Willamette farmer., February 04, 1881, Special Edition, Image 10

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mLLAMBTTK FARMER: PORTLAND, OREaoy,.PKBRUARY i. 1881.
MOr.E ABOUT GRASSES.
' Hon. John Mtnto writes a Valuable Letter an
this Subject Timothy the belt Hay
arnasMesaulto, Alfalfa, and
other Oraie Tested.
Hat km, Or., Doc. 12, 1880.
Editor Willamette Fnrmcri
I liavo rcml with noma enra your artlclo on
,tui.'1 In lout weeks FAKstKH, anil as the
tlicmnfa onu o tlio most Important to farmers
ninl stnv.k-r.il icrs, I will try to give what I
know mi thu subject, though nt the cost of
icltt-ration of previously published vlowaand
experiences to soma extent.
A a single liny kim on nuitablo land thero
is not yi t in cultivation n mora valuable grass
thnu timothy. It docs well on all kinds of
noil in locations Inclined to d.impncss, and on
mill locations might )o mldcd to tho grasses
in h) tug dow n land for (natures for a course
of year.
On dry upland suuh as the lied hill lands
of the Williiuetto v.illoy, orthanl gnus in my
experience Is lunch superior to velvet grass
lnequitu so-called as a hay gran and is ovory
way and In cu-ry phco a Ixittcr grass than
tho I ittcr, uxcept on land rather too damp for
timothy. 1'or seeding and self propagation
on rough, brushy, fi ruy hill and; mountain
rang's, nnd for tho other property it has, in
addition to ripen. Its light and easily
hot tiered kuN curly it keeps green
under n greater dtigrco of frost In Winter
thin any of tho our exotio grumes. Hut, Mr.
IMItor. I cannot hut Imliwo there it a mis
take committed in calling this "soft moodow"
or "velvet" grass, "musqiii o," nnd placing
its nativity In thu dry plains of western
Texas, nod further on I will iudicaU why the
mlstiku nny Ihj nlmoit n inisfortuuo to the
grazing Intel oat of this coast. I lust hero
liavo to my that I have audiod this volvct
umM pretty clniely slnuo nhoiit n year ago.
Sly remarks upon iti character Ivd me into a
tnntidcrnllu coirusiioiidenco in t'io states cast
of tho Rocky mountains in regard to it. My
studies lent mo to theni n-sultsi
1'irft, Dampness cither in tho atmosphere
or in tho soil Is an t'Mcntlal condition for this
grass thriving wdl.
Second, As cither a liny or im.it tiro plant,
under thu most favorable conditions, it will
Mercery rank as second rato in quality.
Third, On dty soil under a dry atmosphere
it is not even third raio rato In any respect,
I'ourth, Tor making grass on damp or
swampy, peaty laud its sec-iiud only to reiltop.
Filth, It is valuableiw a pioneer grass on
rough ranges haingu moist atmosphere.
lor thu purpoiu of quli Uy changing grain
hud to pasture my itimato of iwrcmal ryo
grass accords 1 1 It thu etlmato of S. 0, Hce-d.
It Is cany to get "a t-itt.li" and for heavy, rich
whent hud is n good guiss, and 1 think rich
in feeding propel tits. In seeding down such
I mil fur aitiini rvu giass, timothy, red and
vvhllo clover, narrow leaved pl.uitaiu rib
grass mid eh ct, might ho all mixed with
advantage, ami men orchard grsM might lie
addol, hut on high, dry land orcharilgraas
should huvu tho llrt pi to in the mixture.
In regard t alfalfa or lueenio on the dry
hill laiuls or dnnip clay land, of this valley, I
h no never stun it succeed, hut on the rich
nliiviuins of tho Willamette river I havuhad
it grow as high as my head. On such soils It
Mould I hi a Utter soiling crop than clover
own mul I have no doubt o a good crop for
iloirymcn on tlio lower Willamette and Col
timhiativcr alluvium. It is the only plant
that our Agricultural College -teachers have
found to kiep greeir through our Summer
wa-mi, keeping in green at mid-.Suuimer as it
i in May, "In good rich loam it grows the
ft high and it will stand seral mowings
luting oito siuhou. The fodtler is of good
quality for stock." Ivimji Ik I. Hawthorne
in hlsitiiort to I'rcnidint Arnold, (seo pp I),
Hiemiiid Jit port of .Statu Agricultural College,
1SN).) Mr, lUwthoruo goo on to say i
"l'mvliiiu is made for extensile, experiments
with grasos dining tho next year." For
which, if they are thoroughly mi rand the
insult etcuslty published the. farmers of
Western Oiv.'un will lmo tauso to tliauk
tlio f.lullltv- of thu ddlin-H.
