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About Willamette farmer. (Salem, Or.) 1869-1887 | View Entire Issue (July 27, 1883)
.- ifr "" ' .. 1 VOL. XV. PORTLAND, OREGON, FRIDAY, JULY 37, 1883. NO. 24. forrconilenc f Edltor'al Conrapondeiice. J CLACKAMAS, MARION AND LINN. Western Oregon Skatcliei. Having traveled east of tho Cascades -and returned with improved opinion of that region and of its capabilities for agriculture, I now turn to Western Ore gon and shall make summer excursions for a week or so to ascertain the prospect of farm matters in that, tho old settled portion of Oregon. Here the first emi grants made homes. Before that the employes of the Hudson Bay Company located in some parts of Clackamas, Marion and Yamhill. In the spring of 1851, almost a third of a century ago, I outfitted at Portland and took an ox team through to Califor nia. So I compare the conditions of to day with early times with interest. There was then little farming done. The prairies were settled, or at least choice locations were all taken, hut little land was enclosed. Cattlo ranged the coun try and the scattered population claiming residence was in great part away outraged In mining operations. Things were lying about looo and tho chief prizes in the lottery wero unknown and untaken. Comparing the small prairies of Clack amas county, the Waldo hills and Howell prairie of Marion and the broad plains of Linn, as we sec them to-day, with what they were in that early day, wo find scarce a trace of the long ago. The grey haired veteran greets you now where the stalwart worker did then ; or oftener tho name is borno by the youngster who was then idly watching as our wagon drove by. The open country has disap peared and in place of waving wild grass we see waving grain. Orchards, meadows and homes vary the landscape and the whole aspect tells of an old settled com munity where thrift long ago earned hon est independence. This is very different from Eastern Oregon and Washington, where much is new, or at least recent, and the old settled country is limited. But that too will take more finished shape as tho years go by and the stalwart of to day becomes tho veteran and grey beard of to-morrow. There already can be found, around Walla Walla for instance and towards Dayton, farms that wero set tled upon ten to fifteen years ago that show the benefits of cultivation. Tho journey by the upper road from Walla Walla "to Waitsburg for twenty miles is past beautiful farms and charming homes. Farm houses and barns, orchards, mead ows and gardens all unite to say that man has mado the wilderness bloom and bear fruit This shows what all the up per country can and will become ere this generation's work is done. The Willamette valley has passed through one phase of existence and is entering upon another. It has outlived the primary period and bidden adieu to tho spontaniety that attends the earliest tlays and first efforts at farming. The "Elyslan Fields the immigrant found waiting for his occupancy forty years ago, no longer exist. Tho first blush and ro- manco that is thn charm of frontier life, gives place to more connected and con sistent effort and better organization to accomplish results. The Willamette region is now an old country, but the flavor of newness still attaches. The im migrant who comes to possess inviting acres in new locations east of the Cas cades, often stops to look at tho old homes in Western Oregon. We ee them but they pass on, except occasionally that one" and another who come with abund ant means conclude to buy homes and stay with us. Sometimes the old resi dent of tho Willamette, who ,lias .heard so much of the new regions to the east ward, concludes to go and see for himself. He locates there, and often the rlatwof excitement and newness suite hiro and Jhe remains and prospers. But not always; very "often thc.once resident of Western' Oregon, having profited his labors elsewhere, realizes whaOe.cari from them and returns to make his jer manent home in "Webfoot." Whatever time may do for that remarkable country east of the Cascades it cannot make it equal in many resets to Western Ore gon. It is commonly the case that tho old pioneers sons go there and locate. Tho old hives swarm and the young brood alight over yonder and mako that won derful region rich with their stores of honey. Then again, Western Oregon lias a border of wild lands along the foot hills of the mountain ranges that encircle every one of its main valleys. There are bench lands, foot hills and charming vales locked in among tho ranges, where