The Flax Crop.
Killlor Wirametta Furincr:
I visited the grcnler portion of
llio valley part of. Linn county,
from the lth to tlio 10th of tho pres
ent month (July), nnd cxniiilnott
much of tho flax crop, und hoard of
tho remainder of It In that county.
And for your Information, nnd nil
others who feel an Interest In this
Important branch of ournKrlcultur.il
production flax 1 will prepare n
short account of my observations, and
tho knowledge I obtained from the
gentlemen who are engaged In flax
culture In Llmi county this season.
And, as Iho Wim.amktti: Fakmi'.ii
acorns to bo the favorite of the work
ing men In Oregon, I would bespeak
a place In Its columns for tho publi
cation of this article. I brought down
Ave samples of thii flax, which are
deposited In thu Faii.miiiioIIIco, and
first speak of these, and thon of other
fields of flax.
Mr. Walter Houston sowed 80 acres
to flax from tho 1st to the lfith or
April hist, fifty acres of this was
old ground, plowed last fall. The
land was moderately riling, and
faced to the south, was rich prairie,
and was plowed In tho spring, sown
nnd harrowed in and rolled. Forty
pounds of Ilombny flax seed wore
own to tho acre. Thirty acres in
this Held 'wcro sod land or bunch
grass, broken in tho spring, twice
harrowed, then sown nnd harrowed
twlco again. . On tho 7th Inst. I pass
ed over all parts of tho field and pull-
ol from each piece a fair average
sample. That from tho sod was itt
Inches high, and that from thu old
ground was i!f Inches high. The
wholi) was coming Into bloom, and
not douu growing. It was of a dark
green color and very rank. The
owner was pulling out all foul plants
from the flax In order to have perfect
ly clean seed.
Tho next piece was on the Hoggs'
farm at Tangent. The laud was old,
worn prairie, broke last fall, ami
ugalu broke In the spring, and miwii
40 ll'H. of seed to thu acre. It was
well harrowed, and put In early in
April. An average sample measured
37 inches long. It Is Juit in bloom;
of a very rank appearance, and Mr.
W. Miller, the prnprlelorof the farm,
and u good farmer, is pulling out the
foul plants from the flax, and the
Held Is i lean and nice.
The next sample, I pulled from a
Held of about 100 acres In flax, owned
by Mr. Ilouck near Tangent. The
laud is rich prairie, second or third
year In cultivation, broke in tho fall,
nnd again in the spring, and well put
In with the same amount of seed.
Kxccpt some patches on white, wet
laud, the piece Is very rank, Mauds
evenly and presents the mo-t charm
ing aspect of a lake of soft hlflo flow
ers, which seemed to kits tho bright
sunshine and clear utino.-phore, so
glorious In our summer season here.
Its average bight was ultout ill In
ehc. I did not sen Mr. Ilouck, but
made free to examine his flax and
enquire of others concerning tho
laud, Ac. lie too is pulling tail all
foul plants from tho place. From
this llcd will come much clean seed.
The next sample was from the Held
of Mr. Uodcbrough near Tangent. !
The laud Is good pruiric, old land, i
plowed In the fall and well put In ,
about the mlddloiif April. The usii
al quantity was sown lo tho acre. .
The crop Is very rank and green. It
Is In bloom, and is alum I ill inches
high and still growing. j
Mr. Samuel I'lcklns, near Ward's
llutte, hui 2.1 acre.- of llax, sown on
htubblo laud and put In In March. It
Is Mimewhat foul but Maud- well, and
the lulls are large, and the crop good.
Next to the tlax, stands a Held of fall
wheat, sown on lu-t your'n llax stub
ble und hartowed In. Tho wheat Is
heavy and good, I examined a Held
of flax some 80 acres, near Saddle,
llutte. Tho laud was old and foul,
tho ground rather inmrly prepared
this spring, plunty of clods and heuco
poor llax thin, foul, and low. Hut
tint owner merely intends tho pres
ent crop as Incident to a wheat crop
next fall, after plowing under tho
flax stubble. I saw many othor (tax
floUU, up and down from north to ,
south of the county. Every field
that had been fallowed or fall plowed
nnd well put in showed a good crop
of flax.
