Willamette farmer., February 04, 1881, Special Edition, Image 14

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WILLAMETTE PAUMEIli 1'OltTLANP, OREGON, EERtoPARV 4. 1981.
Stock browso n groat ileal and tlio uplands
trow tlio dlllcrcut wild pea vines in prolusion
that cannot bo surpassed as stock fc id. The
opening hero for stock mon offer Inducements
equal to nny other section. The tide lands
supply a vast nmsiint of wild grass, and stock
aro fenced in by natural barriers of inouutilu
and ocean. Lieut. Jones described to us tlio
fino ranch owned by Mr. Peterson, on Cliclia
lis 1'oint, near tho ocean at tlio entrsneo of
Oray's Harbor, wherohokept horses, cattlo
und sheep and grow fruit and vegetables in
profusion, making no provision whatever for
wintering his stock. Tlio country along tho
coast from Nhualwater bay to Cray's Harbor,
Is a sandy loam and has settlement all along.
What wo writo hero applies In general to nil
tho coast region north of California, but theso
counties of Western Washington luuo an ad
vantage that will bo always felt, in their loca
tion so near I'ugct Sound and tho Columbia
rirtr.
Tho natural resources of tho county includo
coal, which is found on tlio Chchalli nnd its
tributaries. Tho forests of maple, ash, oak,
spruce, II r anil cedar will Imi valuable ill com so
of timo, though 'now thuy may bu considered
a hindrance.
Very singularly this coast region combines
tho treasure of tho ocean with the host game
of tho mountains. Thu stroams that put down
from tho mountains abound in brook trout,
mountain trout, ami salmon trout, and tlio
lower waters with different varitics of salmon
that como in from tho ocean at tho changes of
tho year) claim ami oysters aro native to this
coast! tho outsido waters aliound in halibut,
cod, herring, and most of thu liest varitio of
flsh known at tho Ki.it. Immonto sturgeon
weigh hundreds of pounds and aro fl'icr eating
than tliOHO at tho East. There is a good open
ing for fisheries on theso streams. Lieutenant
Jones ami others assert that tho Qui unit sal
mon is tlio finest flih on Pacific waters, as it
is smaller In siro and better in finality than
tho famous Columbia river fish. Smelt aro so
plentiful on tho rivers nour the s. a in tho
early Spring that pcoplo h.ivo raked them out
with a hand rnku from tho shoro. They aro
delicious eating. It seems to bo truo that our
north coast is possessed of as valuable fisheries
a tho ones wo havu so much truiiblu with
I ! rent llrit.iin ul xut on thu North Atlantic,
which .Mr. Seward believed when ho bought
AlaxKn, and there is no such dangerous navi-.
(atiou to contend against as catuos siuh ilea
(ruction there.
Clone by this north coast riso inouutaliis
;'iat alKiuud in devr and elk, so that thu bun
:cr luvsa natural par.ullsu nliout hull with
(amo and fish in profusion. It Is not often
that tho ocean ami mountains comhino to yield
up their tw-uuiea in tho samu near vicinity,
as is thu caiu h 're. Tho settler along those
w ustern shoi es, if a good hunter and fisher-'
man, can m magu to provide meat without
great expense I.ieut. Jones, who, limited
this region extensively, says gamu was won
""ilcrfully abundant.
Dairying is thu natural and easy relianco of
this mut country. Stock raising nnd dairy
ing combined pioiuUu safu results and then as
thu country iluvolnpc thu settler Mill bo ablu
to iucniiKu cultivation to satisfy tint demand,
I.ieut. Jones suggests that an excellent plan
Mill be for a i'oiiiuiuy to orgauluiaiid form a
settlenmit, and h.io mutual protection and
support, with stock and dairying asa.llrst
llie.lUH of KIIJIIMtl t. s
ClielulW I'liuuty is not In tho Vancouver
Utnd District and uu Imvo no data as to thu
but tho cultivated area is placed at only 20.
000 acre;, Tbo exports aro stated nit lumber,
shingles, cattlo,' hogs, grain, veget ililca and
farm and dairy produco in general, Tho gen
eral course of tlio river is also through
Cowlitz county has been a littlu over half
survoved. ami nearly ono third is va;ant land
at tho present timo. This county has a very
diversified surfaco anil is probably destined to
slow development.
LEWH COUNT?",
Which has an area of 1 80p square miles and
2,09 1 population. Tho Chchalis river also has
numerous branches in this county and its gen
eral character is hill and valley, similar to
other counties 'wo have named. The trade of
all this region naturally belongs titlio Colum
bia rivet and will como this way in the future.