Hut, Mr. IMItor, wliy ho this most Impor-
mill sniijut-i nni iitui laKeii up ny every Mate
Agricultural College! Why is it iiecoawry, so
long after those institutions were so libcraly
pmvldul fora by a uiunillceiit government
to hvu practical funnels call on eacb other
for information in relation to the nature and
quality of grasses, as your currrspondeiiU
Itav a done rvhtiv e to the "soft meadow velv el
KTHSses" of the Knglauds, old and new, or
wild "ineaiuito grass" of Texas, whichever
It liny lie! In view of the importance of the
iuterosts which a supply if grass underlies, 1
venture the siiggc-ditm that the agricultural
Muf the country West of tho Ohio river
in in a rtciiuud on thu Couuuiuioucr of
AjrricuUinu, that,
Ffrt, lie put himself into olTirlal communl.
. tttr w itlt tlio Agricultural Collegea'aakii g
1 ,i in to take up the subject vf tliorough ox
perirnental test of all the known varieties of
valuable irrasses.
Second, That he send wMo-awake, rel'.-vble
agents out into tho South, West anil North to
collect what aro known to frontier settlers
and herdsmen as tho best nntlvo grasses of
that extended country, l'lace the seois oi
theso also into the cam of the Agricultural
Colleges for experimental teat and todesignato
tho most valuable. Had soino such organized
means been adopted a dozen years ago and
resulted in the discovery of a grass of a
running and spreading character such as tho
"running niesmiito" of tho dry, Texan plains
fa claimed to bo, we might reasonably look
at the passing away of tho bumh grass of
Kastern Oregon, Washington, Idaho and
Montana, without apprchenaiou perhaps. As
It Is, no man, who Ins an lnUro.it in that wide
spread grazing region notes how tho ratigo ii
deteriorating without feeling that unless rome
pasture, plant is found, capable of taking hold
ef that naturally rich soil, and maintaining
lUolf against closo feeding under a bright sun
shine and dry cold atmoa phcre, it ii only a
question of time when that country and much
mora to the Kast and South of it, will bocamo
In fact, what we once generally though it to
be A DX.1KUT.
That such a result Is many years in the
future. I freely bellovo, liocauae I feel conll
dent that In all tho dry upland n-gion, extend
ing from Western Karsas to Western Oregon
mul from middlo Texas to the llritisli Amer
ican lino, there aro, amongst tho innum
erable rich and natlva grasscs growing there,
soino (perhaps uiauy) varieties that would
glvo tho means to tho hand of Industry of
replacing those which give way beforu close
feeding. Tho soonor such grasses aro found
and generally disseminated, ami a system of
disposing of the grazing lands adapted In such
quantities and manner as will give induce
ments to grazers in that region to make per
manent homos, anduso their lands as per.
mancnt means of livelihood, tho hotter It will
lo for all intercuts connected with that coun
try. This si tide lias Iwcouio extended and
yet I have not touched upon w hat may be
done with known grasses in Uasteni Oregon.
I may, however, return to that subject nt
soino futuro timo, Jons Minto.
STATE LANDS.
