F
"WTMAMKTTK FARMER: PORTLAND, ORBQOK, FKR. 4, 1881.
that aro licltcd with fore.it and threaded with
precious streams; hill nml (Ula in most charm
iiig succession coiistitutothoo Western valleys,
offering thostrongesteontraAt to tliemuvh wider
scope of country thnt these sanio snowy peaks
look down upon towards tho east. There tho
formation of tho country is different, forests
nru only found in the mountains, orncarthcin,
to nuy great extent! streams dig deep chan
nel through dry tablo lands, and the sage
brush plain extends for hundreds of miles,
often in continuity with rich hut narrow val
leys. It is n region where rain seldom falls in
profusion, tliu climato i dry, tho Winters are
colder and thn Hummers warm and parched.
Yet tliis ldo region has amazingly rich soil,
and tho ull-prcv.illiug hunch-grass is better
feed thin any grass we can cultivate. Wo are
now (Imply illustrating tho fact that this
mountain wall separates two regions that are
utterly dissimilar in climato and in nil physi
cal characteristics, lii the very licgintiing of
a description of this Northwest country it is
necessary to have it impressed upon tho mind
that this difference in climato exists.
CIIIKAT VAIUK.TV OKKKUKII.
In tho outset, too wo must learn that every
valley has iU characteristics of soil and va
rieties of climate. I'-icli of tho Western val
leys has peculiarities and especial advantages.
Thero Is i. womlerfiil dilferenco between Rngtto
River valley In Southern Oregon, and Umpqita
valley North of it, lmth being hounded by tho
same ranges Ivwt and West. Umpqtia, again
ilillers m.iterially from the Willauictta valley,
which isstill further North, and has peculiarities
far different from all tliu rest. Then again,
tho widu interior countrv offer very many
illffcicnt aspects nml varieties of climato
TIicho wo nlliidu to, hut will not compare Is
detail now, hut wo wish to impress upon tho
minds of distant loaders, for whose perusal
theoii hUetchcs aro intended, that this) is a
wonderful country, extensive enough to cover
great changes of climate and difference in re
source, so that tho new citizen has a widi
inuge to cIiikmu from. Thero is not any other
portion of tho United State that within tho
kiiiio limit contains micli great changes of cli
mato and varieties of physical coaformntion,
or that presents such unlimited resources that
nuait dovrlnpuinont. It will ho our aim to
iintko all these cliar.itteri.tlcs plainly under
food ami so well illustrated that tho readers
cannot mit.iku the pcciiliiirtlcs of any section,
or tho iniiuigraut fail to know tho disadvant
ages ho willliavo to contend with.
tii: COAST UKIIION.
As you sail up tho coast from San Fran
cisco, you notice that tho mountains that riso
near tho ocean shore after nwhile become
wooded, nnd that tho forests aro more denso
and of much heavier growth as you sail North
ward. Tho darker forests tell you that you
niu looking upon tho shores of Oregon. All
along the s a front rivers are, putting Into tho
ocean, or into bays, that aro more or less set
tled. Through theso gap aro scattered set
tlements and tho richest of liottom land,
couTt'd sometimes with vino maple or alder,
can be had for tho clearing. On tho South
(vntl. where tho forest aro less dense, a con
fident! number of cattle aro kept. In due
i-ourso o o tldi coast region will bo a great
dairying country, because tho mitts from iho
ocean pi'wrvn tho pasture green all nutnmer
and drive oil' tho frosts and snow all Winter.
