■■■I ... IIIJI1I—I II WHU -~~-——^
Snap Shots and Observations
From a Richardson County Farmer
So tar this has been a winter
of varied and marked changes
of weather. The mercury has
several times dropped thirty or
forty degrees in 24 hours. From
beautiful sunshinev weather
when it was too hot to wear a
coat at work, it has gone down
below the zero mark and (lurries
of driving snow have given the
stockmen some concern. The
last of January we had territic
wind storms that swept the
windmills down in countless
number and there would have
been positive disaster in the
feedlots if the weather had not
at once moderated and allowed
the installation of gasoline en
gines or the repairing of the
mills.
As it is, the putnp, engine ana
mill men have not yet caught up
with the repairing of the dam
age. One little firm in our sec
tion had 05 calls to replace
blown down mills in 4* hours
after the storm.
No great damages resulted to
livestocK in any one section,
but two or three lighter storms
have swept the state and some
losses have occurred.
The whole state has been well
supplied with hay and rough
ness and feed has not been short
in any section and the conse
quence is that in general the
stock is in fine shape.
The hogs are pretty well out
of the country now, and we no
tice that the weights are pretty
good at present. A goodly num
ber of the shipments go into the
heavy weight class and are bet
ter finished.
CHOP PKOSPKCTS AND CONDI
TIONS.
Wheat is not reported winter,
killed from any section, but the
fierce winds and insuilicient
snow have given the growers
some fear that damage might re
sult. The few farmers that have
wheat on hand are now market
ing it at the SI.00 mark, many
saying that in all their history
it is the first chance they have
ever had to sell wheat at one
dollar.
There is a growing sentiment
that the order oi the agricultural
department in putting a ban
upon the bleaching of flour, was
a mistake and that it will be re
scinded.
The clover has stood the win
ter in tine shape and it will de
pend upon future weather if it
results in any detriment to it.
There has been a wonderful lot
of work along the line ot corn
improvement this winter and a
lot of people who never tried a
seed plot are going to do so this
spring. There is more fancy
seed corn being bought than ever
before. It will be well to give a
few words of caution to those
who have bred a certain strain
of corn on their farms lor years.
Do not make a complete change
ot seed. Perhaps the corn you
are growing is better adapted to
your farm methods and soil than
some lancy scoring variety from
a distance.
Plant seed tests, but do not
discard your old varieties berore
you have tested the newer sorts.
Talking over the oat problem
with several of our best farmers
recently, it has been the general
decision that it has been weather
conditions and not soil deterio
ration or the running out of our
oats, that has caused the great
depreciation of that crop. Even
on rich soil they have not yielded
well, with good plowing and
drilling the results have been
unsatisfactory. Various degrees
in the quantity of seed sown has
shown no marked variation, in
fact we are not in the oat zone,
or at least have not been for
several years. One of the best
farmers I know of, said that for
our soil, a sandy loam, double
discing was as good a way as he
knew and that from two to three
bushels of seed per acre, about
the right quantity and that he
was going to continue sowing
that way.
THE SUKKP ('OM)N'(l INTO FAVOR.
Unheralded by any blasts of
trumpets, the sheep is coming
rapidly to the fore on the farms
of Nebraska during the past
year or so. Many farms where
sheep were not known are now
supporting small docks of sheep.
This right in the face of high
priced hogs. It is possible that
the farmers are gaining some
belief that the hoof of the sheep
is golden and that sheep can
convert some of the roughness
of the farm into wool and mutton.
We heard a farmer who owns
a quarter section, say that he
was going to drop out of the
hog business largely and raise
sheep. It did not take the large
amount of grain to fatten them.
With hogs we must keep cattle
or the hay and stalks are largely
wasted. With sheep we can get
rid ol both roughness and grain
and send a finished product to
the market.
THE THEE HETCHER AT WORK.
There are many old orchards
in this section, orchards that
have been established for twen
ty years or more and they have
been neglected until now that
land has become valuable, they
are not a paying proposition
and we see many instances where
the owner has gone at them
with axe and saw and has
trimmed them most unmerci
fully. One orchard we passed
on our way to town, bas all the
wood removed except the top
branches. The owner will have
to get an extension ladder or
become an expert thrower to
get apples from those trees.
Now if one wants to convert
these old orchards into pas
tures, or kill them out that is
all right, but to cut out in one
year, the surplus growth of fif
teen or twenty years, and to cut
all of those limbs that shade
the trunk and larger limbs, is
to destroy the future usefulness
of the trees.
In our climate the trees will
sun scald every time. Then it
is like cutting the arms and legs
all oil a man at one time, there
is too much of an operation and
the shock is too great for recov
ery. Better trim a little severe
ly this year, but not too much
and continue the good work for
several years and also use a
little fertility. Cutting out the
center tops of the trees and leav
ing the side and lower limbs is
better than removing them and
leaving a bnnch of limbs on the
summit.
FARM LAND STILL OLS IP
WARD
Nebraska lands have been go
ing up by bounds and .eaps, but
a farm in Richardson county,
several miles from town, lately
sold for $165 per acre and the
buyer bought for legitimate farm
purposes. It was not wanted
for dairying or some special
purposes as some farms near
town often are purchased lor;
but tlie owner expects to raise
corn, hay and stock on it.
A farm at that price, would
have to rent for more than $10
per acre, to pay a six per cent
interest on the money and the
taxes and even more than that
to keep up the improvements.
