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About Willamette farmer. (Salem, Or.) 1869-1887 | View Entire Issue (March 16, 1872)
"winLA.METTE: fLe!m:ee. fiiiS3R Npeclal Contributor. A. It. BIIin.KY, TJIOMAB BMITlt, muh. a. it. Piiii'i.nv, a. J. nuiim, JtKV. I. H. KNI01IT, A. II. ImilKIITH, II. Mtl.l.i:il, JOHN MtNTO, WIS. MAHT J. I'YI.K, T. W. DAVKNfOlIT, MItfl. 1IKM.R W. COOBIS. Snlom, Saturday, March HI, FAKMKRB' TALK AND WALK. Tlio redoubtable General Duller, of "J Mitch Chip Cnnnl" nnd "spoons" fame, hns inndu n speech In which ho discloses "whnt ho knows about funning." Ills success In that role was about ns brilliant as his services ius n military chieftain. Ono of his points was, thnt fanners wero thrift- lossnsuclnssund running intooxtrnv iignncc. If this wcroujustcrlllelsin, It might bo retorted that they wero poor for the same reason that ho was rich, and what they spent was earned by lalior. But it Is not true. Tho fanners of the country, although far from being rich, are yet, nevertheless, ns a class in comfortable and Independent cir cumstances. Many of them think they tiro poor and "hard run," but they know little of tho poverty of thou sands living in towns and cities who make greater show in dress and fur niture. They are not subject to tho terrors of the landlord with his monthly bills for rent. They know nothing of the pinching economy to make a cord of wood ora sack of Hour furnish warmth and bread until more wages become ilue. And then when labor for the laboring man falls, when factories stop, when business falls mid the clerk or employee loses his place, tbey know nothing of the anx iety of tho good housewife as she pees tho little store of provisions, the scanty savings in tho purse, dally wusteaway to final exhaustion before more work or employment can as sure tho comforts of life for the fu ture. It Is tho fewest number in cit ies who secure wealth or competence for old age. Not one merchant in fifty dies rich. Of all that class of city people made up of duy laborers, factory operatives, Journeymen me chanics, and clerks, scarcely any ever lay by a stent for old age, their whole earnings being absorbed by the nec essaries of life, and the making of such an outward show of dress as seems to bo necessary to respectabil ity. And of all tho poor people In the city, professional men and their families are often the poorest. With nu education and tastes Milted to the so-called higher walks in society, and with it position requiring good clothes and Ilue furniture, their start in life, destitute of clients, patients, and fees, with no rich friends at court, Is one of the severest trials that can be Imposed on human na ture. When the farmer has secured his land, If It Is only forty acres, or on en dishonorable expedients in tnido, the bank failures, tho stock gambling, tho destruction of private virtue, and the startling crimes in social life. To prevent the young pcoplo of the country from rushing to tho cities to bo engulfed In such it vortex of ruin is certainly a most important duty of parents. And tho question how that can bo done best must bo decided by each family for thomselves. Hooks, and homo attractions might do in one family, tho prospect of a farm to start with would bo tho best thinir in another family. Hut under all cir cumstances, let this lesson bo taught, viz: Twit virtue nnu industry nro the best guaranties of it happy life. THE FLOMKK BEDS. As tho time of year is approaching when tho ladles and other cultivators of (lowers will bo commencing their out-door oporntlons, wo thought It would bo a good service to them to compile tho following valuable direc tions from Vich'n Floral Guide, which is doubtless as good authority on this subject ns thero is on any branch of gardening. To commence with, wo must say thnt success In cultivating (lowers depends like the cultivation of ev erything else for success, much on tho knowledge, experience and euro of tho cultivator. In fact, it requires more care and experience to succeed with dowers than vegetables, becauso most of our (lowers are foreign to our soil and climate, tender exotics, which demand tho greatest care in treatment to secure success with these tender beauties. Tho best mil for most (lowers, and especially for young plants, Is a mel low loam containing somo sand so that It will not "bake "or "cake." If we have not such n soil, we must (to tho best with what wo have. A htllf, clay soil may ho greatly im proved by tho addition of sand, or ashes and manure, and frequently working It over. Hut It must never bo worked while- wet. Tho soli must be rich. Don't try to nilso ilowers on a poor sell It can't bo done. Keep it pile of manure In somo out-of-the-way comer. If you keep a horso or cow they will start It. It must bo well rotted. A pile of sods, or old