446 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[October, 
Editorial "Notes on the Hoad. 
PonrSeenes In Western ILife.— The four illus¬ 
trations combined in one on the opening page of this num¬ 
ber of the American, Agriculturist convey to the reader an 
idea of the rapid growth and development, of civilization 
in the Far West. The husband and father comes in ad¬ 
vance from the Fatherland to America to select a home. 
He has secured one hundred and sixty acres, or perhaps 
three hundred and twenty acres, under the Homestead or 
Preemption Act, or the Timber Culture Law, or with 
funds he may have brought with him from the old 
country to buy the land outright. In figure 1 is seen the 
rude sod house lie has erected for the reception of his 
family. In figure 2 appears his family, which, after arriv¬ 
ing in New York, has reached the Missouri River en 
route. The group is one from life, sketched by our artist 
as it was leaving the cars at Council Bluffs depot for 
the river train, which crosses the Missouri at that point. 
The mother and daughter are dressed in the plain home 
spun garments of their native land, each one carrying a 
little bundle of their effects. The mother has a loaf of 
bread and other edibles, from which the two youngsters 
have just received a supply. Evidently they relish their 
rations, and are unmindful of the future. The coffee pot 
which has done good service all the way from Bremen, 
the old leather brass-bound trunk, the wooden bucket, 
and an umbrella, which has seen its best days, are piled 
promiscuously together in the foreground. In a few 
hours more the travellers and luggage are stored away in 
a capacious “ schooner,” and after a drive of twenty 
miles over the prairie, they reach their new home, a 
happy family after the separation. Some years have 
passed ; a large handsome farm house (see figure 3) has 
taken the place of the original rude structure. Frame 
barns and out-buildings surround it. Stretching away in 
the distance adjoining culiivated farms appear. It is 
Sunday, and the father of the immigrant family which in 
bo comparatively recent a period landed on our shores, is 
taking his children to the house of God, erected 
in the prosperous farming community. He is dress¬ 
ed in a comely suit, with his Bible under his arm 
(figure 4). The two daughters have grown into attrac¬ 
tive young ladies, and the barefooted little juveniles 
of Council Bluffs are now clothed in keeping with the 
new prosperity. The four illustrations strikingly indi¬ 
cate how rapidly the immigrant is transformed into the 
thriving and valuable citizen of the Commonwealth. 
Going West.— The cheap lands are rapidly being 
taken. There will be noDe left at the end of five years’ 
time, if they are absorbed as rapidly as they have been 
during the past five years. You must move quickly, if 
you secure any more farm lands on Government grants, 
or at three, four, and five dollars an acre from the rail¬ 
roads. First go out and explore the country before 
purchasing and taking your family with you. Explor¬ 
ers tickets are still furnished by most of the railroads, 
which have lands to sell. Take little baggage and few 
heirlooms with you. It costs money to transport them to 
the Far West. Bo sure and locate in a healthful locality. 
Employ USeliablc lliddlemcn, —There are 
real estate agents, and real estate agents; those who 
are strictly honest, and those who are strictly dishonest. 
Enquire well about your man before you employ him 
and trust him to buy land for you. Ask for his refer¬ 
ences, and ask for informa¬ 
tion regarding him from 
them. A case was brought 
to our knowledge recently, 
where an Iowa buyer paid 
two dollars more an acre 
for his land than the Kan¬ 
sas agent or middleman 
paid to the seller, yet the 
buyer supposed all the time 
that he was procuring the 
half section of Kansas land 
at the seller’s lowest rates. The local real estate agent 
in the West and Far West, who charges the buyer, in 
addition to his regular commission, an advance on what 
he pays for the land purchased, is not an unusual 
character. Look out for him. 
Sorghum Culture In tlie Far West.— The 
American Agriculturist was largely instrumental in the 
introduction of Sorghum culture in the United States, 
distributing packages of seed by the hundred thousand 
a few years ago. We were not a little interested, there¬ 
fore, in finding a company organized in Middle Ne¬ 
braska, with twenty-five thousand dollars capital, for 
raising sorghum in that region. We shall watch the ex¬ 
periment with much interest, and 
next year report to our readers 
the results. 