Along; v hero river or streams put in are
fisheries nu I canneries that are busy in seasons
when mImioii run. Saw-mills aro at work cut
ting up tho interminable forest, and small
viwiris piy constantly irom uoguo i.ivor, ami
- Tort Orlord, the Coquillo, Coos liay, tho Urn
ipi.i, Siuslaw, Alsca, Yoquina liay, and Tilla
mook Riv. 'o S.iu Francisco or I'ortland. and
siuull occ.m steamer aro used in the same
trade, dos Hay is famous for lumber and
civil, and it is claimed that more vessels enter
thero than to tho Columbia river, but they are
of course alt small ami adapted to that trade,
Coos Hay will bo an important point in the
futiiio on account of tho iui'iieuse trado that
mutt lo carried on thero always for coal and
lomWr, though it agricultural lands aro not
extensive, Hut along the coast aro settle
im-nt. and plenty of room for more, for cood
land wuit the hand of tho woodman, who has
but to clear it to unit It resources truly in
oxhauttablo in his lifetime Yanuina liay is
another point that premises much and claims
much, as it is a good harlor for light diaft
easels. It is connected by an easy pas
through the coast range wun mo v tiiamette,
and a projected railway hold out induce
ments to beliovo that before long there will be
a htisinc point ot great !nixrtanco there,
that will Ih a place for tho export of the pro
duct of tho great Willamette valley that i
so near by, Thero are numerous passes
through the mountains irom the Western val
ley to tho ocean, and it is safo to say that in
duo course of time the long line of coast will
lo occupied by a large and prosperous popula
tion, Thero ft no reason why, as time paasea
and all tho advantages of this cotst region can
bo made available, the Iwys, nooks, valleys
and benches, of arable (ami should pot be
cleared ami cultivated, for they are among the
most productive lauds we have, and being so
near tho ocean will have a market clnte at
hand, Stock of all kiuds thriv along the
coast, and that interest must Increase. A
we come North wo first striko Curry county,
which is scantily populated; then coma to
Coos county, witli Coos Hay, which will be a
very important point In all tliu iiituro. rioxt
is tho coast lino of Ronton and l'olk counties
which Ho chiolly In the Willamette, but on
their occtn front is located an Indian icscva
tiou that keeps out whito settlement except nt
Yaquina Ray and Alsca. There is a constant
though not largo stream of emigration find
iin it wav into these coast counties, hut they
cannot divcit the chief tide of emigration that
now steadily up tho Columbia and tills up tho
great plains, alleys, and open hill of Eastern
Oregon and Washington. Wo shall not pre
tend to lo definite as to tho resources and
population of the coast country of Oregon, ho
causo tho desire for settlement thero is not so
great a to other sections, but wo have pre
sented their case so plainly that no man who
fancies such a location can fail to tecoguir.o all
tho advantage they jiossess.
VV TMK CULUMMA HIVKIt.
Reaching the Columbia river wo can see tho
shores, after crossing tho bar, covered with
forest of llraml snruco nnd scarce n sign of
cultivation to be discovered. On the south is
Clatsop peninsula, with Fort Stevens, nil
earthwork on tho point; Clatsop plains South
of it aro covered with farms. Hero the soil is
Light and sandy, for the ridire t at compose
tho plains nre successive sea beaches that the
ages have thrown tip m barrier between Asto
ria and the sea. On tho North, Capo Hancock
frowns upon tho entrance, it summit armed
with fKMJ pound coluuibiads. Tho military
post is inside the harimr under tliu leu of tho
capo. Close by U Hwaco, a Summer lathing
resort) fifteen miles acins tliu bay is Astoria
on a rocky point that pushes out towards tho
sea, while the Columbia river comes down
past it in a grand Mow that is several miles in
width. Kvcry where ate densely wooded
shores; occasionally wosco sawmills, fisheries,
canneries and mice in a while a dealing or
river town, and though wo find but fow signs
of settlement wo know that there are valley
among the Coast mountains that aro peopled
and cultivated, such a wo have described ns
to Ira found whero stream seek tho ocean all
along the coast. Hut thero is far more object
in cultivating and clearing laud along the
ColutnWa, n tho growth of Astoria, the de
mands of commerce, tho wants of mills, fish
erics and canneries all mako a remunerative
demand for whatever tho farmers of that
region can produce Hardy Swede and Nor
wegian settle along theso valleys and appreci
ate tho advantage they oiler. It needs hard
labor to redeem such land, but when redeemed
it i near market and mutt always grow in
value
One hundred mile from Astoria tho Wil
lamette river enter tho Columbia, above and
lielow which point tho country i more open.