new coiners locato and commence to earn their bread by the sweat of their brow, clearing oil the undergrowth and forests that occupied until they came. Clackamas county, though near to market and favorably situated in many respects, contains a great proportion of such wild land as we have just described and so has resisted cultivation. Of late this county has attracted settlement. The value of this forest land has appre ciated because its vicinity to market gives it value enough to pay for clearing. Some time, within the present century, Clackamas will become famous for its products. It will be converted into pas ture land, wheat land, meadows and es pecially into orchards, for it has every ad vantage needed for producing fruit. Tho prairies along its southern border will this year turn oft fair crops. Wheat grow ing is not extensively practiced in this county. It is especially adapted to mixed farming and ivill never be devoted ah much to gram growing as the counties south of it. Marion and Linn stand foremost as wheat producers, though we venture to assert that the present year tho export surplus of Umatilla countv will equal that of Linn and Marion combined. French Prairie, as wo said last wo'k, promises a fair yield. That wide prairie has some splendid land along the Willamette river, and in fact has excellent land for twenty miles every way, but much of its surface lies so low that it is unsafo for winter wheat and often cannot be sown early in the spring. When sown late in the spring and followed by dry weather in June, as i tho n iwo Uiia ywir. crops are not heavv. With all these disadvantages, French Prairie crops promise well in good locali ties and will turn off a two-thirds crop in tho worst localities. Along the railroad one sees the poorest wheat in that dis trict. Towards tho river it was put in earlier and promises better. Taking a team at Salem I lately went south, through the red hills, to tho San tiam bottoms and up that stream to Jef ferson. Through the hills crops are thin. It is entirely within bounds to 6ay that they never have had such poor crops since.the hills were farmed. It is a beau tiful stietch of country and usually turns off good crops. They seldom sow spring wheat, and we all know that fall wheat was winter killed. They resowed in March. Strange to say, the grain put in early is poorer than that put in later. If tho red hills south of Salem make half a crop of grain of any kind, it is all one can expect. Along the Willamette rivercrops are goal, but that is a locality where crops can hardly fail if half way put in. A drive of ten miles brought us to tho hill top that overlooks the Santiam and Williamette rivers. Close to our right, reaching well down into tho valley, is tho farm of Mr. G. G. Glenn. Beyond, and to the left, is the 5,000 acres constituting the great Ankeny farm. The Willamette winds, a broad wave, through rich bot toms and tho Santiam comes down from tho east. It is a high hill and the land scape that spreads below and beyond is a thing of beauty that would bo to any ar tist a joy forever. Buena Vista is off to the west. In the bottom land, the rich Santiam and Willamette delta, are tho hop yards of Wm. Wells. G. A. Wells, tho Davidsons and others grow hops in other favorable locations not far from Buena Vista. Across tho Santiam, in Linn countv, is the now and extensive hop yard in which Mr. Roliert Bell is in terested, From that hill-top wo took a long look at the wide spread of tho valley lands south and east and west. Down lielow us steamboats navigate the river. Almost within sight, east and west, aro railroads, either side of 'the river; within sight, east and west, but nioro than half a hundred miles apart, stared the, Cascade and Coast ranges. The "wealth of the Willamette region lies between their sheltering crests and consists of a succession of gentle hills and fertile plains as is not often found on thojsurfacc of earth. Descending the hill we found wheat fields clustering at its base and spreading far lielow ; rapidly ripening and lacking nothing in the way of excellence. Wbat eer tho hills may lack, the rich valley of tho Santiam lacks nothing. The oats and wheat growing all along for ten miles from the Willamette to JefferMin are yielding a full average and will not dis apKint their owners. I went into some of these fields and while on low land heads do not fill out perfectly in case of Chili club wheat, little plub and Califor nia club aro perfect. So U Chili club in nearly all localities. Some fanners cultivated their wheat instead of replowinc after