Platte Valley Independent
Saturday, July 23, 1870

Our exchanges will please notice our change of locality, and address all matter for the INDEPENDENT to Grand Island, Neb.

We are informed that lumber yard is being started in our town on an entire new plan; the lumber to be bought at retail and sold at wholesale, and transported to all parts of the town on a wheel-barrow free of charge. (A bit of "tongue-in-cheek"?)

We visited the garden of Mr. Geo. Loan, on Friday last, and were surprised to see so great a variety of articles in so small a space. Mr. Loan has two lots planted in garden truck, and if there is anything that would properly come under the heading of "garden sass" that he has not, we are at a loss to conjecture what it can be. His garden is nicely laid off, and he has in different parts of it many ornamental and fruit trees. Among the most prominent of these we notice red cedar, peach, plum; and around the outer edge of his lots he has two rows of fine cottonwood trees, some of which are now near twenty feet high, and still growing finely. On his premises he has several choice plants, the names we have forgotten, the seeds of which were brought from the old country. By proof positive we are led to believe that as a gardener Mr. Loan is a success. That he is a clever whole souled gentleman no one will dispute.

On last Sabbath evening, in company with Theodore Moll and wife, and Mr. C. H. Reif, we visited Mr. Henry Schaaf, a farmer very comfortably situated on the county road about two miles east of this place. Mr. Schaaf has 160 acres of excellent farming land, 80 acres of which are under cultivation. forty acres of this amount is in small grain, and the balance planted in corn. He has fifteen acres of oats that will turn out at least from 45 to 50 bushels per acre. His barley is all out and is of an excellent quality.

His wheat, 15 acres looks splendid. He commensed harvesting this week. He has some corn that will average 75 bushels to the acre, unless some terrible ill luck happens it. The balance of his corn, which was planted a little later, will not turn out so well, but it will all be better than an average crop. The late rains have been a great benefit to the corn, which has just begun to tassel out.

Mr. Schaaf has about 200 bushels of excellent wheat of last year's raising, which he held over on account of the low prices offered for it. His farm throughout is as clean as a well kept garden. He evidently is an experienced farmer, and is surely a very hospitable gentleman. Not to say we enjoyed his hospitality would do he and ourselves injustice. He has a very promising water-melon patch, and our advice would be for him to keep a keen lookout for it, as we know a certain Independent fraternity that would have no great scruples against helping themselves to the fruit, though as we have had an invitation to "call and partake" we may be a little more backward about helping ourselves.

On our way to Mr. Schaaf's we passed the farms of the following persons, each of whom have from 80 to 160 acres, with from 55 to 90 under good cultivation, the crops on all of which, to say the least, look encouraging.

Christian Menck, H. Ruge, Charles Meves, F. Ridell, Adolph Egge, Henry Egge, F. Starck, H. Jeonhk [sic], Peter Stour [sic], J. G. Schuller, Theodore Schadzberg, J. F. Doll, Widow Hamann, Koeing & Wiebe and Fred Evans.

Quite a number of trees have been set out on most of the above farms, and some of them are adorned with very fine groves of timber, st out a number of years agao. More trees are being planted each year, so that in a few years this will be a well timbered county.

Next Sabbath, if the weather will admit, we intend visiting the settlement of farmers on the island south of town, where we learn there are some very fine farms. We will report what we observe in our next issue.