Theso two counties (Cowlitz and Lewis) have
been so long settled that' no doaht the best
lands wire occupied long ago, but we cannot,
doubt that n great many opportunities for set
tlement exist all through there. Though se
near Portland wo, have not at the prdent time
facilities for giving as ocenrate description of
Uicm as we could wish. The North I'sciflo
rtailioad pussos through both on its way from
tho Columbia toTucoma. Thesocountfo will
duvolcru with timo and hecoiuo populous and
ricn, but tho available' area Is smail ami al
ready occupied. To inako farms tlicro will
rcuulro timo and hard lnb.r. but that will be
lono in course of years, and laud so mado on
good soil will bo always valuable becauso so
uoar a rcliablo market. Theso counties grow
ccrcati, fruIU and vcgotablts of all kinds that
aru o uninoii to Western Oregon.
Tho statements usually published as facts
by persons employed to writo up any Stato or
country, aro so often unreliable as to causo
great injury to persons deceived br them ami
to the country ftsolf in tbt end.. Wo say this
becauso a pamphlet description ol Western
Washington is before us, published .for so mo
corporation probably, that assert that fifty
bushels' to tho acre is not an uuusual yield for
wheat and that meadows turn oil. two to live
tons of hay to tho aero. Whilo that, may bo
tl uo of occasional and uncommon eases, it is
pot truo of tho Willamette valley or any other
part of Oregon or Washington as a rule, and
in fact tho half of it would bo a satisfactory
average. No man who reads it will believe it,
so tho whole work- goo for little worth. In
tl.o course of theso tiapcrs wo shall endeavor
Jo writo fully and ivhahly of thi 'system of
agriculture lonowcii, aim lis result in each
district of both Slates.
twenty miles for market. Their dlstanco a state, theso lands will bo sold, the money
from market ought not to bo considered a invested, and. tho interest thcroform used to
serious objection to their soltlcmciitfor. if sustain our schools.
tho farmer be unwilling to haul his grain Iti our connty'most religious denominations
fifteen or twenty miles over a road vvhitli is aro represented in greater or less numbers,
almost a perfect level wo venture tho asscr- Ministers of various denominations hold ser-
tion that tlicro is scarcely a class of lands in vices in tho school house or churches in tho
thu world better adapted for tho production country, whilo in our towns, services aro held
of hay or for grazing, than these, which will regularly every Sunday by settled ministers,
yisld a still larger profit upon'labor than thu Much of our land is heavily timbered. In
production of grain. As wo go farther back, timo tho greater portion of this timber must
tho country, In point of natural rangit is bet- becomo .valuable. Fir troos grow to imruenso
ter odanted to the nrodnctien of s ock, and sizo. It is no uncommon thins to sea trtci
no one would think that twenty-fivu or foity six or seven feet in diamoter ,and 250 feet In
milec a great distance to drive cattlo to mar
ket. JSut the farmer nero nouiii not nc com
pelled to raise cattlo or conlino himself exclu
sively to the production of wheat and oats.
lie could scld barley ami peas, ami novny
height, licsides tho firthero isplonty of oak.
ash, cedar, maule and alder. The cedar
(white) is used for finishing and is an excel
lent substitute fur pine.
Tho chief town in this county Is Vancouver
evory thing else which is cultivates! in other and is situated 'on tho Columbia river, about
countries, except corn, ami even mat, nut mmway ooiwoen sue upper ami lower extrem
perhaps bis profitable than mostothers things, itles of the county, where a good market ii
and engage in the raising "of pork, a branch found for tho productions of tno soil. Port-
of indnitr-y almost entirely neglected hero but land, In Oregon, a oity of abont 20.000 inhab-
wlncn might be maao very prolltabie.
N country In tu worM is better siiaptcii
to the ralsini! of such vegetables as tHitatocs,
beets, carrots, turnip, parsnips, onions, cab
bages, etc. The ordinary yield of potatoes is
iroin twuto lliroa nnniliisi nuihels per acre,
junts also furnishes a ready market for. any
excess of productions, not wanted at Vancou
ver Portland is situated on tho Wallamotto
rhror, about 17 miles from Vancouver by
water, and six by Und.
uiarKe county ts a very raluaNe region and
amount of lauds subluct to entry, but siiiuxmo
that u great extent of rich lauds art- vacant,
as there is an Iiiiuiciimi quiutity of good land
in thu county and it is but very sparsely wt-
uoti.