the freeze. Ex- take. The growth of wild oats is often io great that many fields are already cut for hay. While meadows are not up to aver ago always, thero will bo a great deal of hay cut from these grain fields and the prospect now is that hay will not bear a high price. I saw very little fruit taken as a whole, but a few orchards bear tolerably well. There will be little fruit for drying or can ning, though enough to use in a green state. Corn does well this year where I have noticed it. The dry warm weather is fa vorable to it. Hops are making abund ant growth and will bear heavily, unless there is some mischance. Tho new yards planted out seem to conn on fairly. I have heard or read that while hop yards look well and bear heavily there is a pos sibilty that, owing to the continued dry weather, tho fruit will not be first class, but I hear no complaint from hop grow ers in this vicinity. Crossing the isantiam by a ferry at Jef ferson, we leave Marion county and en ter Linn. We soon pass out of the river bottoms and go eastward through a pleas ant hill region, charmingly dotted with farm houses and homes. Rills meander through the intervals, with fringes of verdure, and the hills aro oak crowned. Belting forests of dark fir frame in the landsca))o until you pass out of tho beau tiful hills upon the broad prairies. Wo aro not going through tho heart of Linn county, but across its northern portion. Our road is towards Lebanon. The wheat growers of Linn county oc casionally suffer from drouth or excessive Tho level prairie cannot always be settled at an early day and contain many beautiful homes. The names of tho farmed early in tho spring. Sometimes they sow late and dry weather comes early, and they suffer from both rain and sun. This is ono of tho less fortunate years. The fall sowing through tho wholo of Western Oregon presented all tho promiso that seemed possible, and its loss by winter killing is a loss of millions of dollars to tho Willamette farmers. But this country has undoubted capabilities, and spring wheat is doing well consider ing. It is strange to see wheat heading out so low as it does now. It was believed two or threo weeks ago that many fields would prove a failure that aro sineo mak ing great improvement. The straw is short, but heads are good size and filling well. It is generally asserted that tho cauntry promises better now than it did early in July. There is a largo acreage and thero will bo a large exiort surplus. Many fields that wero troubled with wild oats have been cut for hay. Tho hay crop proper was somewhat less than average, but with tho quantity of wheat and oats cut for hay in the counties I have vis ited, tho stock of feed in Western Oregon will bo larger than usual. Driving across the lower or northern edge of Albany prairie; passing by Knox's butto and the fine fanning coun try around it, wo cross tho South Santiam and go through "The Forks" towards Scio. Along the Santiam are fino bottoms where crops are always excellent. We found a found a fair show for crops through the open prairies, but the land over in the forks of the Santiam is not surpassed in Western Oregon. Thero is quite an extent of country letwccn the North and South Santiam, and in sucli years as the present it comes out strongly. Jordan valley is as ltcautiful and as fer tile a stretch of country as Oregon affords. The Fahmek has many friends through there, and it is matter of regret with me that I cannot find time to spend among them. Take the country tribu tary to Scio and it is not easily surpassed. Tho mountains aro close by and small valleys reach among tho spurs that point westward. Beautiful streams are con stantly met with and abundant forests licit the landscajie. Everywhere the farm houses show thrift and prove that their owners came there to stay. Passing along the main roads, through tho great valley, ono knows little of what tho country af fords. Tho moat beautiful locations exist in tho foot hills, where small valleys are cradled among outlying ranges. Scio is the emporium of tho Santiam country and should thrive with its sup port. Lebanon takes trade from the upper Santiam country and from tho broad prairies west of it. Leaving tho South Fork wo pass over a rango of hills, northward, and comedown into the val ley of the North Fork at Stayton. Crojis are not so good in the hills as in the val leys south of them. This season is harder on hill farms than on the plains. Hill fanners always sow fall wheat. When that killed out they wero in a bad fix, be- caune they cannot depend on success with