Probably our readers have not many of them
an accurate idea of the lands owned by the
Htato of Oregon, tho purposes for which they
were donates! to tho Stato by tho general gov.
crnment, where they mostly aro located, and
at what prices held. With this thought in
mind wo lately made a journey to Salem and
spent an hour with Mr. K. V. McCnrnack,
Clerk of the Hoard of Stato Land Commis
sions, who kindly gafo us much Information
onthoso subjects, though tho State records
seem to have been handed down to him in a
condition that made it utterly impossible for
him to do more tlian to approximate to cor.
rcctions im many particulars. In his hands
those records sro kept in a manner very cred
italde to the Stato and4 to their able cus
todians. In the first place, tho State has, as a means
for establishing a general school fund, the
sixteenth and thirty-sixth sections In each
township in the Stato, or .I.IUO.OOO acres of
land. Of course this includes all mountain1
and desert lands, and if we count them as
one half the area, we shall still have 1. Oil. 000
acres that in course of timo will be a moans of
educational support, as. .when sold tlio tiro
cecds are loaned anil tho Interest, at ten per
..nt Lium. ill imi.1 a.I.Ia .hIiivaI .! '-..a
has already lieen sold atwut MM), 000, seres, to
sneak In round numbers, at fl,2A an acre, and
the remainder is held at that prici. Those
lands were originally located in each tow nship
of the Ht.ite, ami as fast as surveys are
extended, they .come into market as school
lands.
The Stato also had a grant of five, hundred
thousand acres made fora puhlio improvement
fund and the land has lieen all selected and
deeded to the State, Of this quantity aliout
210,000 acres has been so'd ami of tho remain
der largo lots He in Iliker,' Union and 'Colum
bia counties, ami a small quantity In each,
Wasco and Umatl la, ami are olfoicd at &.00
an acre. The Stato aiipionriated JVOO.000 of
tho proceeds of this fund for construction of a
steamboat canal arom d the falls of the Wil
lamette, at Orrgoii City, and as there was a
general giah moiemeut to claim thn rest of
the land fir lw.il si-hcmee, the legislature
very sensibly turned what was left to be tln
posod of, of these lauds, into the common
school fund.
There was also a grant i f 0,000 acres for an
agricultural college fund, whhh has all U u
luted by tho State In annus counties, a..'tl
23,000 acres, or thereabouts, has been sold.
These lands lie chiefly in I.ike county, ami
are held .it JiM) au ncie,
A grant of 72 socthiu ws ma le for a Stato
University, ahieli laud hat all hcou silected,
but a sina'I fraction. Locations of University
land aggregate about AM0 acres, of which
about 17,000 rem tins unsold and is mostly
lo-atcil, jn Y'n'!l. Marion, lVjlk antj Itentvit
counties, Thcso lands aro held at $2.00 an
acre.
A grant of ten sections, or 0,400 acres was
also made for a Capital ISuildiug fund, which
was duly located anil has been all sold and
applied for the purpoao stated. ,
The Educational Funds of tho Stato figure
upas follows)
Common School Fund $3fl2,3f0
Univcrsity Fund C7,200
Agricultural Colloe 00,000
This mouoy Is loaned on valuablo real ostato
ami draws 10 per cent Interest, which Is ap
propriated to, tlio purposes specified.
ThoStato has also millions of acres of swamp
lands which has been made a game of by
speculators, who liavo managed to claim titles
without doing much towards reclamation.
Also tho tide and ovoi flowed lands are the
property of tho Stafc, and a section of land
goes to the Stato with every salt spring dis
covered. This all constitutes a vast public
domain that must do much toward giving us
aid for common schools, even thoush it Is la
meutably truo that In soino instances poor
I mils have been selected at lisp-hazard instead
of carefully, with a vlow of building up thcso
important institutions.
An Oregon RnncA.
Jehu Day river, noar its mouth, flows in
such direction Northwesterly that it forms
onosldoof a peninsula, tho Columbia rivo,
into whichjt empties, boing on the other side.
