The west shore., May 01, 1885, Page 132, Image 4

132
THE WEST SHORE.
newer wheat fields of the West, mid the farmers have
turned their attention to other products, jUHt as the older
settlement of th Middle and New England Rtntes were
years ago compelled to do, whon forced to the wall by the
new grain fields of that great valley. Illinois, Iowa, Wis
ooiiHin, and even Minnesota, are rapidly being converted
from grain raiHing to dairying. If in those States, where
entile have to be housed and fed several months each
year, and good green grass can only le had in the spring
mid summer, butUr and cheese can be made at a profit
and of sujxtrior excellence, how is it that some of our
farmers maintain that they cannot make butter in Ore
gon at thirty cento a pound, even under the favorable
conditions of nearly ereniiially green grass and but little
expense for care of stock in winter? Nothing but sloven
liness, lack of system nud general iucomiMitency can ac
count for it, and as proof of this it is only necessary to
jKiint to several of our successful dairymen, who have
proertxl under tho same conditions that have brought
failure to others. J'rmn fueii; that portion of Oregon
nud Washington lying west of the Cascades is a dairy.
man's Miradisn, and it will require greater evidence than
has yet been adduced to prove it otherwise.
HrmciKNT evidence is now in from the widely scat
tered ranges of the West to prove that the loss of cattle
by exjMNture nud starvation the past winter was but a
small Nrcentage, not in excess of the average of other
years. The only great mortality was among the " trail
rattle," as thoso on the route from Texas to the northern
ranges are designated. Taken late in the season from
Uieir warm southern home, and leing oouielled to endure
the suows and chilling blast of tho ranges without time
to get in good condition ltefore winter set in, they m ish
by thousands. Viewing the matter from the cattle own
ers' tandxiiit, the Mutt winter was a very satisfactory one,
notwithstanding the unusual quantity of stormy weather.
Itut what do the cattle think of it? The amount of suf
fering they endure cannot be measured by the number of
deaths that occur. Every year hundreds of thousands of
cattle are exposed to chilling blasts and threatened with
starvation almost to the limit of their endurance. A few
weeks of grasing in the early spring put them in good
eonditiou again, and their fatness at that time is tainted
to as an evidence of the jolly good time they must have
hod all wiuter. Jolly it wan, indeed, when the cowboy
were compelled to frequently drive them out of the shel.
lering canyons umu the wind-swept ranges to keep them
from starving to death, ami when they would, as of Urn
Mum to their shelter in the canyons to keep front frees
ing to deatli. There ought to be some provision made
for supplying shelter and food to cattle during the occa
sional severe storms of wiuter. Humanity demands it
Wt have societies and laws Uiat preveut the vivisection
of worthless rur for the advancement of science, but
who lake thought of the sufferings endured by these
million of cattle for the advancement of bank accounts?
If it is impracticable to Uke proper onre of large bands of
cattle, then they should be kept lu iiuallur herds.
It argues well for the prosperity of our producing
classes that they are beginning to hold conventions and
form flfxvvintinnA for the protMinn of their interests nnd
promotion of the industries in which they are engaged.
Particularly ib such action as this desirable on the part
of those engaged in the production of some special crop
or article, where combined action will enable them to
increase facilities for marketing their product, enlarge
the demand for it, and protect it from the encroachments
of inferior and spurious imitations seeking a market
under a dishonest use of reputations gained by legitimate
goods. There are numerous ways in which such organi
zations may bo of docided advantage to its members, such
as securing legislation for their protection; increasing
transportation facilities and decreasing the cost of reach
ing market; sustaining a uniform price that will yield a
fair margin of profit; preventing that inharmonious com
petition that increases the cost of production and de
creases the market value of the product; in shutting out
or fully exposing spurious products; in drawing a tight
rein upon unscrupulous and dishonest dealers, such as
are to lie found in every line of trade, and in the improve
ment in methods and quality which must follow a free
interchange of idoas and experiences. The recent Dairy
Convention in this city will undoubtedly be productive of
great good to that industry, and the fruit growers of
8outhern Oregon will necessarily profit much from the
convention held a few weeks since in Ashland. A close
alliance of fruit growers, hop growers, stock raisers, sal
mon canners, flour manufacturers and men engaged in
various other industries will le highly beneficial to those
interests and to the communities where they exist.
The indications at present are that the salmon can
ning industry on the Columbia will show a marked
lecline the present year. Nearly, if not quite, all the
canneries were operated at a loss in 1884, owing to the
high price paid for fish and the low price of the canned
goods caused by exoeesive production. There has been a
lack of intelligent co-operation among cannerymen, result
ing in much injury to themselves and the trade generally.
It is plainly evident they cannot afford to pBy a dollar, or
even seventy.five cents, for fish the present season, and
the sooner they agree upon some living rate, and stick to
it, the letter it will be for the business, and, consequently,
for all concerned. Co-operation is also necessary in sus
taining the reputation of Columbia River salmon by
uuniing iown the pirate brands which are fast destroy
ing it The season opened the 1st of April, but great ac
tivity will not be shown for several weeks yet, and there
will probably be fewer canneries in operation and Bbout
five hundred less boats on the river than last year. At
present the English market is glutted and prices are not
much alwve the actual cost of production, exclusive of
rotates for damages, etc The outlook is not encourag
ing. especially with a high price for fish; but if living
rates are maintained throughout the season, combined
with a better market, cannerymen may get on their feet
again.