spring wneai. ror several mum, uiruugii the valley of tho North Santiam, wo find farms ncatteri-d, then, by gentle grades, our road entered the Waldo Hills, which have always ranked with tho best wheat lands in this valley. Hero also, they depend on winter wiieat, and cannot show as Downings, HuntijGears. Cranston. Hib bard, Brooks, Glovers and many others aro become identified with local history. Duringa third of a century they havo had prosperity, unfailing crops and" great har vests have blessed them and will bless them again. There are many good grain ileitis, out northern and eastern hills' sides show the best grain this year. This hill country is well calculated' for mixed farming. Tho time has come when farm ers should "not carryall their eetrs in one basket," but vary production so as to havo! income from many sources. This is what they are doing. Wheat raising is not tho only dependence, and tho conse quence is that most of them feel less in jury from tho deficiency of groin yield than they would some years ago when wheat was tho almost solo reliance. From tho Waldo Hills we conic into Howell Prairie, ono of the most beautiful spots in the Willamotto valley, which is equal to saying ono oi the hnest in exist ence. This beautiful prairio lies along tho base ot tile hills lor nearly ten miles cut off from Salem Prairio by a broad belt ot fir forest, lhe sou is especially nch and wonderfully productive, though much of it has been continuously farmed since iouu. ino jiniinu was semeu ny earnest citizens whoso names are and always will be linked to tho soil. Land hero is worth as much as anywhere in Oregon. Tho narrow gauge passes closo around it, and tho broad giuigo is only n few miles distant. Salem is close by and affords a good market. Crops on tho prairio look well evon with spring instead of fall seeding. If all tho country could turn off as good crops as are seen on the Santiam Iwttomsand Howell Prairie, also a good part of Salem Prairie, Jordan val ley and tho Santiam Forks country gen- CralVyrWOSietii Oirgu wonUJuuaww complaint to mako of its wheat crop. On the Santiam I gathered a bunch of heads of winter wheat that survived the winter frosts. It was sown too Into to como up and grow sufficiently to be killed. Wheat that had just sprouted went through all right. This field was in that condition. When tho spring camo its seed camo up and lately stood waiting for tho reaper, with magnificent heads and promiso of a heavy yield. Hud fall sown wheat survived tho winter tho crop would havo licen greater than any ever 'mnested in tho Willamette. As" it is, Western Oregon illustrates in 1883 that under many disadvantages it can sustain itself and yield millions of tons of wheat for export. Leaving Howell Prairio wo passed through Salem Prairie and wero at home again, lhe prairio northeast of Salem is excellent soil and will produce fairly this season. Millers at Salem assert that tho section of country embraced in the Waldo Hills and Howell Prairie-and Salem Prairio produco wheat of suiierior quality. Tho samo fact is truo of tho country in tho Santiam Forks and along the Cascade mountains in Linn county and in Western parts of rolk and Yam hill counties. Millers very miietlvbuv tho wheat from theso districts, paying a trifle extra to get it, if necessary. It makes a very white and delicate flour and com mands premium in foreign markets on that account. All tho valley flour has this quality, but homo section of tho val ley praduco very superior grain. Somo farmers in the district described have commenced to establish herds of cattlo or havo other good stock. This is the right thing for this valley. The pres ent inclination is towards dairy stock. Jerseys and Ilolstcius aro tho favorites, and both of these families of dairy cattlo are well worth attention. Sometimo we hopo to work up stock interests moro at tentively than we havo been ablo hereto fore. This valley has commenced to bo the nursery for stock feeding interests through tho entire Pacific Northwest. 