In Uits peninsula thero is much good bunch
eraAs laud, that is compared to the general
average of Eastern Oregon, Mr. B. W. (IrilUn,
says tho Tacoma Ledger, having thoroughly
prospected tills land and learned its oharactor,
same to tho conclusion that wheat could be
raised profit ably on it and he conoeived tho
notion of going into tho venturo upon a largo
scale, strongly promptod by tho consideration
that it -would Tost but llttlo to fence the farm,
slnco nature had provided a fenco fortwoahlos
of tho triangle anil it would bo necessary ouly
to run one lino of fcncingacrossthobao, from
rircr to river. Of course, tho Columbia river
is an admirable fenco, ami the John Day also
nn.olRctual harried, for it flows through a
deep CJiiyon. With a view to getting the
necessary aid to carry forward so largo a pro
ject as that formulated in his enterprising
mind, Mr. flrimn communicated his plans to
Dr. Hlahck, of Walla Walla, and induced
hitn to enlist in the scheme After thoroughly
canvasing tho subject, in order to determine
how best to conduct the affair, what sort of
organization and the details of tho business,
and a coriioration was formed, tho incorpra
tors boinij N. O. Hlalock. 11. W.Orilllii, O. W,
Colliy, W m, Mcriner and V. F. Courtney,
It being Impossible lor tins one company or
interest to purchaso outright a compact liody
of land, both'railroad amf government, since
tho government land could be diaposrd of
only to pre-emption, homestead and timber
culture claimants, there was taken into the
catenation thirty other men, making thirty,
fivo in all. Tho plan was for each of these
thirty-Are men to buy o' the Northern l'acitlo
railroad company a half section, and file a
pro-ciiiptioii claim uon an adjoining quarter
of an even numherod section, and a timber
culture claim also on an adjoining quarter,
making a full section. For each mm; that
is, thirty-five sections, 22,400 acres. Soino
of thostctions lioi tiering on tho two rivers as
fractional, .ami the good lands He in Irre
gular from, so that Probably for these reasons
the quantity of lands claimed by the company
nas aiiiiou inree sections oi scnooi isnits pur
chased nf the State at two dollars per acre
with inonejs fprm the common fund
tho amount claimed by them if stated at ouly
20,000 acres, which is all of the land within
tho enclosure that is regarded as having any
value for farming purposes, the Ii dance of the
00,000 acres enclosed consisting of sand ami
ami gravel ami rocky bluffs along the two
rivers which only an occasional spot of good
land, which cannot, of course, In utilized to
to advantage. An item going the ronntls of
of the press recently states that the Hlalock
farm consists of 00,000 acres) the error of the
statement a pears from the abovo. The farm
consists of only nlmilt one-third that number
ef acres, llio eucloiiug fence crewses the bae
of the peninsula from tho river to liver is
soveptoen milrs in length, and is of wire, post
and ditch. Though It encloses 40,000 acres
not elalmed by the company, v.ery littloif any
for tho rejected groitnds within will be settled
upon or distributed by outsid rs, because
they are, as sta'ed, worthless. So that prae.
tically, at least, the company is and will, if
they desire, remain in posse-aaion of 00,000
acres, fanning only 20,000 Kach of t'io
thirty-five men is bound to provo up his
claims and lease his lands to the company for
ten) ears, at twintvfive cents an atre per
year whioh he is at liberty, of course to farm
on his ow n account or make any other ilispns.
itionofthe prone rtv that he lili-iuM i" rfl.
ftcatet of stock aro issued, one share for e.ery
forty acjvs, and assessments are levied for the
common use, Ono very rcimoiiito I feature
of this project is, that but -.erv little, if any,
money Is paid to outsiders for lilioi which ,
of ciiuriie. tire prinuipal item of expense, since
tho labor will bo performotl by members' of
tho company for wiigcs. Q round has been
broken lor a crop which is expected to foot
up between 300,000 mul ,400,000 bushels.
Last Spring they plow oil f00 aires, nnd on
August 31st started tho harrow on it, and this
was all tho plowing that had been done upon
it up to that date. An experiment having
been made with a small Spring sowing of bar
ley, resulting in failure, tho company has
determined not again to sow Spring" grain.
In the early jiart of last Fall they wore wait
ing for the ground to becomo moist, so as U
rcnow tho work vif plowing. When tho writer,
was there in September, there was observable
but a more beginning in improvements, asids
from tho 500 acres plowed, nnd there were
but two of tho coinpany on tho farm, namely,
Mexsrs. driimn and Colby.' At that time
regarding the nttcmrit to raise wheat in that
extrenioly dry district as experimental. Tho
character of tho soil and climnto are thought
to bo as promising as wore those of Walla
I Walla at the commencement of wheat grow
tug there.
