Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 July 1901 — In THE ELKHORN VALLEY. [ARTICLE]

In THE ELKHORN VALLEY.

Ltnerlant Field* sad Pasture I.ends Am a Sight This Time of the Tear. Atrip up the Elkhorn valley, at sny season of the year, will always inspire the visitor with a realization of its great agricultural resources. But at this period in the growing season, when the entire stretch of valley, lowland, hill and elopSTas far as the eye will carry, brings to view nothing but the grazing herds and flocks dotted here and there among the living green of pasture* meadow, growing crops, orchard and grove, one is doubly impressed with the beauty and grandeur of this district of country, whose wealth of soil resources has scarcely an equal in all the agricultural dk>» tricte of the world. The Elkhorn valley comprises u large district of rich and beautiful agricultural lands, extending more than 200 miles northwest in the state, where the agricultural and grazing lands gradually blend together, forming one of the greatest combined live stock districts of country, to be found anywhere. The great advantage of an agricultural or corn raising district of country and a distinctly grazing district, lying sidb bjr side, is readily ap- , predated when the cheapness of growing stock on the low priced lands of ! the range are coupled with the feeding i advantages of a nearby corn country, i w here the animals are finished for the slaughter at the least possible expense of transportation and change of climatic conditions. These are the general conditions which confront the j live stock grower of Western Nebraska, and the stock country of the east side of the state. The Elkhorn valley is not a wide expanse of low swamp bottom or untillable lands that are adapted only to pasturage or hay purposes; on the contrary it is a comparatively narrow valley where the Elkhorn flows, vajy- ■ ing in width from a mile or two mlies, and exceptionally well drained, leaving almost the entire area of river bottom lands admirably suited to cultivated crops. “The Elkhorn valley,’’ used in its broadest sense of meaning, comprises all that district in North and Northeast Nebraska drained by the Elkhorn and its tributaries. This embodies hundreds of thousands of acres of the richest prairie lands to be found in America; lands with every conceivable feature of surface, usual to the western prairie, from the almost level prairie to the gently undulating, the rolling and the hill lands, all of the highest agricultural merit iir soil properties for live stock and farm purposes. In no portion of the state has there been more rapid advancement made in farm improvements and land values during the past five years. Yet there are tens of thousands of acres of uncultivated lands scattered throughout this district, held by non-residents, that sooner or later must be turned into improved farms. These lands, if purchased now and started with the ordinary western farm Improvements, will double in value within the next ten years. At no time in the history of Nebraska since the east side of the state was open to homestead entry, has there been a better opportunity for speculation in farm lands than now. The good agricultural lands of the east half of Nebraska are just as sure to advance to ¥SO per acre as that a succession of favorable crop seasons follow, such as represent the average for the past twenty-five years in this state.

< The present indications for a good general crop over the Elkhorn district could not be more encouraging, unless the growth of corn were advanced about two weeks beyond present conditions. In stand and color the present conditions are all that could be desired. The influence of a late spring and the cold weather, after planting, is apparent here, as in all portions of the corn growing country of the Missouri valley. The Elkhorn country, especially that portion dividing the corn lands and the buffalo grass range districts to the northwest, known to the commercial hay trade of the country,, as the great hay flats of North Nebraska, is in a most prosperous and encouraging condition of hay crop. The heavy rains which have visited this portion of the state during the past spring, and up to the present time, have been ample to keep up a vigorous growth of the hay grasses on the valleys and hay flats; not alone on these distinctly native hay meadows, but also over the adjoining sand hills and table lands, where thousands of tons of hay can be cut of excellent quality and in paying quantities. The great growth of pasture grasses all over the range portion of West and Northwest Nebraska, will guarantee a better general condition of ail classes of cattle this fall. It will also encourage the carrying over of a larger number of young cattle and feeding stock, than would have been possible with a short hay crop and Scant pasturage conditions on the range. It is also reasonable to believe th ( at the marketing season for the grass fat cattle will commence sooner and continue longer than usual, that the stock to be marketed will come more uniformly as the demand requires and better prices be maintained for this class of range cattle. The small grain outlook from one end of the Elkhorn to the other indices that the usual reputation of a satisfactory* yield will be realized. There is no insect damage reported over this portion of the state and growing conditions are favorable'for harvest, even if there should be no

more rainfall.

G. W. HERVEY.