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About Willamette farmer. (Salem, Or.) 1869-1887 | View Entire Issue (April 21, 1882)
VOL. XIV. (orr0ni1enc The Evergreen Blackberry Oregon Citv, April 5, 1882. Editor Willamette Farmer: As new comers to this Stiito find a great many unusual and strange things to what they have been accustomed to in other localities, they ask many questions in order to gain in formation, and they look to the Farmer as the friend and medium through which they shall gain such knowledge, and by taking and carefully reading it, they feel somewhat more familiar with it, and feel more free to ask questions and advice, and depend upon the experience and answers derived through it more than by asking questions of their neigh bors, who diller widely in their opinions, and are apt to answer with the worn out "I don't know." Now, Mr. Editor, the question I would ask is in regard to that not elty, the evergreen blackberry. One would naturally supposo it to bo a hybrid from the wild black berry and some other variety. Please ghe the originator and how it originated; how it was produced; is it productive? Early or late in ripening ? Is it perfectly hardy f fcf,ow does it rank in flavor ? Yours respectfully, E. D. Answer. Who originated this variety, or how it was originated, we are not prepared to say, but wo have seen it growing vigorously for ten years or more, in several gardens in Salem, and in other places. It is easily grown and is common through the country. Its greatest recommendation is that it comes later than any other fruit of this species, and actu ally bears prolitically until fall. It is very vigorous, throwing out stout branches twenty feet on each side, when well cultivated. It needs to be vigorously pruned, and to have plenty of water aud rich food and loose soil, to produce good berries, or elso the fruit will be seedy. When well cared for the fruit is quite palatable, but has a peculiar acid flavor, different from the Lawton or Kitta tinny, a musky flavor that all persons do not like. It wants an eastern exposure, and room to climb over some trellis or outbuilding. The leaves are really evergreen ju this climate, and have a glossy and ornamental appearance. The berry is flat in shape, and not so large as some others, say medium size. They are easily propagated, and come so late in the Bc.sun as to be very desirable. One single viiie, well cultivated, will supply a family, aud give plenty to can or dry, and those who know, say they are very fine canned. Every garden should havo an evergreen blackberry. How to Speculate on Insurance. Lane Countv, April, 18S2. Editor Willamette Farmer: Your short editorial in tho Farmer of the 14th inst. strikes myself and neighbors with force, because some of us havo lost heavily by having wheat stored without insurance. It has set me to thinking aud figuring, and as near as I can sum up the facts, insurance companies have paid nearly fifty thousand dollars losses on conflagrations that have oc curred within a few- miles of my neighbor hood, in the past three years. As I have come out loser m these fires, it is very natural I should endorse your caution. A good ware house system is utctssary, but how is a farmer to trace his wheat? What is to preent a manirotn shipping out the wheat stored with him and selling it, and if he has the coin in his pocket instead of the wheat in his bin, and the mill or the warehouso burns down some night, and all the books are burned with it, who is to know whether the bins had 25,000 or 10,000 bushels of wheat remaining in them? Now, suppose that a warehouseman has liis property iniurod for 87,000, and tries to sell it for 4,000, and cannot find a customer at that, and it burns down three or four days after the trade fails to be accomplished, isn't there the biggest sort of a speculation in such afire? If a few thousand bushels of wheat, belonging to farmers, is in the warehouse, doesn't that add to the chance of speculation ? Anybody can see that it does; and the man who could be wicked enough to barn his warehouse fi.r insurance money, could not safely be trusted with any farmer's wheat. Now, suppose the warehouse is attached to a mill, ami the mill has a heavy policy on wheat stored as well as in the mill property. In case the mill is old, worn oat, and the ma chinery oat of U.te so that it cannot make good flour, the biggest ipcculation in sight w ould be to realize on the insurance policy. The mill owner could ship off flour, manufac tured from farmers' wheat, and with the fire to balance bis accounts, what security is there that the farmer's wheat hasn't gone to Europe and enriched the miller ? It would be no satisfaction to the fanner to know that while the mill was burning the mill owner was going about the neighborhood bawling lik a stuck pig, as happened near here ouce. That sort of agony would have to be piled up very high tu mako up for the loss of a year's crop to the farmer. There are several troubles; firt, the in surance agent, who is so crazy for 1 usiness that he takes reckless risk?, cncouraccs such crime. The man who iusures property for more than it would sell for, gives fair occasion for suspicion. Furmers arc not careful enough in making themselves safe. The best way to be secure would be for farmers to own their own warehouses, as is successfully doue at Salem and Albany, or to make the warehouseman insure all the contents ' of his warehouse in favor of those who, store wheat with him, and make a daily showing of what remains in store. The warehouso question is of the greatest importance. It is not a pleasant thing to sus pect vour neighbor of arson, but if he specu lates m insurance policies hecin't blame folks for knowing it aud faying it. It is easy to say: "The warehouse or the mill was set on fire," hut everv man knows that there is little or no fire kept in mills or warehouses, and, thank God ! there are very tow who are so lost to right as to set fire to such property. Few nuns or warenouses aura uown wicnuut ueing well insured eenerallv too well insured and that is text enough for all farmers to keep in mind. A sufferer . Don't Work Butter Too Much. Portland, Or., April 14, 18S2. Editor Willamette Farmer : Your issue of this date has just come to hand. The first thing that struck my