8. A. Ci.aiikk. Little Allan Jternlce, Daughter of Henry and Henrietta Dow ning, died at her homo in the Waldo Hills, at 2 :40 p. m. on Sunday, July 8, 1883, aged 1 year, 8 months and 12 days. God thought her too pure for earth and took her to dwelt with him. Sweet aro the words : "Dear Motlfcr : Don't think of mo as in tho tomb for I shall not soe the dark shadows and gloom." Dear parents: What a consolation those littlo feet that walk tho golden street can never go astray. Tho funeral took place in the Baptist church at Turner, July 9th. Tho services wero pleasingly conducted by Dr. Row land of Salem. The remains wero depos ited in Twin Oak Cemetery, near Tur ner. A. N. Ailene Bernice, can it bo that tho eyes beaming with love, tho lips expressing sweetest tones, tlio voico so tender and laugh so cheering, all are bound by tho ties of death! Sorrow and griof aro thrown over young and old. Death is with us, but not with Ailene. Her soul only hail birth And budded on earth To hloKsom in heaven With the Son that wu given, A, K. The Crop Outlook. perience shows that theso made a mis- good grain as usually. These hills were Th Welter Country. From Mr. Billy Walters, who has just returned from tho Weiser country, it is learned that that section is settling up fast, and a ijqw town will undoubtedly le started two and a half miles from Weiser City. It will Ikj a railroad town and laid out by the railroad company in opposition to Weiser City Tho citizens wero requested to donate lfK) acres of land adjoining Weiser's town site, which thoy refused to do, and the company got on their ear, so to speak, and started a town near Weiser City, as before stated. Tho entire valley is fast settling up, and when tho railroad reaches that Motion some time this year, a great immigration into the country is expected. It is thought tho railroad company Is inter ented in a ditch company which has been incorporated lately. Work is being pushed on tho linejof railroad, W, W. Statesman. The Walla Walla Union says : During mesuay we interviewed a good many farmers, millers and grain dealers, gen tlemen of intelligence and observation from various parts of Walla Walla, Uma tilla, Columbia and Garfield counties, and we aro pleased to state that they all agree in pronouncing tho fall wheat everywhere as good as can bo wished. TrcTther Ot mem thought unit tlio fall grain required rain, but most of them wero of tho opinion that rain now, fol lowed by hot weather, would do moro harm than good. The heads aro reported as filling finely, with enough sap in tho stalks and moisture in tlio ground to mako tho berry plump and full. Ono farmer with 4 10 acres of fall wheat said 10 would not take for his growing crop -15 bushels per acre. Somo of these gentle men interviewed by us thought that a great portion or tho spring wheat, which by tho way is but a small portion' of tho wholo, would give fair yield without rain : otliers wero of opinion thai rain would not save tho late sowing, which is a yet smaller jiortion ol tlio total. Making an averago of tho reports wo obtained from a scoro or moro of practical, observing moil, who have been over tho country, wo concludo that tho crop of fall wheat in the counties mentioned abovo is greater than in any previous year and equal m quality to any former crop. Wo aro satisfied too from tho reports of tho crops in tho Willamette and California that tho yield on tho Pacific Coast will bo small this year, thus insuring n good price for our wheat. Bheep Ralilna-. Tho Kittitas Standard says: Thero aro great portions of our county tho land of which is quite unfit for any other pur jioso than that of grazing. Theso lands consist of tho numerous spurs running out from tho main cascado rango to tho Columbia. Of course between theso spurs or ranges lie tho valleys which mako up the great agricultural portion of our agricultural county. Theso hill lands aro found to bo valuable for the purpose of sheep raising. Thoy aro mostly cov ered with n dense growth of bunch grass and afford an almost inexhaustible graz ing pasture to thousands of stock. Among those who havo entered the business of sheep raising is Mr. C 0. Coleman, whoso ranch is situated about seven miles northeast of town. This gentleman has a flock of about 1,000, lambs included. They aro from graded stock, descendant" of an importation from tho Blaka flock, of Alameda county, California, which are mainly Cotswolds and Fronch Merinos. Recently ho sheared tlio flock. Of those sheared none went lower than ten pounds. For tho wholo flock, including lambs, the clip averaged five pounds. This wo consider u very fair averago. Mr. Coleman brought lis'in a few speci mens of his el p. Mostly it is free from burs and dirt, and of even texture. Better samples wo havo never wen anywhere. and it mIiowh what our climate, with good management, is capable of producing in tins iiiiiiortunt industry, These samples aro now in our ollice for the inspection of wkjw iiiierecusi in mis iiiiiusiry. A friend to tho rich and Door. A medicine that atreuthenii and heala, in Itrowu'a Iron Bittern. tu.For one dime get a package of Diamond Dye