VV.VKI.VKt'M CMU.NTs.
Nuxt aliovo l'acillu county, on tho Wash
iiigtuii country, is WaUakum, a small county
that has very littlu ngiicultmal aica, but has
some valuable fisheries ami canneries upon its
shoit. Such eaniuiies are also located on thu
shored of l'aeiiio county, but wo have not
thouiht to in iko rpecial mention of them.
Wo shall lirokahly atludu to the fisheries of
the Columbia river at length, in separate
item. WaU.ikuui is chiefly mountainous and.
has very littlu impoiUiicu from anagiicultunvl
point of viow, so wo pass mi to gu-viier fields.
Wakiakuui county is only alout two fifths
iurvcynd and one third of the surveyed land,
or nearly 40,000 acres, is unsettled. The land
ol this county is considerably mountainous
and much of it will never bu settled.
IMVVMTZ CW.NTr,
East of Wakiakum, hu an area of 1,100
square mile and I, SOO population. Its chief
town is Free-tort, formerly called Moiitlcello,
on tho Cowlitz river, which his ,100 inhabi
tants. Tho Cowlitz river rises in thu heart of
tho Cascade nioiiutalus and Hows south to thu
Columbia, 00 miles above Astoria. Thi river
is navigable for 30 miles, to Cowlitz Lauding,
at all seasons, A great many years g when
the Hudson Ilay Company esUblishlxl an ag
ricultural company, they took possession of
the rich valley of the CowliU and ma le their
farms tlicro forty years ago, Tho valley now
ha uivuy duo farina and is a very rich body
of land. Tho river drain it water from both
St. Heron and lUuier aud all Uie Cascade
ranga butweou, and tii valley U extensive,
ci.aitK counts', w. 't..
VIlat wo quota Mow is from circular pro
pared some year agoby a oommfttceof patrons
of Husbandry of tliis county, who' present tho
fact in a plain and rcasoaabl manner, Thoy
aayi Wo liavo "etour .stakes down her,."
in all probability for life, -and wo are resolved
that any statement of our slisll bo such a
thu facts warrant. Wo are not L-olne? to writs
a fancy sketch, or hold out false iuilucements'
to immigrant. lake It any other, Jlut pco-
Idu can never find in this world a place where
buy will bo relieved from tho ordinary cares
hud toils of life. Cod uev cr designed it to bo
So. Hu never adapted any country to the life
nf a dione, for thu reason that ho never desi
gned, mvii or wumuii to bo such. What wi
want, and wont thu interests of tho country
demand, nrulivo men and women, who will
coiuu here not only to stay but to live, and
ny tiieir inuiistiy ami cuurpriso enrich them
selves as they liny, and voiitributu to tlio per
maueiit wealth and prosperity of tho country.
To such wu will extjud the kindest greeting
Claik county is situated West of the Cos.
cadu inounUius, on thu Columbia river, the
Southeiu Ismndry of Washington Territory.
Thu country is very larire. extendim; some
fuity miles alnn tho river, and further liack
than ho yet Ucu survoyeil oroven thoroughly
explored. Vancover, thu county scat, a tou'n
of aUmt one thousand inhabitants, is pleasant
ly liK-.itvd on the Columbia alout one hundred
miles from tho I'acifio Ocvan. It is at tho
head of uavig tiou for sea going vessels. The
place is healthy, and wo have reasonably good
schnoUaud society, and need additional popu
lation ami burimss to lender'both lmtter.
In most pai ts of the country the surface is
very lovel; m others hilly, tho Northern part
lionlering on tho Cascapir rang lieing moun.
talnous. Hut little land in the country is too
hilly for rnltivation, and that portion whioh
is, furnishes cood nastur.'co for stock. In
some portions there are small prairies although
tho.0 are mostly occupied. Tho greater por
tion of tho lmd is heavily timbered, but in
terspersed with rich swales of from five to
twenty-five acres, nearly, or quite, destitute
of timber. There swales are easily brought
under cultivation and produco abuudantly.
lids laud is generally well watered and
abounds in fine timber, Much of the laud
is still in tho hand of the Government but
second hand or improved land can be bought
for fair prion indeed for low prior) and thou
who prvfer can take flovcrument Uud under
the liomestuad law or by pre-emption. Much
of this laud i more easily cleared and superior
iu fertility to the timber district of the
Eastern btaU iu which enterprise and indiis.
try have built up large town and establish!
