6. Descriptions of the Collections


 Furnas (editor of the Nebraska Advertiser in Brownville, and later Governor of Nebraska) is another
 example of a publication of interest to historians.

 The published literature also documents the struggle of early farmers to learn and adapt to an unknown
 climate and land. Coming from eastern states or Europe, settlers knew little of planting crops suited to a
 dry, harsh climate and the prairie topography. Dry years in the 1870's and 1890's caused many farmers
 to fail and return east provoking literature such as Starving to Death on a Government Claim, which
 expressed the frustrations of the time. However, the drought years also ignited interest in irrigation
 techniques and the development of the systems of irrigation that have transformed the West.

 If the droughts didn't cause farmers to fail, grasshoppers and Rocky Mountain locusts, often did. Great
 clouds of these pests traveled hundreds of miles to devour anything in their paths. Between 1857 and
 1875, eight such infestations were recorded: corn fields were eaten in a day, buds and bark were eaten off
 trees, and potatoes and onions were devoured in the ground. The literature documents that panic and fear
 of starvation were the norm as the devastation continued. After the July 1874 infestation, many settlers
 sold or simply gave away their claims and returned east, signs hung from their wagons, "Eaten out by
 grasshoppers. Going back east to live with wife's folks."

 After the early 1900's the state experienced a steady growth in population. The Kinkaid Homestead Act
 of 1904 encouraged settlement of the western part of the state, especially of the sand hills region. 640
 acres could be acquired by living on the land for five years and investing $1000 worth of improvements.
 Although 8,000,000 acres were available, most of the land was sandy and rough. Well-intentioned
 homesteaders plowed the land and tried to raise the crops with which they were familiar. Damage caused
 from blowing led to severe conservation problems and caused many to sell their claims to the cattlemen.
 Others adapted and began raising cattle for themselves. As the early settlers found out, the land of
 Nebraska varies greatly, each region requiring a different set of farming and ranching practices. The
 University of Nebraska Agricultural College led the way in publishing and teaching farmers and ranchers
 how best to use and preserve the land. Few areas of the country were so free of stones and so easily tilled,
 making Nebraska's soils its greatest natural resource.

 The wartime prosperity between 1910 and 1920 produced substantial increases in prices for corn and
 other crops, and while the depression of the 1930's did little to advance agriculture, the literature
 documents the farmer's experience during this pivotal event in United States history. With many farmers
 under severe debt, government programs developed to carry the farmers through the hard times stayed to
 shape government's role in regulating agricultural economy. Post-depression agricultural technology
 developed at the College of Agriculture and promulgated throughout the state formed the foundation for
 Nebraska's modern agricultural economy, including strains of wheat suited to the soil and rainfall of
 Nebraska, sugar beets and beans that thrive in the sandy soil of the western part of the state, and forage
 crops suited to low moisture and cattle grazing. Eventually, meat packing emerged as a significant
 industry and by the late 1930's the Omaha Stockyards--represented by the packing houses Swift, Cudaly,
Wilson and Armour--were one of the largest in the world.

The continued growth and development of agriculture in Nebraska lead to profound changes in rural
society, developed the foundation for modern agribusiness, and formed the basis for current
environmental and ecological concerns. Important serial publications needing preservation that
document the evolution of agriculture and rural society include the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture
Annual Report (1859-1945), the Nebraska Brand Book (1908-1945) displaying horse and cattle brands
registered with the Nebraska Secretary of State's Office, and the Nebraska Farmer, a popular farm journal
that illustrates rural life of Nebraska farmers from the late 19th through early 20th centuries.

Although Nebraska is known for agribusiness, it is also noted for alternative farming. In recent years, the
legislature has demonstrated its support of family farming and rural communities with passage of key