Fine Stock In Wasco County.
Ths Dalles Inland Dnnlto.
The lino stock mentioned by ua ai on the
way hither from Kentucky, in charge of S. J.
Newsomo of l'rincvillo, nrrived here safely
Our expectations of n lino horso were rcallrod
in Marshall, tho splendid sou of tho unrivalled
Alniont whoso falno as a slto of trotters is as
wido spn ad as that of old Holiule Scotland
among runnors. Ho is a horse of good size
ami grand proportions, Thn'iicarost thing te
him is Mc Alia tor's Dead Shot, mid there Is
but little to chooso between them either la
point (sizo and blood llko finish. So far as
color goes, tho rare dnpplo brown of tho La
Onvnclo horso pleases us best, but it is hard U
find a prettlor blood Kay than Marshall, witk
Ids whlto nigh heel and tho narrow strip dowa
his intelligent and good tiaturol faco. He is
over IS hands, 3 inches high, weighing about
1,130 pounds and possessed of tho greatest
lilierty ot action. His head is large, like alt
tho rest of tho Almonts, but clean and bouy,
and well set upon a long anil muscular neck.
His shoulder rakes back like thu masts of a
iiilotlioat, with tho withers of a four-milsr.
The barrel Is round and deep, with vast
breathing power, while tho arched loin shows
nature's skill in brilgo building. Nothing
could surpass his driving apparatus, the broad
stride and fiat thigh being well let nitoacleaa
and durablo hock which will never cur.
His fora leg appears light at tho first glanse,
but the second glance undeceives you. It it
his enormous muscular arm that' does it
Taking him altogether, he is about as much
horse as ever we saw wrapped upln the same
expense of hide. From his stall we passed te
that occupied by tho weanling colt owned by
New some, the only son of floorg -Wilkes) aa
this coast He is a wiry youugstest and may
vet astonish the native, Tho union of the
Hamhletonian and American Star blood in his
sire, produced a record 2r20 in harnrsand2:M
to wagon. New som4has certainly outdone
himself, as well as a'l other ihtportere, in the
matter of-lacks,' one of which 'he soU to
Thomas Hurgess, of Hakooren, on private
terms within twelve hours aftr his arrival at
this place. The balance of the stock were
driven nut home on Thursday last and are
new thoroughly domesticated in their Oregon
home, .
Proipocts of Cooi County. '
Coos Dajr Ns.
What work has been done on our bar, if
said by men whoso experience and opportun
ities for observation, entitle their opinions U
credit, fairly demonstrates that the 'continua
tion of the sea wall now 'commenced, to 1,60
feet, as proposed by the engineers, will result
in cutting the North spit entirely away, thus
strctgh'ening the channel and insuring a regu
lar anil 'permanent depth of hot less than from
twenty to twenty-five fcot, This depth -will
enable a larger class of vessels to come here
ami will result in the'pr-por,t!onato decrease
of freight. It will enable our coal mines to
monopolize the domestio coal trade 'of 'this
coast, and to reduce the price of it, thereby
increasing the demand. If will give a great
impetus to tho coal irade of this county. The
lumber business will also feel the effect, more
mills will start up, tramways for logs will be
built further into tho timber, a homo market
will be produced thut will cncouraL-o the onen
dig up and cultivation of m re fanning lands.
no Hem ucvauo win aco vou conniy increase
at least as rapidly as the hit, which will in
sure a population of about 15.000 in 1800.
This estimate does not Include the beneficial
result that may follow the improvement of the
Coquille, and long liefora that date, the clear
ing out nf that stream by the general govern
ment, a far a Mvrtle l'oint so as to rendor It
navigable for schooners to that place; neither
does it take into consideration the certainty
of a railroad to the valley. All this we ex.
pct to see accomplished during the next
decade. The agricultural resource of this
connty are sufficiently to feul-a population of
60,000 people. With her mines, hep Vast f r
ests, her Inland navigation, her' valleve of
agrieul tural lands, her fisheries the best cllmata
in the world, none should tlespair of Cooi
aninty 's futnro Men with groy hatr on tholr
heads will lme toee a population pf '(WJ
iiiCvQscvinity,