It has been the prevailing idea that this is not a fruit country. We can remember when the prospects of eastern Nebraska being a fruit country was far more discouraging than that of Morrill county. From the writer's observations and experiences many fruits are excellent producers. It will not be long before we will have canning factories .putting up strawberries, currants, raspberries, mulberries, cherries and plums. And in their season the same factories will make a market for large quantities of beans, peas, and sweet corn. The honest nursery man will nut advise planting a vineyard with any of the now known varieties of grapes, owing to the season being too short for them to properly mature, but there is no telling how soon a grape maturing two weeks earlier may be found. This may never be the land of the commercial orchardist, but there is no reason why the average farmer should not grow all the tree fruit needed for his own use cheaper than it can be imported. One trouble with fruit trees under irrigation is that if given all the water they can use they continue growing until late in the fall without maturing up the season's growth, and the result is the green wood winterkills. This can be overcome by proper attention to the watering.

Sugar Beet Culture

When II. G. Leavitt came into the North Platte valley, one of his prime purposes was the establishment of sugar beet culture. This included Morrill county territory 1 then a part of Cheyenne county) in the tests. Sugar beets were raised and shipped to Ames, where the factory was located. The price then paid was five dollars per ton.