wealthy and populou communities. Tho
choicest of the) laud lis) back front tea to
although on awaloor Imttom lands as high ns will doTelopo with time, great wealth and
from sovon to sight hundred bushels to the dense population, for tho greater part of it
acre hare boon raised. surface is capable of cultivation. Almost
Tho report gives a statement of fruit grown three fourths of it area ha beon surveyed
in Clark county, which proves that apples, and it Is remarkable that leu than one tenth
pears, plums, prune chcrrsics, as also peaches of the surveyed land now stands vacant on
in soma locations, no woniicnuuy wen, so tno nooit oi tno land office.
much so as to astonish all now cominors, and
that small Ixuft are equally prolific ana deli
cious, but we (hall treat of thu subject of hor
ticulture more lull by itssolf.
Air. (i. J. looiey, wno makes gardening a
We are under obligation to Hon. N. W.
Newlln, Kcgister of tho Unltod State Land
Oillco at Vancouver, for a complete review of
tho lands in tho different counties In his dit
trict. Tho table he send ns give each town-
rrcular business rVar Vancovcr certifies under shin of evcrv countv. with statamnnt nf Unt
oath that he has grown White llelgian carrots survoyed and misurveycd and amount of acre
M) tons per aret sngarllcot GO, toos per acre! In each now ubjoot to entry. With tho brief
mangle Wurtzcl OuJ tons por acre. Ho addt timo at our disposal it is impossible to set
pumkins, squashes, melons, encumber, tomat- those table in time fer this issue, but the
oes, eat, yield cnoimously with ordnary caro. , main facta of Importance are contained in the
In 1670 a squash raised in Clark county, recapitulation which follow, and which wo
weighed 203 lli, was sent to Chicago and givo in tabular form,
placed in exhibition. Tho Introductory remark which follow, an
.Wo copy further, and rather fully, from furnished by Mr. Newlln.
this description fiirnlshud by our (Iningcr
friends, becauso wo lec'ogiilw.'that It Is'not an. VANC0DVBl Washington MrTOT, LAUD
ovrsrtcment of tho case, and i;hat is claim- I Dlsnucr.
od for.Clarko county appllcsVpially w. 11 to Tho Vancouver Land District extend along
all tho timliered regions of Western Oregon tho North lianlr rf tl. Pl.,.l.l. l-..
and Washington we l.avu Wow.lcscrll.cd. . ,.h ln"1k,of " ClumuI "Wi
Although in a high latitude ouV Winters are nlnK Laatward from iU moutli for a distanc
coiiiparstivcly inllil. During thoast inter of DM) miles in a direct line, and embrace
tho mercury on the ITthof January fell a low tire counties of Clarke, Cowlitz. Klickitat, P
as four degrees Wow zero, at Vancouver, the ' in ol i. . ,,, , , , , ,
coldest it Tias been for tho past fifteen or twtn- ""e. Skamania and Wahkiakum. A portion
tyyear. Jlut once in the ust fifteen year ' tlle 14,dl embraced in thi dUtrict am
ha mow remained on the irround for more mountainous, thouvh tU rmtntnr nr ! .
tirWlnter7.veH,nihrk'! rtmkim,,-'r of "PtiUo of a high gnwlo of agriculture. Many
the W Inter vcDlmild. havo been fine farms openc.1, the soil in mos
riierois perhaps no country in thp vvorld cose Wng rich and 1. well watered, and much
thatl.resei.Uthua.lvanUgcsforstock-ral.iigofitlsrov-eibya.fino .growth o excellent
and Cor the ( dairy business hat tin. portion timber, such a. ffr, cedar. Vk, ssk, tU. Sev-
of the territory Joe. 11.1. Is c.ijally the eral fine stream, of watir are tribuUrieVto
cose in tho eastern and iiort.easterii part of tho Columbia, and famish some of the best
hljcountywhro goveriime.it land can bo mill .itc. on the coast, a. woll m UrgV ?nuan-
trlJJl0."0''.01 ii0 tic. of trout forthTtable. TboJnltal.
i.lnofrn.,rih.iiir i , ii V B ' V """ excellent, tho average temncraturo Wng
ill are Too ste.fr' r , .Hil.? 1 ""! "'? W ,'li,,, frlt an.but Httlo.isW
"r.. i : ::... 'L' v.n, i0 .. .,.'..1.'u." '? ' " nth,. Ther. i. .t
....... . w ii.ini. ut tun ,vvilllliei!fc
for many year to wine, and settlers can havu
the liciit'lit of theso rniigu for their stack
without purchase. Thusu hills funiish lino
iVr,Vi-;lTi n'"' 'P. ?"-i ou..a.cattl north hank of tho Columbia and form ns
?."'." l" t .?.. 'te. y?iwu . i".?on with iu roo.1 running Troil fflL.
