Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (May 1, 1882)
84 THE WEST SHORE. May, 1 88a THE MODEL FARM OF EASTERN ORE GON AND WASHINGTON. No. Y HIV. ;. II. ATKINSON. EXAMPLE. We learn most clearly from object les sons. The klea of a model farm grows from a farm itself. I write this article, April 17th, while stopping a few hours on a small farm in Columbia ctunty, W. T., about three miles from Dayton. This claim of 160 acres was taken up nine years ago by a gentleman and his wife, who had no money, no tools ex cept a hoe and a mattock, no team and not an animal of any kind. There was not a tree, not a rail or board or build ing of any kind on the place. A little stream flowed in the ravine between the steep hills that comprise the farm. A few boards were bought on credit to put up a shed, in which to set up their stove, and a few articles of furniture and make their house of one room, which it now given up to the fowls. Now they thave a comfortable house with stone cellar, a barn 60x20 feet, a wagon and tool shed, the entire 160 acres well fenced, a field and garden and orchard, cross-fenced and in good cultivation. They have too peach and apricot trees in hearing, also 50 apple and pear trees and 100 more growing and a variety of small fruit, currants, raspberries, goose berries, betides 50 timber trees from 10 to 30 feet high, and hundreds more set out. Two cows were bought eight years ago, costing $45 on the installment plan to pay $10 per month until paid for. The butter made and sold from them, paid their cost in less than 5 months. STOCK. Tho two cows have been sold for I75, and two of their inciea.se for $7 and the value of their increase now left at market rates it about $100. The stock of row, heifer and calves on the farm, twenty-eight in Ml, art worth in cah $43; twine worth $50; 60 fowls worth $15, besides a good supply of loou, iaa a team, bought on credit and worth its cost. monies. The main product of this farm is food for stock and the family. One hundred fv4 Imi. .-vv-a,c acres art in pasture. w .miii :j .ere, are yet ploughed wd for team and cattle and a few cm of potatoes, turnips and other edi- feed ble roots, ine mea i , 11 the stock regularly and aounoauu,. Over $6 per week or $300 Fr year have been paid for bran and snore w feed the cows. TWntv tons of turnips per acre is a common yield. Irrigation is not needed; it would be an injury. 1 he weupiougn- ed basalt soil forms a fine, light sponge- ike tilth, which absorbes the night air and condenses its invisible vapor, giving full supply of moisture to the plants. The increase of tilled farms on the hills has also increased the condensation of moisture into dews and showers. MARKET PRODUCTS. The dairy and poultry yard have been the chief source of income from the first. The average product of butter is thirty five lbs. per week, for the whole year of fifty-two weeks, or 1,820 pounds sold at $30 per hundred and yielding an income of $546 per year. The annual cash sale of cows from the farm is $150; eggs, Jioo;pork,$i5o;small fruit,$i2; vegetable, $25. In round numbers, the annual cash income of this 'farm is $1, 000. The out go for feed and groceries, $350; the expenses for help, $240, $590. Leaving a net cash income of RESULTS IX NINE YEARS. The buildings erected at a cost of too; fencing, $600; land cultivated, twenty-five acres, at a cost of $75; or- i 1 1 cnaras ana umber trees set out at a cost of $200; equal to $1,600 in improve ments. ESTIMATES. Every acre well tilled will give addi tional food enough for one cow, and thus increase the dairy power of thi f - w larra one animal per acre, or the equiv . w. ,w Auuu5 w ouuer per vear, or a cash gain of $54 per acre. This re . ".u uccu me extra cost of care and mill-feed. But suppose this farmer to plough forty-five acres more of his claim and thus put seventy acres in cultiva; he can add forty-five more cows; make 7,jSo pounds of butter per year, which I30 per hundred weight, would bring tJ,t84. Other pioducts sold at usual rues would bring n cash $1,848, mat , " ,ncrw 43. The out-go mowing two extra hands on the firm and one in the house, would 9o; mui-teed and groceries $1,400 extra team, $300; extra machinery and repairs, $ 1 o per year. Whole cost of year's work, $2,750, leaving a net gain ,f $ 1 ,282 . To win this result and keep up the ratio of products, all the fertil. izers of the vards and barn will as i be returned to the fields and pastures. Wheat hay will be replaced in part by timothy. Root crops will be grown and fed in larger proportion and variety Home raised wheat and oats will be ground in custom mills to replace the ess nutritious bran. Labor saving m chinery will be used in the dairy. P. ture will be divided and new and old grasses will he allowed to grow and not be over-stocked. Fields will be turned into pastures, and pastures into fields, while the ten-fold food product of the tilled acres will add to the permanent power and improvements of the farm. Meanwhile the orchards and timber culture will add yearly value to the whole. THE ENERGY AND INDUSTRY AND W1SI PLANNING DISPLAYED. The gentleman and lady who hive wrought out this farm problem thus far during nine years, are in the 68th and 7istyearoftheir respective ages. They began in feeble health. Sick relative and others have had their care and hos pitality, yet they have wasted no time or strength or money or opportunity. While the husband went for boards to put up their first shed for shelter nine years ago, the wife took the mattock and hoe, dug up a patch of ground aw sowed a bed of lettuces and radish Within five years she had a flock of ducks, which brought fifty dollars fa feathers and eggs. Now the egg pn duct from sixty hens brings $ioo p year. CARE AND FOOD FOR STOCK AND W SOIL. Their yearly' success depends up their gentle and constant care and i pie food supply of every animal. Evej cow has a name and comes on call to her stanchion and mess of bran evenw? and morning to be milked. Barn sheds shelter them irom winds V storms. Water is supplied in the j The cows are full, always in good or& and healthy. Sales of stock are freq of good animals and at high rates. M ers got the worth of their money came again. The home market for products, cows, eggs, vegetables, fr"