A New Industry.— Eastern 
holders of wild lands in the West 
have been both surprised and some- 
whatamused,on visitingthese lands 
during the past eighteen months, at 
discovering that enterprising par¬ 
ties are cutting the hay, packing it, 
and shipping itforEastem consump¬ 
tion. The grass, after being cured, 
is pressed into bales, wire-bound, 
and sent to St. Paul, Minneapolis, 
St. Louis, Chicago, and as far east 
as Cincinnati. I found companies 
this summer at Schuyler, Nebraska, 
near Sioux City, Iowa, and other 
points, cutting thousands of acres of 
this wild prairie grass. It com¬ 
mands a good price, and parties in¬ 
form me that they are making a 
good deal of money in the business. 
Eastern holders of these wild lands 
are now making contracts with 
these companies to give them the 
grass on condition that they pay 
the taxes. At Schuyler, Neb., and 
other points the packing and 
binding is done by machinery. 
Wild Fowl Shooting. —If any Eastern readers 
of the American Agriculturist , after bagging wild geese 
and ducks in the waters of Long Island, or down in 
Currituck, North Carolina, would like to try Western 
shooting for the same fowl, they should proceed either 
to the lakes of Northern Minnesota, or to the low lands 
along the Missouri, between Sioux City and Council 
Bluffs. If they have time and means to push farther 
west, they will find most capital shooting along the 
Platte River, or on the streams in the North Park, 
Colorado. In the latter region, both geese and ducks 
so rarely see human beings, that, as in the case of the- 
antelope, their curiosity appears to be greatly excited, 
and they will apparently take their chances, in order to 
see what's up. On one occasion I fired and re-loaded 
my Sharp's rifle five times before a flock of geese on 
the little Canadian River arose and flew away. During- 
October and November, vast flocks of wild fowl, in 
proceeding southward, follow the line of the Missouri 
River. 
‘‘Going East.”— It was not so many years ago that, 
people, in proceeding from the New England States to 
Western New York, talked about going West to settle. 
While conversing with a herder not long ago, on a Kiowa. 
ranche, a few miles this side of Denver, he casually re¬ 
marked that he was going away after a while. I asked 
in what direction. “I thought I would go East, to Kan¬ 
sas, and spend the winter,” was the response. In a few 
years more, people will be talking about coming East to 
Bismarck, Laramie, and Pueblo, for a visit, so rapidly 
does the tide of emigration move Westward. 
A Hint to Land Buyers. —The farmers from, 
beyond the sea, on coming W est, as a rule, push out on¬ 
to the prairie twelve or fourteen miles in preference to- 
buying land near to the villages. They probably do this 
under the impression that land further away is worth, 
more than land at the same price over which they 
directly passed. Thus it very often happens that you can 
purchase very good farming lands adjacent to the vil¬ 
lages for just as much money as you would have to pay 
for lands many miles away. The foreigners will not stop- 
to look at these because they think may be they are- 
the “ leavings.” 
A Grip-Sack Fastener for Travellers.— 
“I wish you would put that man off the train 1 I am. 
sure he is a Nihilist, and has got a bag of dynamite with 
him.” Such was the exclamation of a panicky-looking- 
individual to the conductor on a railroad train approach¬ 
ing Lincoln, Nebraska, the other day. We all turned.. 
to ascertain the cause of the man’s alarm. A peaceable 
looking traveller sat quietly in his seat, with his carpet, 
bag (they call everything grip-sacks beyond the Mis¬ 
souri) securely fastened to the seat by means of a small 
steel chain and a padlock. That morning the execution 
of the Fenian plotters in Ireland had taken place. The- 
complainant was sure that the aforesaid traveller was 
on his way to Lincoln with a bag of dynamite, to blow¬ 
up the capital of Nebraska. The passengers were highly 
amused at the alarm the innocent stranger and his harm¬ 
less carpet bag had occasioned. The idea of locking 
one’s bag to the car seat struck the writer as being a. 
most novel and practical one. An owner's apprehension 
of losing his property when he leaves the car for meals 
or otherwise, are thereby rendered unnecessary. 
Hunting Jack Babbits.— We know of no 
hunting so exhilarating, or breezy as chasing the large- 
jack Rabbit with horses and greyhounds. An afternoon's 
sport of this kind was afforded us on a July day, near- 
Fort Kearney. Before it was ended, hardly one of the 
riders could keep his seat, so convulsed were all with, 
laughter. Unlike the ordinary rabbit, the Jack Rabbit,, 
when pursued, does not take to hole. With his 
astonishing leaps and wonderful fleetness of 