In fact we believe it will have
to yield an income that would
enable the owner to clear about
$12 per acre to pay interest,
taxes and keep up the improve
ments. But we are not certain
that prices are not going higher
yet, in fact the $200 mark will
not be surprising for good corn
land, in that case the owner
may reap a good advance on Lis
investment. But to clear $12
an acre on common farm land,
above expenses, is a hard thing
to do in ordinary times. Horses
are going upward as well as
land. We thought they had
reached the high mark last year,
but at every sale they are forg
ing ahead. At a mule sale the
other day, two teams sold for
1500 each and several others
went near that figure. Surely
the young farmer who is start
ing out now, has to have capital
invested. At those figures there
is $1000 in a four horse team and
that he must have.
Plugs will not do on the heavy
two-team machines of the pres
ent day, they must be big strong
horses to pull the gang, disc of
two row plows.
AN INDIAN STORY
H. E.Lemmon Writes a Little of His
Experience
To The Tribune: 1 read the de
scription of ‘The W ayfarers' visit
to the home of the old chief of tlit*
Sac and Fox Indians with much
interest ami pleasure, as it remind
ed me of a visit I made at a later
date to his home on the bank of
Lost Creek near its eutrance into
theGreat Nemaha,in company with
George G. Stumbo who had lived
near the Indian village at the falls
«if the Nemaha for several years
prior to their moving to Lost
Creek, arid who could talk their
language with considerable fluen
cy, and the Indian would vis t and
trade with him rather than with
others on that account. The ob
ject of Mr. Stumbo’s trip was td
buy or trade for a dug out canoe
belonging to the old chief Mine,
(Curiosity,) ltwasa bright warm
day early in June and as we drew
near the belt of timber on Lost
Creek we saw the old fellow in a
little field of o or 1 acres wielding
a large hoe among ttie hills of corn
and beans with much energy. Up
on being hailed by Mr. Stumbo tie
waived his hand and said "Go
down to the wick-e-up and I will
come when done with my hoeing."
I remarked to Mr. Stumbo that
that was the first time I had ever
seen an Indian work, but he in
formed me that the old chief was
the most industrious man in the
tribe, and that the efforts I had i
seen were not unusual. While
waiting for the old fellow to come
we went to the stream and looked
the canoe over, and I 'must say l
never saw a better boat, builders
considered. It was 20 feet long,
hewu out of the body of a huge
cottonwood tree, and was so
smooth and unique it rode the
water like a duck.
On returning to the house the
old chief soon arrived,and we were
invited to seats on a raised plat
form in the yard over which an
arbor had been built for shade and
negotiations began over the canoe.
After some bargaining the chief
finally said that his young men
needed the boat then as it was
fishing seasou and he could not let
it go, but if Mr. Stumbo would
come down about the time the
streams froze over he could have
the me of the canoe until spring
for nothing, which answer caused
me to think the old fellow v.as
something of a joker. Dinner
was now served, which consisted
of boiled bacon and beans, e :n
bread and coffee, and just as we
were about to commence, the Id
chief motioned us to wait, and
calling t<> his sqaw, she came with
a small tin pail from which the
chief poured a generous portion of
milk into his coffee, and passed
the pail to Mr. Stumbo, with the
remark “that he was beginning to
live like white men and put milk
in his coffee.” Mr. Stumbo look
ed at it and said he used sugar
instead, and with a merry twinkle
in his eye passed it to me. “What
is the matter with it?”said I. ‘It
is buttermilk,” he replied. I also
preferred sugar. The squaws
often went to the settlers’ homes
adjoining the reservation for the
purpose of bartering, and that is
where the buttermilk came from.
After dinner was over, by the
aid of Mr. Stumbo,! told the chief
I had heard that Indian names
often meant some animal and ask
ed if his was such, he said ‘‘yes, his
name was Mah-son-ah quet (accent
on second syllable) and it meant a
bear sitting tip in a tree. I also
commented on liis energy and in
dustry. and he said it was a good
way, to work hnrd in summer and
have plenty to eat in winter, and
tried to show his young men how
they should do, and intimated that
we might profit by his example.
With a warm invitation to come
again, we departed for home, hav
ing had a visit I will never forget
n. F. Lemmon, K. F D. No. 1,
Falls City, Neb.
Announcement!
Millinery Millinery
A New Millinery Shop
All women who wear hats, and
quite a number do, will be in
terested in this announcement.
From this you will learn that a
New Millinery Shop is to be
opened in this town.
From this you will learn that this
shop is going to be a
Strictly
Up-to-Date
Shop
where you will get Style and
Fashion, where all that is the
Latest will be found, and where
nothing but the verv latest will
ever be sold.
Along with other things you must
note particularly that
Prices
Will be
Reasonable
I do not intend to sell shoddy,
cheap hats. You will find noth
ing but good goods in my store.
Mut whatever the cost, whether $2
or $20, the hats will have Qual
ity, will have Real Value, and
the Prices will be Right.
Remember my opening day. Drop
in and see what is the latest.
I respectfully solicit your patron
age and hope our relationship
will be pleasant always. ,
Opening Day, Sat., March 6th
Miss Hannah Anderson
Maddox Building Falls City, Nebraska
WANTED!!
Horses, Mares and Mules
For Eastern, Southern and Foreign Markets
As 1 have bought and owned more horses and mules in the last twenty years than any
other one country buyer in Europe or America, and as 1 buy horses and mules for
eight or ten different markets, 1 can pay you more money than any other man in
America for any kind of a horse or mule you have for sale.
Falls City, Saturday, March 6th
Now if you have an extra draft horse, trotter, or pacer, chunk, or southern horse, don t
sell them until you show them to me. I want mules from fourteen hands high to as
big as they grow; from three to ten years old. I'm coming to buy, not to look.
%
You'll Get the Same Square Deal that I’ve Given You for Years
W. J. OWENS
Most Extensive Dealer in the U. S. Wait for Me—I'm Coming