Some fields were foul, cloddy, and
badly put in. .Somes of tho best .vlieut
which I saw In Linn county was on
lust year's flax land. Tho heaviest
flux is generally found growing nd
Jaccnct to the hills east of tho Wil
lamette river. Low, wot, white
land is not good for flax. Six
hundred ncrcsof flax in Linn coun
ty nro being cleaned from nil foul
seeds, and kept for seed for the
farmers next year. Each farmer,
who thus cleans his seed, is to re
ceive two dollars per bushel for such
socil, and allowed to retain so much
of his own seed ns he may wish to
sow next year. Tims there Is an In
ducement for all flax raisers to use
only clean seed and clean land.
It will bo recollected that thu Horn
bay flax seed was first acclimated In
tho foul lauds of California, nnd
thoni'o brought to Oregon und sown.
There was much French turnip or
wild mustard, and other foul seed
amongst the flax, nnd hence the flax
lands hero were badly polluted. Tho
fanners were Inexperienced in rais
ing flax, and all who sowed foul seed
and put tho crop in poorly, gathered
a poor crop. Some of tho seasons
were lad, and taking tho whole to
gether, Inclu-Ivo of tho hop of the
price of wheat two years ago, tho
ilax raising business, and tho manu
facturing of linseed oil in Kaloui have
not been very paying In this valley
tin to last year. The Pioneer Oil
Company Imvo had severe discour
agements to encounter, and had they
not been men of strong minds and
gifted with energy, they would have
failed. Hut under every discourage
ment Ihey have Introduced their oil
to many markets, and It has been
well tested, and found to bo equal, If
not superior to any other oil In tho
United Stutes. It stands high in
California and In tho Sandwich Is
land. There Is ono thing now cer
tain, and that Is, that Western Ore
gon Is a llax country. And there is
another view of tho subject, which I
wish to Impress upon tho minds of
all: The I. O. Co. can extend the
manufacture of linseed oil, to ten or
twenty times what they now make,
If tho farmers will furnish the seed.
Tho more seed, tho more oil, and
then the more money amongst in.
Hence thnuh-nliitc necessity of a ro
tation in crops here; and tho fact
that wheat does follow flax with
great success; tho flax not requiring
the elements in the soil to pro
duce oil, that wheat requires to pro
duce starch. Ami flax stubble and
straw are rich fertilizers; and hence
rotating flax, and then wheat or oats,
we can have a crop every year.
In selling our llax seed to the I. O.
Co., there nro no middle men to nib
ble, nibble at ll, like they do on the
wheat, hut tho llax seed goes direct
to the mnmiructurlngnf oil, nnd the
money p.is-os In fall to (ho nil.-er.-i of
tho tlax seed. The Oil Company
will, in till cases hereafter, fiirnl-li
none hut clean seed, and they will
buy In none hut clean seed. It will
be perceived that it will be at once
to tho Interest of farmers to clean
thin lands from sorrel, and all other
foul plant.. In every case tho land
should be plowed very deeply in the
fall, and well drained of surplus wa
ter. .Sub-olliug in the fall would be
an excellent plan, whereby the crop
of llax could be sown much earlier In
the spring. I Iiuvo perceived that
flax and wheat require the very
same soil, sea-ons, manner or rami-,
lug and saving. Now we know
that Western Oregon alsiuuds In
good wheat land. And another mat
ter of great lniMirlance Is, that there
will not be tho fluctuations In the,
price of flax seed here that there are
In wheat. Contmcts can be had fort
llax crops for years ahead here.
The I. O. Co. have sent out per
haps 10 bu-hels or more of clean Hut
tlax seed to Im ral-ed, and tho seed
brought In for next year's .-owing.
The Comiuny will purehu-o all the
Hut, as well as tho seed of this tlax,
and the lint will 1st made into lugs
In Salem. This operation will he
confined to Salem. Hut lug factories
can and will bo erected in l.lun, and
other counties, if tho Hut can be
had for them. And there would be
another bniuch of home Indu-trv
and manufacture amongst us which
would retain large smut of money
with the people here.
If I had space, I would be glad to
brunch out and write uoout wagons,
plows, reapers, mowers, and numer
ous other articles, made nnd sent
here, to the crippling and detriment
of our own uiecnntilcs and manufac
turers. There nro more tluui $1.10,000
worth of foreign wapitis now In
Western Oregon for sale.
Hut to return uiruln to the flax cul
ture here. It Is jswltlvely sure that '
WILLA-METTE FARMER.
treatises on flax from States castof
llii'Nmilli Pum. will not nnswnr here.