a wo have passed through the jwrtion where
tho river cuts through the Coast Range and
though tho shores are wooded, and lull aro
in tho near distance, there is more oportuuity
for settlement and cultivation than wo found
lielow. We aro now taking a merely cursory
view of the country so as to get a gcnorally
corioct idea, but shall follow with mora de
tailed description. It is neceaiatv to under
stand that tho Columbia will not erect your
evo with an open country along it liankt;
that the cultivatahlo region it limited, and the
land all along the river has to I hi cleared with
heavy labor, hut this will eventually be done,
and these land when cleared will possess im
mense value. Considerable liottom land is
found along the shore of the Columbia, and
on the Cowlitz that come in from the North,
and there are itlanda that ovcrtlow t highest
Hood which are also occupied. About twenty
five mile above the Willamette wo aro con
fronted by tho Cascade Range, and the river
emerge from the wondrous delile that it ha
created to effect it passaga through the most
formidable mountain wall to be found in
North America. This great gorge of the
Columbia affords the majestio scenery that ha
made the river so famous and well knowu.
We have tailed over a hundred and fifty mile
from the ocean to realize that llryant In his
youth, when he wrote ot the "continuous
wood whero roll the Oregon," hail an in
spiration that truly pictured the region that
wat then.uukiiown save in a poet's dream.
Away to the the South, cradled among
giant mountain, lie the beautiful Willamette
valley, the garden spot of the 1'acilio, the
Kdeu of Orei-oii, extensive enough to build
busy cities and maintain a vast population,
and already demanding for it product tho
service of a great Hurt of ship that come from
all countries to ascend the Columbia and Wil
lamette river and bear away breadstuff to
feed tho people of the Old World. Tlii great
valley will be described in detuil.
western wAxursaTo.x Tiiinnonr.
lielow tho Willamette, ou the North aide of
the Columbia it Kalama, the Southern ter
minus of tho Western division of tho North
I'acifio Railroad, that connect the Columbia
river with l'ugct Sound at Tacoma. This
road is over a hundred mile loug, wind up
the Cowlitx river past many fins farm,
croaset a rough timbered djyjde that separate
tho Columbia from tho water of l'ugct Sound,
and thou comes down over gravelly prairie
reaches to tho shores of tho inland sea. A
great deal of this region is siuccptiblo of cul
tivation and is already settled by hardy pio
neer who havo undertaken to make the
wilderness bear fruit. Tho Chchali river
rises in this mountainous country and work
it way down to (Iniv's Haibor, navigable for
some distance and affording n rich country for
settlement all idling its border. Tho Che-
halis country promises to Lccomo important In
tliu nrar futiir-. A loin.' thuoccau to tho West
of this road is Shoalwater Hay, famous for its
oysters that aro sent to San Finnclsco and
lot It mil. and possessing nituo or less good
laud along its shines tli.it will support n large
community. Small vennels sail from this bay
... u.... 1. : -...1 ...-:..... nil.... .w.l..lM
su mm riiiuiivi' mm fiiiioun i.tiiui nmiui.
As wo pas up tho coast wu liiul streams (tour
ing into the oee.m from the Olyinpk) range,
that line betwicii l'liuet Sound and tliu
ocean, and ou these stienni ill u valleys where
tlairyii g nnd stock raising aro successfully
camel on. Mounding Capo Flattery we
enter tho Strai s of Fuca, nncouvi r Island
and the I'titinh Hag ou oueniitu, and tho sod ol
Washington liiittnry mi the oilier. I ins
leads into what is commonly known as
TIIK 1T0KT H0U.VI1 niUNTIlV,
Whero many islands dot tho wi.tcr and fur
nish hnincs for many people. On the Wett ns
wu enter Is I'ort Townseiidi down tho bay t
tho left i tho promising city of Seattle, that
shows mora activity than any other place on
tho Sound. Along tho shores aro saw-mills
and ship-yards; iron mines nre being worked,
and preparations making for a rolling mill.