rottenlngrefu-e of any kind, drench ed with weekly soap-suds, will make good food for Ilowers. (tu.e of Failure. It peeds are planted hm deep, they will perMi nnd rot in tho cold, damp earth, for the want of warmth to germinate tho seeds j or If they do not germinate at such depth, the tendershoots may perish before reaching tho warm sun. It must be hurno In mind that warmth and moisture are both neces sary to germinate seeds, and stlir clay Is often too cold when the seeds are planted. Hut by moisture we do not mean that the soil should be wet. Heavy, stlir clay Is liable to crust over on the top and prevent j tendershoots from coming through. If the soil Is ,tij)' whero tine seeds nro to be sown, It must be made mellow, elgn to our roil nnd cllmato, arc moro likely to fall thnn tho vigorous seeds and plants of our own land. After the seeds have started, they must bo free from weeds, not over crowded In tho beds, the soil a llttlo moist, nnd stirred often enough to prevent crusting of tho surface, nnd to allow tho warmth nnd nlr to circu late down about the roots. Those- thnt are to bo transplanted from tho germinating bed, may bo taken up nftcr they havo secured their second leaves and attained an Inch or so in height. They should bo taken up In it dull, showery day, ns tenderly ns possible, nnd with ns much earth attached to tho roots ns possible. Mil . - VOTE FOIt HONEST MEN. ten near it city, with a llttlo thereon, I particularly on tho surface, by the and with a cow and some pigs, ho Is i addition of sand and light mold. safe from want, lie can pick up his wood, raise his' meat and bread, and a small surplus will buy the clothing and pay the grocer. If seeds aro sown In romjh, lump; ground, a portion will be burled tin tier the clods and will never grow: while many that start will perish for Hut wo understand Mr. Butler I w'1 of a tit soil for their tender very well, lie InsUts that farmers J roots. ought to embellish their hmie, We may now Mippoo that the soil make home attractive to the chll-ls in the bct condition, that the dreu with iHKiks, pictures, etc. And 'seeds are all good, that they were so tbey ought If they can do so hou- placed in tho ground at the right onthly and properly. Jlut farmers its j depth, mid under the proper oltvuni it general rule try to give their chif- stances, half an Inch deep, the seeds drcn a start In life. To do this they j may all grow, and If the weather Is must live very economically. And warm with light showers, but few the question Is a dltllcult ono to do-1 will perish. Hut if, ns is very coin cide, to know how far to go with tho j men at tho season when we sow education of tho children in lxoks ' seeds, we should have a succession of music, etc., and tho attractions of cold rain storms, many of the tender home, and still havo something to I kinds will perish. A night's frost give the Nys and girls un "outllt" 'will ruin many more. Or If they and save them as far as jiosslble from i should all start llnely, nnd tho woatli resorting to questionable changes or or should suddenly turn very hot and shifts to got on In life. Tho cities are now overcrowded with excited, anxious, struggling, poor men and women, whose desper ate exertions to rise almvo tho com mon level in wealth or fame Is tho fruitful source from which comes tho dry, all those of too shallow planting will perish from sudden drying out of the roots, unless tho watering wt Is timely mid Judiciously used. And under all circumstances it must bo remembered that the tlner and more delicate seeds, thoso for- Tho platforms of tho political par ties this year will contain scarcely a disputed proposition, or a single principle. Thero will be much clutlT, but no grain ; great sound and fury, but signifying nothing. Neither party is In a position to tako a for ward step, becauso tho leaders of both parties aro opposed to tho only forward step demanded by tho peo ple that is honesty, conscientious faithfulness, in public ofllce. Most nil tho political questions arising out of the wnr aro either settled, or agreed upon by the whole- people All fair men aro opposed to tho Ku Klux outrages, and in favor of gen eral nmncsty nnd payment of the national debt. The turlir question Is tho only one In tho field, nnd on thnt the people dlvldo without ref erence to parly lines. In tho Stato and county affairs of this State, tho honors aro easy between both par ties. In looking over their past ad ministration of affairs, this question forces itself upon our notice, which is most to bo condemned for neglect ing mid abusing the pcoplo's inter ests y instead or tho other nnd iint unil question, in which do wo (hid most to approve V Look over the political newspapers of both parties in this .State at tills time, and you will find that tho burden of their song Is, not