.. .,v.,..,...,.,rw, uwnijuiy, jM.m ll.nt Kni.n.l
IJelow will Iw found a table of tho lands
embraced iu Uie Vancouver Land District,
which is complied from the official township
plats. Thu odd section were withdrawn from
tlio present timo' about thirty mile of railroad
constructed and in activo operation in this
di'trict, with a fair prospect of tho Northern
Paciflo Company pushing it lino down the
brings a fair prion in luaikut.amUtecU-raiwng
for tlio amount invested or labor expended, is
a very piofitnhlu employment.
Hore raising is also becoming all important
oilmen 01 nusiiirra. runners mu Lit m.r i, ...... : i.t . . . .... . ;: :-v-
CsiyaTLV-fe
.... """- " ".. s- ivi llMUItLVII,
inild wintcre and abu idaneu ,7 make . civen onl'i t I V"? "J '" f,'"17
thisasussfnland pniluble ieSo kLL.T "" ""i'T
Sheep raising is anothlr iintbuit' VianTof g?.Tu AT "" TC"U,,dnd'
busines and is one of tl.o most i.rolitablu In '"" I
I ACSZS.
C0CS1.CS.
Total Ares.
407.T3I
T4J,M7
Ml.Wll
ZU,t71
os.m
18,Tlt
ISurrtjr'cll
Z9S,M
Z87.W
7M.M0
W.UO
M.WJ
110,841
t,u,van .ini,tvfitt,m
L'nsnrTja tsouii
1I,07T XT.01I
I is, si
ta,tea
e,eoe
lt,UT
SU,SflO
1M.1I0
IM.tVJ
tn.ou
which men can engage. Cousidurablo attau
i. on uas been invciiio the iiniiroviiuf l,r. -t.
and muoh more attention should be given. Cfsils
Shsep increase very rapidly ami aru perfectly Ooliti!!""
hralthy. Tlio wool is of better quality thai "''"-.
in inst pa.U of thecounlry aud bringsa high- bKSv.;""
ernr.cs.mm.rkeU . ,b XiZm."
Wo VTonld also call attention to annthcr fo"ui '
profitable emnlovmeut. tlm m;.;.,, i i i
It must be remembered that iu a new country mn,t "membereil in connection with
things do not always find their proper level at ., ,,Porto Tacant on the line covered by
once) that is, the pro.ucer doo not at onco r''v',0', C"4. tliat railroad land are count-
iwsra niiat is tno most prollUblu to faiso. Wo ,, , " " pronaoie that a great area ot
do not htsiutu to say thut the mildness of lro1 ,,lnl we for ale, or will bo for sale,
our niters, the nipply of mass throughout '" "uch oon,lt'e. wliat the lansl offio
the yiar, and the. abuudanco of crain. inako F!1 . Tcant. which report only refer to
of the most profitable employ. 1, !nuJcct hemetead or pre-emption.
ci 7 recollc wat many
hog raising ouo i
meutaiu which tlie liutluvudmau con cno-so-a " " 10 neaary to root
in a newly and spannly settl d country no l11?0" n bud Uey do not remain n
ono exnoct to fin.l tl.o un.. l.i ."i:. aad tlie land orboa ma J. n.l I fil.
. .v.. i. '.'." . :: -v-- wsvsms i s.i-s.-s.-" ; " .- -. -
kv. uut ur wTinm in 0jer kiu wm, . wu.wi snow a mncn grcsster amount Bied
7 tlis-sw tMiiij h-tvsi not bcou neglect- "'" actually cwupTed, ao the area el
. Jr county now ho 39 school districts ,Tca,lt """ U J'lry nradt greatctr than Um
iu which school is taught from thrui to tan Uu" -1Gc r00 the case,
rit,n;tirtptxrsi -Nor,cAioovuw,'w-
school. Two section of l,nd out of y I Tb- r'v Mtu" o'Oregon had braved and
township of thrrty-sU Mctious, liavo becu set em'l"3l much to make Uvelr home In thi far
"mTiS1 X?r- wa Lf-,cfit -1 offcou-'-Tr.-d -hey brought with stem prin
p-Hi .-.aooU. hm th. Urntory beoomo. ' itive habiU al very .wLsl id WUUt.