;5)s-0% tt) 3 | 6,578 651 56,700 Thomas County A 0 2,445 79 53,900 Wheeler County 2 5 | 3,691 527 26,640 Northwestern Counties | Banner County. Bena sesniale tis ees 0 8 | 5,257 1,427 34,832 Box Butte County ate Rie idaa,| .O | 0 | 8,925 42 1,225,107 Cheyenne County........ 5 | 3 | 10,855 88 109,388 Dawes County .0 1 10,507 6,945 549,542 Deuel County..... .0 | | 3,832 159 92,218 Garden County .. Ar eee | 7.5 | | 11,544 1,412 57,950 Kimball County. eee ee el | 4,846 5,287 149,380 Morrill County.. | Oo. | | | 13,118 350 445,278 Scottsbluff County . A 5 p | 11,435 53,964 1,029,936 Sheridan County........... : ..| 34; 746.6 65,960 19,632 2,465 1,388,760 Sioux COuntyseicrc.cacc ess err d| 51,142.0 | 51,566 | 12,179 21,965 406,953 Southwestern Counties | | | Chase County. . Reem Mite. os aes | 7,942.4 | 5.2 | 16,396 | 8,462 157 55,500 Custer County... Sh A: SP OReeSee Soe 83,878 .2 | 3.1 | 93,817 | 36,925 | | 5,266 150,248 Dawson County.. ee 121,020.9 Bp! | 34,370 | 17,310 | | 4,579 90,104 Dundy County.. ae 8,810.2 va 20,716 7,693 35 22,300 Frontier County. a8 ja 6,009.3 5.0 27,547 | 13,676 1,031 44,250 Furnas County é 3.5 0 21,430 | 13,582 ¢ Gasper County 6 8,352.8 18,350 | 7,715 Hayes County ms 11,409.6 | 13,998 7,492 Hitchcock on , | 6 3,198.8 10,714 | 7,291 Keith County. ’ 3.4 17,539.2 26,558 8,625 Lincoln County... or 3 135,151 61,604 21,170 Perkins County......... ; Z a} 9,288 13,709 8,934 | Red Willow County......... SAP 13, "708.8 3,348 | 19,298 9,656 | 11,772 Billie “Uda, Craw ford Corville Agate ° — = Roxbutte o Hewitt == 2 Canton}, BOX BU NCE ss Carpenter = ee (ae Sissi ISextorp = =. = Ss x Kowanda : Pottet, | orbolt Marlowe =o tend oes yw Pe = SS Lucky Valley ofa — Calora? ARTHUR Oarthur CHenrose | ° Hiawatha Callisan— “Wood Lakes > Oasis Matteson o Midvale Trypno Lemley, Sti rgo? =6 Nesbit Willard, SAP aks SS Svannuth ‘0 | Cottonwood Spross Buchanan (Wellfleet ———— reed uick aoe eG, Banksville Cornell , = Marion Wargond” idprars Crofton y eville Bloor, Constaped —— o~. Soy <= > oo of , z | toFhurmap, S : ON = 5 S Se > - S + Sioux Cy. |IE=C=K f : aKa ts city | aioe P “‘Bortboe™ Welacer , 0 Bidgeley?s w yinslow (ve rimrose oN . Rost VAT. ver sph anny ASTIST { 2 “hes Orum= >» dey Platte Cen, x ions | \B : Shia rea Bets a 5 = f a thoun Are _ = : Soa Tore RTL Ot ne Siteste BAS" WB iutls NY Sis Elk Cy; 7 Kingaton\ te \ ase Bue Syrineny jaro nerd, Vio\let 2 at) e) } 2 Q 8 = f S, AW WN = 2 OND, Myddlebu: 4 Bs, = 00 ante oN eh fi I[EBRASKA Copyright, by Rand MeNally & Co.757 D NEBRASKA—BEEF, BREAD AND BUTTER STATE Some good brood mares in the Chimney Rock district—an excellent stock and diversified farming section. produce strong boned, sturdy animals , Total Land | Cultivated Spring Wheat/)Winter Wheat Corn Barley North Central Counties 1918 | Acres Area Acres Acres Acres Acres Arthur’ County, os 606 o)02 sis cates 553,600 25,300 225 350 | AT ee Poqaqcadcaaiod Blaine County.. 460,80) | 32,109 106 600 | LT, BOB 8 eccatovehacacratotete Boyd County . 340,480 115,158 26,576 1,401 65,599 3,481 Brown County. . 679,040 81,600 | 3,425 3,200 49,305 150 Cherry County 3,870,720 4,953 1,043 58,879 352 Garfield County. 368,640 1,521 3,202 24,350 276 Grant County........ 460,800 | 32 30 SOG eB ecraicjecarecyeevors Holt County........... 1,561,600 | 12,057 5,807 | 117,245 1,169 Hooker County......... 460,800 | 68 89 7,655 22 Keya Paha County..... ; 460,800 4,635 2,529 35,317 1,602 Logan County....... ive 368,640 1,154 5,473 19,038 619 Loup County..... 368,640 873 882 12,784 61 McPherson County 1,013,760 292 536 NS SLD AMS care cotetette eve Rock County..... 675,840 964 536 20,499 45 Thomas County... 460,800 82 304 (GPA Be ee Wheeler County - 368,640 32,998 1,983 335 16,674 6 Northwestern Counties Banner County............. 483,840 | 55,569 21,356 5,753 8,224 161 Box Butte County . 691,200 78,120 15,172 5,834 20,250 2,357 Cheyenne County...... 1,692,800 178,891 52,556 | 66,965 25,354 1,355 Dawes County.......... 898,560 69,165 14,543 | 2,928 29,716 1,681 Deuel County......... 960,000 168,330 24,976 87,319 22,726 4,754 Garden County ccienacin seni cout ciate ar ace 1,140,480 40,112 3,781 8,781 14,551 330 Kimball County: sce ayeans=.2jarocaligie nae es 614,400 72,448 23,428 21,271 6,217 770 Morrill County. sisisscasetys8 eie/siatartte a) sistaye's 925,440 77,681 18,930 10,848 18,775 748 Scottablutt: County; so