what good things their party has done for the Stato, hut what bad things "tho other fellows" did ; not that their party is honest, but thnt tho opposite party is dis honest. So that an impartial reader would gather from these political organs that rascality In public otllco was a matter to bo expected, and when their party friends aro accused or It, they havo tho coolness to nt tenipt to excuse- the net by asserting that tho other party Is worse than theirs. Now, wo suggest to theso pollti ehins on both sides thnt tho honest people who pay tho taxes, M-ork for tholr bread, nnd nover expect to hold ofllce, do not see things in that light. And, further, thnt party erlos, flags, nnd plntforms, nro losing tholr hold upon the pcoplo ; or, In other words, thnt nil this trickery, clap trap, noise, nnd bullying, to make tho people swallow nny ticket which is put up In the nuino of a political party, is Just alwut "played out." The people now demand lets platform, and more honesty; wo have about laws enough give us honest men to carry them out. Wo should like to know of what interest or protlt It Is to nny Demo cratic or Hcpublleun tax-payer to vote a man of his own party Into of fice, and then havo that man turn nearly cqunl. Tho floating voto Is to bo bought, tho whisky commences to run, tho fights begin to fill tho po Hco ofllces nnd tho Jails, (tho tax payers paying tho fiddler all the tlmo to run tho police, tho consta bles, tho courts, and the Jails,) nnd when election day comes nrotind tho Jails nro emptied, tho hospItnLs nro drnlned, nnd every hole, stow, gin mill, nnd dend-fall in tho city vomits forth Its scurvy crow of besotted wretches, stupid with bestiality, har dened with crime, besotted with vice, alive with vermin, nnd freshly chnrged up with lightning whisky, whe go to tho polLs and voto (for it consideration) tho Ilonorublo I'eter Hlowhnrd into tho Leijlslaturo, or Mr. Hllfklus into tho Shorlff's of fice. Tho whisky clement decided tho election, and nil you farmers, merchants, nnd mechanics might ns well havo stayed a home. It cost theso honorable () gentlemen who succeeded at tho polls several thou sand dollars. Tho man elected Sher iff must get his money back by "hook or crook" ; tho other fellow, tho nlco gciitlemnn thnt goes to tho Legislature, will get his money back by selling his vote, first on U. S. Sen ator, second, on nil tho wngon-road, canal, nnd other public improvement grants nnd franchises which come before tho Legislature ; nnd the peo ple havo to pay for all that whisky and corruption which stuffed your ballot-boxes full of fraudulent votes. Tho remedy, nnd tho only remedy, for nil this, is to bo found In a deter mination of nil good citizens to stand together as Independent freemen, independent of party trammels, in dependent of cliques, honestly nnd faithfully supporting each other on independent tickets of honest men, known nnd tried, and pledged to re- duco tho salaries of nil officers to such n reasonable standard ns will ninko them no object to scrumblo for. nnd carefully shutting nil doors ngnlnst speculation in ofllco, nnd promptly sending nny mnn in tho Legislature to tho penitentiary for life who Is known to hnvo tnken a consideration for his voto on nny subject. Let good citizens, nil over tho Stnte, rise up and demand this, nnd political corruption will cense. growing ancL expanding thereon for centuries. Lot tho onks nnu a clump of beautiful ovcrgreons stand. They will bo a perpetual delight to tho children, nnd bitnl their hearts to tho old homestead through nil lifter life. Where you deslro ovcrgreons, nnd they nro very desirable, adding cheerfulness to tho lnndscnpo, and reminding you of summer through out the winter, they enn bo secured by transplanting Just ns tho buds be gin to start In tho spring. But tho transplanting must bo dono with great enre, selecting trees six to eight feot in height growing in solid earth, where you cun get them out with a lnrgo ball of earth attached. Aslnrgo a ball of earth ns it is possiblo to re niovo with them should bo enrofully tnken up, and then tho ground about tho roots should bo protected from tne uroutii mo nrsi season, wun a couple of wheelbarrow loads of well rotted manure, saw dust or chip ma nuro sprend around. Every farm will look bettor nnd nppcnr to bo moro thrifty ami pros perous, and always sell for moro monoy, If tho public highway through it is lined with ornamental trees. It is no trouble to got small maples, topped ten feet up ; nnd then sot thorn in ovory nltornnto fence corner, and tho work is done. PLANT OUT MAPLES. It is high tlmo that tho young nin plesyou have intended to set out this season along tho public highway through your farm, or around your house for shade, should bo In the ground. Tho maple buds aro spring ing fist, indicating nu early