1 no more than such answer for farm
I lug, gardenlngand fruitctilture here.
All nui-it bo learned here from uetii
I til experience. Mr. Geo. 1. Ilolman
1 Intends to compile and publish a
treatiso next fall, after the present
flax crop shall be saved, from actual
data, drawn from the tlax raisers in
this valley. A vast amount of useful
nnd practical information will 1m; tbns
hud, which will serve as n guide to
all In rul-lng flax hereafter in West
cm Oregon. And It Is sure that we
can raise Just as good hump here, in
tliesamu way and on tho same soil,
as flax. It Is ii)t yet known what
can bo raised, what done, ami how
good a country, and what vnst resour
ces we iiuvo in Oregon, imi loreign
ers come nnd see.
David Nkwsom.
July 17, 1873. '
Home Fuels about Itutn.
No one who has traveled in the
"Lakb District" of England will
need to bo informed that It Is a rainy
region. If tho tourist is able to de
vote two or thrco weeks lo It, he may
not unreasonably hope to bo favored
with occasional fair weather; hut if
he can spend only thrco or four days
among Its wild nnd lovely scenery,
let him congratulate himself If they
do not nil prove to bo rainy one-.
Wordswortli could never Imvo seen
und snug tho (.harms of tho district
ns ho did, hud he not made it Ills home
for years.
Wo Imvo Just seen in an English
paper an abstract of meteorological
observations made by Mr. Isaac Flet
cher, M. P., among theso Cumber
land mountains. For nearly thirty
years he has kept rnln gauges at va
rlotis stations, and the record of some
of them for tho year 1872 Is astound
ing. Tho rainfall at different points
ranges from about 01 Inches up to al
most 211 inches. At four stations it
wusabovo 17.1 Inches. Tho highest
result was obtained nt a place known
ns " tho Stye," ut nn elevation of 1,
077 feot, in ono or tho wildest passes
of thu region, between tho lakes of
Derwentwater nnd Westwator. Mr.
Fletcher remarks: "Tho amount
registered on tho Stye nearly 111
Inches is marvelous, and greatly In
excess of any previous record. In
IStJd, 221.6(1 Inches were recorded.
So far ns has yet been ascertained,
the Styo is tho wettest spot In Eu
rope, and, except In tropical coun
tries, tho quantities I have quoted
represent tho two greatest annual
falls of rain that have over been re
corded." Hut we presume that to many of
our readers the.-e figures convey no
definite Idea of the actual amount of
niln that falls at this " wettest spot
In Kurope." A few other facts will
servo ns n basis of comparison, and
also to show what a capricious phe
nomenon rain is tho most capricious,
In fact, of all meteorological phenom
ena, both In re-puct to Its frequency
und tho amount that falls in a given
time. There are regions whore it
never rains as on tho coast of Peru,
in tho African Sahara, und tho Des
ert of Cobi in Asia and there are
others, as In Patagonia, where It
ruins alniast every day. At most
places in our latitude, II an inch fulls
!u a day, It Is a pretty heavy niln:
iait among tho lllghlaiulsof Scotland
and in tho Kngllsh " Lake District,"
of which wo have boon speaking,
from r to 7 inches not unfrcquoiitly
fall in u day. On tho I.-lo ol Skye,
In December, 18ii:l, 12..1 inches fell In
lil hours. At Joyeu-e, In Fnince,
ill. 17 inches fell in 21 hours; at Gene
va, HO Inches in 'J I hours; at Gibraltar,
33 inches in 20 hours.
As regards tho annual rainfall, tho
mo-t remarkable 1- on thu Kha.-la
HUN, In India, where it averages
li(K) inches, idsiut .100 of which fall in
seven months of tho year. Wo do
not know of any other place where
tho average rises uven to 1100 Inches,
though at two points tin tho (ihuuts
Mountains In India It is '.V.I and 2tM
inches. At Madras It is 15 inches; ut
Humhuv 7.1 inches.
It will ho seen thut tho rainfall on
thu Stye, in Cumberland, approxi
mates to that in the wettest tropical
districts. Tho nvenigo in tho west
of Clreat Hrltuin and Ireland, In thu
vicinity of high hills, is from 80 to
150 Inches, while away from tho hills
It is oiqy from DO to 45 inches, and in
the east of England not more thun
20 to 28 Inches. In Fmnce it avera
ges 30 inches; in tho level parts of
Russia it falls as low as 15 inches.