at thu drui;j:iat'. They color anvthinu the impliit and moat dtairable colon i Fine Wheat Hon. W. T. Newby is a lover of fld vegetables, fruits, cereals, etc., and W believe comes as near keeping pace with the times in this direction as any rriaU in tho country. Tho latest addition ht has made is in the shape of a package of four pounds of wheat called the "Self Early Variety," which he received frotfl the Patent Office last fall, and ho sowed on apiece of ground occupying fourteen rods. Tho ground upon which this grain was sowed lies near his residence, a por tion of it having been overflowed by the freshet just before the freczo last winter) yet, notwithstanding this, it camo out all right, and now presents a better stand than most wheat presents. There M4 from five to twenty stocks to each stool, and the head on each stock measure from six to nino inuhes in length and contains from eighty to a hundred ker nels of largo plump wheat. In Pennsyl vania and New York this wheat uT prized for all tho superior qualities that aro possessed by wheat, mainly on a5 count of its hardiness, stillness of straw, great yielding qualities and superior for flour. From tho four pounds sowed by Mr. Newby he thinks that from eight to ten bushels will bo got nut. This is cer tainly tho finest variety of wheat wo over saw, and our fanners should not fail to seo it, as of course their aim is to plant ilnit which gives them tho best returns, A srmplc of this grain! -an bo seen at this office. Yamhill Reporter. Tho Prinoville News says that few towns in the State are better situated for manufacturing than Prinoville. Built in tho midst of a great wool growing dis trict, and on tho banks of a stream that Hows an abundance of pure, sweet water, it certainly oilers to tho capitalist who will build a mill for tho manufacture of cloths every inducement necessary to stimulate him to action. Tho wool ban died by our morchants during tho past six weeks, and which was shorn from flocks in this immediate vicinity, is of ft quality that has no suporior, and in quantity sufficient to supply a large woolen factory twclvo mouths.' But the merchants have not handled tho wholo of tlio wool grown in tho vicinity of l'rine villo. Thousands of kiiih1s havo been Hhipped from the shearing grounds direct to market. When wo consider tho inl muiisity of the wool crop of Eastern Ore gon, knowing too that tho growth of sheep has only just begun that there is loom for thousands more wo wonder that somo Yankee, with his characteris tic: enterprise and industry, has not already reaped ft benefit hero by tho es tablishment of a first-class woolen fac tory. That this will bo done, and that too in a short time wo have not a tloubtc To the instructed oyo a survoy of tho sit uation is sufficient, and this will lie made before many months, or wo aro no prophet and present indications belio themselves. Railroad News. Chief Engineer Charles A. F. Morris. of tho Oregon and California Railroad informs us that railroad work is progress ing satisfactorily now along tho lino of extension, and good progress is being' made, says tho Ashland Tidings. Tlio Gravo creek tunnel is completed and the long tunnel at Cow creek will bo finished, it is believed, by tho 20th of August. Tho grading lietween theso two. points will be completed before that time, and tho road bed will bo all reaily for tho laying of tho track. In fact, tho graders will bo able to keep tuo tracklayers steadily at work from that timo until tho heavy cutting in tho Siskiyou division is encountered, Tho company havo on hand all tho iron required, and Mr. Morris thinks the track will reach Ashland some timo in Decern her. A thousand men aro already at work this sido the Grave creek tunnel, and the other graders will bo moved southward as soon as their work between the long tun nels is ended. Tho crossing at Rogue river will I an oxponsivo piece of work, and will require a large amount of timber. Mr. Morris says tho company huvo not yet determined whether llioy will have any of tho smaller tunnels in tho Sis kiyous excavated by contract or will do tho work themselves. .Air. C. A. Sweet, living aliout 212 mile north of this place, brings us a samplo of timothy that grow on his farm. It mens tires six foot ono inch in height and the) stool contains nine healthy looking spears. lie has alKiut two acres ol this timothy and wants to know if any one can beat it, luinhill KciKirtcr. The lie t r.'iaration of iron a doctor can pntuiiljo ia ItruMit'a Iron Bittern, Umuie it cloea tot injure the teeth a other irun niedb cinea will.