spring, and a delay of a week or ton days may seriously damage tho prospect of success of tho planting. A few years ago, ami scarcely a tree was planted for shndo or orna ment, while tho nntlvo growth of trees was wholly, nnd ns wo think barbarously cut down. Hut latterly tho public tasto has been improving, and wo see, especially in tho larger towns, a largo annual incrcuso In tho planting of native trees, generally maples, for shado and ornament. Thero Is tho samo reason to induco tho people- of tho small towns and farmers to plnnt trees, us thero Is for sucfi planting in tho cities. Many of tno smaii towns in tlio Stato havo a desolate and decaying nppcaranco, which would bo wholly cured by lines of thrifty maples along tho streets. Forest Grovo is noted for its groat natural beauty, and which is around nnd make tisoof his ofllco to entirely attributed to Its beautiful rob friend and foo alike, ue or spec ulate on the public money, nmk-.. overcharges or corrupt bargains, all of which increase your taxes, In or der to enable your eandldato to get even on his election expenses? As groves or onks, nml which would en tirely disnppenr, leaving nothing but a rambling vllhigo in a great forn patch, if those oaks wero destroyed. Tho now railroad towns, llko Ger vais, Hnlsey, Junction, nnd Cornel- lus, ought to tako this hint (nnd nlso THE CRISIS COMING. Tho pcoplo of tho Willamette Val ley hnvo troubled their minds much during tho past ten years ns to the best modo of securing cheap, or nt lenst reasonable, rates of transporta tion on tho vast amount of freight shipped by them down tho valley and out of our river to San Francis co ; and many of them hoped from promises made, thnt when tho rail road was completed to tho head of tho valley, theso charges would as sume a shapo moro reasonable for tho producer. In this It appears wo have all boon deceived. Mr. Ilollndny has advanced rates of freight on wheat and flour (tho principal articles of freight), tho former 0 cents per 100 pounds, and tho latter 10 cents per barrel, on his steamships plying bo- tweon Portland and Snn Francisco. Ills former rates wero sufficiently high, nnd his lino of steamers was paying him a very heavy dividend. Tho question nrises: What nro tho pcoplo of Oregon to do '. Shall thoy remain quiet nnd allow Hen Ilolln dny to forgo fottors nnd rivet them upon the people, or will they rise In their might nnd strlko down this monster monopolist? Will thoy Ho Idle nnd see tho result of their hard toll go to swell tho coffers of this na bob, or -will thoy, In tho oxcrciso of their rights, show him that thoy are not yet his slaves, and that Oregon Is not yot " Bon Ilolladny's farm "? Tho crisis when theso questions will bo decided Is near at hand, nnd will bo roachod in June. Tho boast has been made by thoso rovcllng un der Hen Ilolladny's "sanctuary" that ho hns enough monoy to buy tho next Legislature, nnd It now becomes tho duty of ovory mnn In Oregon hnvlng tho welfare of tho Stato at hoart, tOHco to It thnt not a cnndl dato for tho Legislature Innny county but is pledged to icork and voto against nil measures calculated to throw us still further into this one man system. Nor should thoy stop hero. Thoy should work nnd vote for monsures thnt will get our people out from under tho killing pressure of his monopolies. With Mr. Ilolla dny's control of tho North Pacific Transportation Company and both tho Fast and West Side Knlironds, and tho Wlllaniotte Transportation Company, ho possesses a power which, unless "checkmated" by our Legislature, will sap tho prosperity matters are carried on now. overv candidate reran important fltak us a" , V" "" v lu Y,lu lur i "' wwiiy nnu niiracuvencss or tho ' wo had no railroads. Thero will of In, and then Just as soon ns he gets I place, and thus add wealth and pros- couro bo no advice, on tZl ? mo on.ee ne resorts to quest enable perity. It tnkes year to produce n tho river or railroad lines until get uint" whisky and handsome- tree, whllo a handsome, tho election In .T.mn, ,. i.. ..,.. i .. - '"" u practices to corruption money" Kick tignln. Both parties resort to this, eternally anil infamously trying to get lowor down than the other, in order to got the "flouting vote." Now you see how It works. Both parties put up tickets ; and tho people divide off, cottage can bo erected and finished in threo months. Many a home stead, suburban location, or location for the fanner's home, has been rob bed of its greatest beauty and attrac tion by tho barbarism that cut down tho grand old trees which had been wo may expect It at any time Hon Ilollndny hns his tools in every coun ty working for tho nomination to the Legislature of such men as ho can use, or, to uso plainer English, such men as ho can biy and this gamo is be ing played on both parties. If ho is