In this country It averages, in the
Southern States, from fiO to 66 inches,
though nt sonio points, ns nt Athens,
On., it Is only 30 Inches. In tho Nor
thern States it ranges from about 27
to 45 Inches. On tho Pacific coast It
is 22 inches nt San Francisco, hut in
creases as wc go northward, being 47
inches nt Fort Vancouver, nnd !K) in
ches at Sitka, in Alaska. Botton
Journal of ClwmMry.
A Chinese Protest.
Several loading Chinese merchants
have recently presented to the' Board
of Supervisors of San Fnincisco,
through n Clilneso missionary, a re
monstrance, in which after rehears
ing tho cruelties nnd indignities to
which us A raco they Imvo been sub
jected, they remind tho nuthorltles
of the circumstances In which inter
course with China wnsopencd. They
My:
" Wo wish the American people to
remember that thu pulley ol tho Chi
nese government was strictly exclu
sive. She desired no treaty stipula
tions, uncommercial relations, no In
turchnngu whatever with Europo or
America. Shu was not willing that
otiicr people should como to rcsldo
in her limits, becaiHo sho knew tho
antagonism of races. For tho samu
reason sho was unwilling Unit her
subjects should go forth to other lauds
toreside. Huttlio United Statesand
other Christian nations held very
different vlows, and advocated a
very different policy. Treaty stipu
lations, commercial relations, friend
ly interchange of commodities and
persons were demanded of the Chi
nese. To secure the.-e with China,
pretexts for war were sought nnd
found, and ns thu re.-ult of defeat on
the part of tho Chinese, our Govern
ment was compelled to glvo up. her
traditional, time-honored policy, and
to form treaties of friendship urn! in
terchange with our conquerors."
11 Undur these treaty stipulations,"
they go on to statu, "dictated to
Chinese by Christian governments,
tho peoplu of Europo and America
Imvo freely en tereil China for tho pur
pose of trade, travel, and Christiur
evangelization." Tlioii-.mds ha
settled in that country and amassed
fortunes. American merchants nnd
American missionaries are now found
in every part of the Empire, although
their presence is not desired either
by the government or tho people.
They say further, "Tim American
nnd European governments are
greatly embarrassing tho Chinese
Government by strenuously insl.-tiug
that American and other foreigners
shall bo permitted to travel, and
tnide, and preach In nil parts of tho
Clilneso Kmnlro without being sub
ject to Chinese law. Tho foreign
Governments insist upon tneir right
to take their code of laws with them
Into all parts of our country, thus
humbling and disgracing our Gov
ernment in the eyes of our people.
How would that shoo fit tho other
foot? Or how can they claim to bo
reconlcled to tho Golden Utile, con
sidering tho present treatment of
Chineso in America'."'
They usk the American peoplu "to
remember that tho Chinese in this
country Iiuvo been for tho most part
peaceable and industrious. They
Imvo kept no whisky saloons and
had no drunken brawls, resulting In
manslaughter and murder. They
have toiled patiently to build your
railroads, to aid In harvesting your
fruits and grain, and to reclaim your
sua tap lands. Our pre.-ouco und la
bor on this coast, wo bellove, have
made possible numerous manufac
turing interests which, without us,
could not exi-t on the.-e shores. In
tho mining regions our peoplo have
been satisfied with claims deserted
by tho whlto miners. Asu people
wo Iiuvo the reputation, even here
and now, of paying faithfully our
rents, our tuxes, and our debts. In
view of all the.-o facts wo are con
strained to ask, why this hitter hos
tility agaliut a few thnusandsof Chi-ne-o
I u A nierlcaV W liy these severe
and barbarous enactments, discrim
inating against us in favor of other
natlonalitle.-'."'
They then propose as the only Just
alternative to their Mug permitted
to remain in this country unmoles
ted, "u speedy and perfect abroga
tion and repeal of the present treaty
relations lietwooit China and Ameri
ca, requiring thu retirement of all
Chine-e tcoplo nnd tnidu from these
United Stutes, and the withdrawing
of all American people ami trade, and
commercial intercourte whatever with
China. In the meantime,
ns wo are here, under sacred treaty
stipulations, we humbly pray that wo
may bo treated according to these
stipulations until such timo as the
treaty may be repealed, nnd commer
cial intercourse and friendly relations
come to an end."