Tho depo it of iron nru is iiiimrnae, and in the
futiiio will bo a Mourcu of gnat wealth to
thimowho shall successfully woik it. Hack
of Seattle, as also nt many other points along
the shores of tho Sound, aro found great beds
of co.il of excellent quality, and an cxtciudvi
trade with San Fraucisco in co.il and luinbei
coustltutu the chief industries of the country.
At tho head of tho Sound aro Tacoma, the
terminus of the N. I'. R. R., nml Olympia, tho
atatu uipitol. 1 ho latter is tho oldest town
in the territory, nnd is a delightful place
with some extent of farming country within
easy reach. All around tho Sound tho shore
are densely wooded, and tho timber is taw til
up into lumber or cut for spais and aliippcd
to tho cuds of tho w orld,
Tho Sound country is too moist for wheat
to mature always with tucco s, but i famous
for oat', hay, jiotatocs and other vegetables.
In the I'liyallup valley, Kat of Tacoma, many
hops are raised, ami aro highly appreciated at
San Francisco becauso of their excellent
quality. A barrel factory on an immense
scale is now in operation at Seattle, and tho
wealth of forest will em-outage all industries
of that sort. There it a steady increase of
population on the Sound, and no doubt it
aspiration a a commercial iiolnt havo some
thing to do witli this growth. All along the
Sound fisheries and canneries are in operation
when fish run up tho steam. We do not
find l'ugct Sound strictly within tho boundaries
of what wo term the great Columbian region,
nnd ihall not deal with statistics and descrip
tion as fully a with other portions of the
Northwest. Wo hae given a glimpto it the
country and the people, the induitrie and the
products, resource ami ilovclopcmeuts, ami it
is a very attractive picture. It is an interest
ing region becauso of tho facilities here
aiioriicu ior commerce. ine grauii snow
piaks that look down upon it such as Ta
coma, Mount I laker, and the serrated tutu
nut ot the lofty Oly mpicrange forma tccuo of
grandeur that astonishes all visitors. The
shores are rocky bluffs frequently, but lovul
for tome distauce in many part. Tho streams
that nut in ou tie Kast side have charmlui!
and fertile valleys, nnd nre being cleared up
and peopled by very enterprising settlers.
e have sailed up the ocean shore in fancy
for five hundred miles; have visited the Sound
country; have crossed the divide that separ
ate tho Sound water from the Columbia;
have entered tho river from the ocean ana
tailed up its wooded shore and past It pic
turesque islands, until wo found ourselves
within the great canyon by means of which it
ha cleft the mountains in twain, and have
tho tin
North
wett.
pnopccw or tiik koktb rACirio ntoiox.
The export of the Columbia reach more
than fifteen million of dollar annually,
The fisheries on the Columbia alone, produce
canned and packed salmon valued at three mil
lion ot dollar a year, and the lumber trade
i extensive and must increase a timo passe.
Effort are making for the propagation of fih
in the streams by artificial hatching, so that
the supply will be fully maintained for all
time, and a the salmon from tho Columbia I
remarkably Hue eating, the busiues can be
depended oil to support thousand of families
anil permanently eurich the couutry. Rut
the coining settler is more interested in know
ing somethiog about .the character of the oi
ivii.ii vuw titiFUi.M.iita it. v Mill, ftm
thus hail a very good introduction to tho
perial region that we call the I'acifio No
and the prodnct to be derived from ita culti
vation, in which ho will naturally expect to
engage Ho will also wish to know what de
mand thero is for thcao product and to what
market they nro to be shipped.
WIIKAT 0R0W1N0.
