WHAT NEBRASKA HAS DONE
a
Nebraska was admitted to the Union
in March, 18G7, and is therefore hut forty-four
years old. When admitted the
population was less than 50,000, three
fourths of. them living within fifty miles
of the Missouri river. When admitted
to the Union Nebraska was considered a
"desert." Indeed, the school maps of that
time included four-fifths of Nebraska in
what was designated "The Great Ameri
can Desert." For thirty years people had
been hurrying across Nebraska, believ
ing that her plains were as unproductive
as the sands of Sahara. A little later
cattle raising began and flourished won
derfully. Little by little the homestead
ers came drifting in, and it was soon dis
covered that the soil of this so-called
desert was as productive as the soil of
any other similar area of territory. In
the short span of forty-four years Ne
braska has grown from a state with 50,
000 inhabitants to a commonwealth with
1,300,000 inhabitants with farms produc
ing upwards of $400,000,000 worth of
produce each year; with cities turning
out upwards of $200,000,000 worth of
manufactured articles each year.
Four hundred and fifteen miles east
and west, by 205 miles north and south,
Nebraska contains a total area of 77,000
square miles or 49,000,000 acres. Of
this total acreage only about two-fifths,
or, 18,000,000 acres, are under cultiva
tion, and this two-fifths of the total acre
age produces annually $400,000,000
worth of grain and grasses. Of the re
maining three-fifths of the ottal acreage
more than one-half are just as good for
raising corn, wheat, oats, rye, barley and
alfalfa as the 18,000,000 acres now
under cultivation, and of the remaining
15,000,000 acres fully one-half will in
time, under proper cultivation and thor
ough knowledge of soil conditions, be
added to the wealth producing area.
It took Nebraskans more than a quar
ter of a century to learn that they could
not make the soil fit the man. Then came
the most wonderful discovery of the age
the discovery that by adapting the man
to the soil Nebraska could be made the
greatest agricultural wealth producer in
the world. Each year since that discov
ery has seen hundreds of thousands of
acres of soil, before considered almost
worthless, brought under cultivation and
yielding returns that are so astonishing
that it is hard to make people believe the
truth.
There is room and welcome awaiting in
Nebraska for 500,000 honest and indus
trious homeseekers and homemakers
farmers who will till the soil intelligent
ly. "With what do you mix your paints?"
some asked of Landseer. "With brains,"
was the reply. There is no better fertil
izer than brains, and Nebraska farmers
are using their brains. What is the re
sult? Nebraska is the fourth largest wheat
producing state, and the youngest of the
four. She raises more wheat to the acre
than any other state.
Nebraska is the fourth largest oats pro
ducing state, and the youngest of the
three. She raises more corn to the acre
than any other state.
Nebraska is teh fourth largest oats pro
ducing state, and the youngest of the
four. She raises more oats to the acre
than any c ;her state.
Nebraska is the third largest producer
of sugar beets.
Nebraska produces more butter per
capita than any other state.
Texas is the largest cotton producing
state. Her 1909 crop of cotton was not
worth as much as Nebraska's 1909 crop
of corn by $47,000,000. Nebraska's 1909
wheat crop came within $6,000,000 of be
ing worth as much as Texas' cotton crop
in the same year.
In 1908 the farm value of the tobacco
crop of the nation was $74,000,000 less
than the value of Nebraska's corn crop
for the same year.
In 1909 the agricultural and live stock
products of Nebraska were worth more
than the mine value of all the bituminous
coal dug from the bowels of the earth in
the United States.
All the gold and silver mined , in the
United States and Alaska in 1910 would
not pay for the corn and wheat raised in
Nebraska in the same year.
The value of the 1910 product of crude
petroleum in the United States was not
equal to the value of Nebraska's 1910
' crop of corn and wheat.
The steel industry of the United States
is gigantic. The values of the iron ore
produced in the United States in 1908
was $60,800,000. Nebraska's corn crop in
the same year was worth much more.
Nebraska has no mines producing gold
bearing ores, but in 1910 the dairy cows
of Nebraska minted the grains and
grasses of Nebraska into $10,000,000
worth of golden butter.
Consider the stupendous figures then
remember that all this product is from
18,000,000 cultivated acres, with not less
than 20,000,000 equally fertile acres yet
awaiting the touch of the plow of the
husbandman.
And less than a half -century ago what
is now Nebraska was considered to be the
heart of "The Great American Desert!"
In 1910 Nebraska with a population of
1,300,000 produced more from her soil
than Japan, with 40,000,000 people, pro
duced from her soil and purchased from
other nations. The per capita of agricul
tural wealth production in Nebraska is
greater than that of any other state.
Even the hay crop alone in 1910 was
worth more than Alaska's output of gold
and silver.
This is the. state that invites you from
the congested centers of the east. This isr
the state that offers you the opportunity
to build a home and acquire a compe
tence. This is the state that throws wide
her gates and invites the industrious and
the honest from. all. four quarters of the
earth.
SOME INTERESTING
NEBRASKA FACTS
WORTH REMEMBERING
Here are a few facts about Nebraska
that will interest you, and which will be
valuable material to store away in your
memory :
Total area, 77,000 square miles.
Total acreage, 49,000,000.
Railroad mileage, 6,006.
Has the third largest stock yards in the
world.
Has the third largest packing center
in the world. ,
, Has the fourth largest state university
in the Union.
Is the third largest corn producing
state.
Is the fourth largest wheat producing
state.
Produces more butter per capita than
any other state.
Has the largest creamery company in
the world at Lincoln.
Has the largest butter market in the
world Omaha. . .
Has the smallest percentage of illiter
acy of air the states.
Has fewer convicts in proportion to
the population than any other state.
Has more money per capita in her
permanent school fund than any other
state.
Has the second largest smelting plant
in the world at Omaha.
No state has a river equalling in mile
age the Platte river in "Nebraska 415
miles as the crow flies, and over 700
miles by the channel.
Is the third largest producer of sugar
beets.
The second largest sheep market of
the world is at South Omaha.
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