Tho farmers of Urush Prairie, near
Vancouver, have organized a grange
and farmers club.
Grading Sheep.
A great amount of money und la
bor is spent every yiv.r in tho Unitod
Stutes by wool-dealers in unpacking,
grading, nnd re-p.icklng wool. The
writer of this article having had a
practical experience In wool flftoen
yiars In Europe and six years in
this country, wishes to bring before
the public interested In wool n plan
to ubolish these expense, which will
prove profitable in Its working both
to tho wool- grower and to tho deal
er, namely to recommend to the
wool-growers to classify or grudo
their flocks, expelling all inferior
sheep, selecting and using suitable
nuns, nnd by taklngthl8cour.se to
bring the flocks to a standard of uni
formitythat Is to say, that each
flock may reprc.-ent a cortuln type or
kind of wool, but oven nnd uniform
in It-elf. JJy iidoptlng this way of
treatment, the flocks would be
brought, In n comparatively short
time, to reach a standard that the
clips could be handled and sold by
tho dealer in tho original packing.
The final results would bo that tho
present necessary yearly labor and
expenses connected with tho grading
of wool by tho dealer will passuwuy;
lasting Improvement would bo es
tablished by bringing the flocks to a
higher uniform standard, mid tho
dealers would, In time, handle nnd
sell tho bulk of domestic llecco wool
in the original packing.
Considering what a large capital is
Invested in ral-Ing wool in tho Uni
ted States, and what progress has
been already made, managing tho
flocks in tho proposed muuuurwnuld
bo one step more forward and of fur
reaching enn.-cqueticos. Growers of
wool would roup the benullt by im
proving their flocks In this way, and
sheep-husbandry would bu made
mure surely u proiitaniu business.
ll.JHx UUO.
The Lower Columbia ltlicr.
Tho Report on tho Harbor nnd
Shipping of tho Port of Astoria, re
cently published, states that the
greatest obstacle vessels moot in as
fending to Portland Is tho " Hog's
Hack," six miles abnvo Astoria,
where there Is hut ten feot of water
ut low tide und eighteen feet at high
tide. Tho argument that follows is
that the larger class of vessels, nnd
especially ships loading with grain,
should uover attempt to load nbovo
this bar. That tho obstruction does
exist ut tho place mentioned is an un
doubted fact. Vessels drawing- six
teen to eighteen feet are often obliged
in w-ilt tit lliil tinlnf fur llin till... mill
! mo-t of thu vcsM-Is-that Imvo loaded
with grain have gone below this bur
to complete their cargoes.
That heavy vessels will ultimately
load at Astoria there can bo no ques
tion. Nor will this be detrimental
to Portland. Tho cominorco of Ore
gon would be injured more by trying
to force it over insupcniblo difficul
ties of nature, thun by making tho
best of thu situation ns it oxists. Port
land can do till tho business, can re
tain her Importance ns a commercial
center, can supply the capital mid
control tho trade. It will bo mora to
hor interest to load heavy vessels at
deep water where no dlfilculties will
ho encountered and tho smallest ox
penso incurred, than to nllow com
mono to bo di-couraged by obstacles
which can In u great measure bo
avoided. iiillelui.
AExQUisiTr.CHiiono, tho "Straw
berry Girl," for every subscriber to
Jfcarth and Home for 1873.
This beautiful Chromo, which tho
Publishers of Hearth and Homo have
provided, Is printed IS times, In colors,
to produce thu beautiful color nnd
shading of thu original. A copy is
now within rang reach of overy Home
in America.
The Journal Itself Is a rich treasure
for any Household. A single voluinu
contains about $20,000 worth of splen
did engravings, finely printed, nnd of
a highly pleasing and Instruetlvochar
actor. It has, also, a vast amount of
the choicest rending, carefully prepar
ed, anil full of Instruction.
With till them attractions, and oth
er Improvements contemplated, the
price of Hearth and Home continues
ut the low rate of only $3 a year, or
for $4 for Hearth and Home ami the
American Agriculturist. (With the
Agriculturist there will also be pre
setted a most beautiful Chromo of an
original picture, painted expressly for
this purpose, entitled "Mischief
Hrewiiigf by B. F. Kelnhart. Sent,
mounted, for only 25 cents extra. N.
B.-$4.7S secures both papers for the
year 1 872, and both Chremos, mounted
and sent prepaid.)