Tho great staple of production is wheat,
which is naturally suited both to the soil and
climate of every part of this region. Tho
Willamette valley has been cropped in some
part for half a century, a some of tho ser
vants of tho Hudson Hay Company aliundoned
tliu business of hunting and trapping a far
back oa 18,10, and commenced wheat growing
nt tho desire of tho company. Since then the
saino Held have been in almost continuous
cultivation, and tho permanent qualities ot
i ho soil can bo understood from a statement
iiiada to us by Hon, F, X. Mnthieu, a wealthy
merchant and farmer, who live nt Hiittevilla
ou French 1'rairie, Marion county, who say
ho OAiis tho first field ever sowed to wheat in
Oregon, and that after it had been in continu
ous cultivation for half a century ho summer
fallowed it and had a yield of X bushels to
tho acre in lb"l. This mutt liavo been supe
rior toil, but it illustrate tho great strength
mid productiveness a( tliu land in tho Willam
ette valley. Wheat, then, is tho great staple
of agiicultural production. The pietentycar
this river will send foith v etuis Wind for all
part of F.uropo, cat rying eight million bush
els of wheat of a fairer quality than any raised
in tho United States or California. The
wheat of tho Willamct.o valley blings a
premium in Liverpool of flvo cent n bushel
over tho best grown in California, U'causu the
Uour is uf such unusual whiteness that Kuglish
bakers mix it'with darker and stronger grado
to obtain n whiter and more dcsiublu Hour.
Our wheat i a plump Wiry, and compare
favorably witli the bust giown in Kugland, or
tho choicest from the best wheat-growing
provinces of Russia, nud is higher priced than
tho choicest product of Minnesota,' their "gilt
edged nil winter." If tho seed grown in the
Eastern States is planted hero it grows plump
nud full, and will immediately change anil
improve in aptearanco so that tl o hastens
grower who furnished tho seed would not be
lieve tho pioduct to bo the same variety. To
Illustrate wo will tell an incident concerning
tho first shipment ot wheat over made from
Oregon.
riKST MIlrMKNT Of WIIKAT MOM 0MI1OS,
It must havo been over twenty, and perhaps
tweiity-fivo year ago, that Mr. Joseph Watt,
an enterprising man, who ha done much to
dcvclope the country and ita interests, thought
hu would try a ildpment of wheat to Now
York. So he loaded a vessel, and in due time,
afti r halt circling tho glolc, it reached port,
and tho cargo was offered for sale Tho ap
pearance of tho wheat was unusual. It waa
so wliite and plump and round that peopU
wouldn't bcliove that it was a healthy pro
duct of tho soil. An experienced miller gav
a professional opinion that tho wheat waa
damaged; that the cargo was wet and th
wheat had (welled, so It waa put up for salt)
under these discouraging circumstances, and
tho samo miller had some one on haud tobuyls
for himself and L,o made a good thing grinding
it, nnd the enterprising Oregonian who wa
tryirgin a loyal way tointroducothe product
of Oicgon to the world, pocketed a lots ot
about $8,000 as a reward for hi enterprise
Having heard thi itory originally from lion.
John Minto, we afterward inquired of Mr.
Watt himself, and the above it substantially
correct, though it is year since wo heard ft
told, it illustrate!!, in rather a humorous way
too, the quality of wheat grown In tho Colum
bian region.
WOOL OHOWINO AND SHEEP HUiBANDRV.
We excel in another great staple Uiatatanda
iu the foremost rank of necessities -of com
merce. Wool growing ha developed into an
Immense business, and tlve export of 1880 ol
this product alone reached 8,000,003 pound,
worth over $2,000,000. The enterprise o(
wool grower ha Introduced the bet breed
of sheep, and our fioslt aro graded up to a
K)int whero the wool ha become of tho most
desirable quality for manufacturer and U
eagerly sought by them. The value of sheep
in a regiou that affords them feed the year
round and offer immense range wlsuro they
roam with only the care of a shepherd to keep
them together can be imagined, especially
when in addition to the natural increase of
the Hock it is seen that the fleece year atUr
yvar pay back, with few exception, the en
tire cost of the animal. We can only allud
to theep husbandry briefly in this introductory
chapter, but in connection with the detailed
description that will follow we slull give facta
relating to theep husbandry a well a of all
other branche of production, in each section
of the I'acifio North West. It is found that
where wool is the main object, a it the caao
here, and where wether yield tho Itoaviest
fleece, that the common theep, well bred up
with Merinoei, i the moat profitable, and ii
the grain growing region of tho Willametts)
valley sheep husbandry i found to be u ea
Mntial aid to good agriculture,