eyo was under the head of correspondence first page, first column. I had not read half a dozen lines before I fairly boiled over, and I can't sleep till I have criticize'd it; and this is what I havo to say : First, f-r my text, let rae quote the writer j "I partly agree with 'Red hillian' on the butter question, for I see a great deal of butter that is not fit for soap grease, let alone for a person to eat; but all that the most of it needs is a little more elbow grease. It is not necessary to work more than once in cool weather, if the w;orkers will do their work well. However, there is some thing in the kind of salt used. We use the best, and pay as high as five cents per pound for it sometimes." Was there ever such a mixture of truth and error in a few lines? Tho writer says he Bees a great deal of butter not fit for soap grease. Undoubtedly true. It can bo seen in tho country stores and in the commission houses in this city, where it has been consigned from the country stores. And it is refreshing tj know that some of the farmers are begiuning to see it, to know it and to criticise it among themselves, for it is evidence of the beginning of a reform Again I qnote : "But all that tho most of it needs is a little more elbow grease. It is not necessary to work more than once in cool weather, if the ivorten will do their u-orlc tall." My dear sir, if this is true you've struck a bonanza and don't know it. Come right hero. If you can convert tho butter "not fit for soap grease" into a No. 1 article by "a little elbow grease" (which I construe you to mean a little more working), I will give you five dollars a day for the season. Yes, I will do better than that, will divide profits with yo'u. We can buy tons of this "soap grease" butter at twenty cents per pound, even fifteen cents. You shall work it into No. 1 butter, and I will sell it at thirty cents per pound, and wo can make from fifty to a hundred per cent, profit. If that itfull it wants I have learned a anew wrinkle in dairying. It upsets all my previous knowledge and experience in this business. I will not assert that you are wrong and that I am right, but will do this : I will make a hundred pounds my way, you shall do the same, and let a jury of intelligent con sumers decide which is the No. 1 article. Ac cording to the light of my experience, oue f the radical faults in the butter this cor respondent complains of is, it was churned too much, and worked to death afterwards; in jured by too much churning, and spoiled, ruined by too much (elbow grease) working. But, says this correspondent, "Have you not got to work out the butter-milk ?" In reply, I would say, the butter-milk has no business in it. Had you stopped churning at the proper time, and rinsed oi washed out the butter-milk, as ou could easily have done, there would be none left to work out. Here is much utels labor performed, every stroke of which is saciificing the quality. Now, my friend, let me show you a better way. You are churning; as the butter commences to separate, you detect it instantly by the sound; a very few turns of the dash and the separa tion is complete. Stop churning right here; not another turn. .But you say, I want to gather it. No you don't, I don't, if you do. Now tike it out and wash the butter-milk from it till the water runs off perfectly clear; turn it a few times so as to net away all the butter-milk; salt it evenly and put it away. In twenty-four hours it is ready for working PORTLAND, OREGON, FRIDAY, APRIL 2L 1882. and moulding. This part of the operation oucht to bo called by somo other name; tho name working conveys tho idea of labor to ho performed, when there should be just as little of it as possible. The working breaks the little globules, renders it salvy and greasy and injures its texture and flavor. With the tnproved churni the operation of washing out the butter-milk and salting can bo better per formed in the churn. Again, this correspondent says : "There is something in the kind of salt used. Wo use none hut tho best, etc." True again, there is much in tho kind of salt used. None but pure refined salt should be used if it can be had. The difference, in price is no consideration. This correspondent seems to know the differ ence in tho quality of butter, understands the importance of using pure salt; the amount of butter ho makes from his cows is proof they are good ones and well cared for; tho prico he obtains is evidence that his butter is appreci ated. Now if he will get this idea out of his- mind that so much working is required, and adopt the better plan, he will improve its texture and quality, and I believe the con sumers of it will vote that his butter is much improved, respectfully yours, J. B. Knapp. Letter from Waldo Hills. Wiuteaker, April 14, 1882. Editor Willamette Farmer : We are nearly done seeding up here, hardly an average crop put in. Our winter wheat is badly frozen out, worse than ever before. I am seeding fifty acres of wheat land to urass. I mix one-third orchard grass, one-third tim othy aud one-third mesquite, and to the lot I add ten pouuds of Kentucky Blue Grass; this is intended for pasture. Our farmers are sow ing hundreds of acres in grass, and if the price of wheat remains where it is our hill land will sjon find its way hack into permanent pas ture, to which it seems to be particularly adapted. Tho land being in ridges, in warm wiuters grass grows most all winter. Our Shropshire ewe has twin lambs. Can't the Editor of the Farmer take a run up into the lulls and tho Willamette Valley and give us some notes on what the farmers are doing? Su"h notes would be interesting to all who follow agriculture. JSo sure and bring the Home Circle along! G. W. Hunt. Noto by Editor. Wo should be glad to go throug.i the hills and valleys and if pos sible will do so, ami we notify Mr. and Mrs. Hunt that if it is possible in June, to take that other excursion he speaks of in a private note, wo shall be sure to put in an ap pearance. The Home Circle insists upon it that the invitation shall be accepted without defalcation. Look Out for Tree Frauds. Portland, Or., April 18, 1882. Editor Willamette Farmer : I am reliably informed that there are eight or ten of those Eastern tree agents in this State at tho present time taking orders for ruit trees. 1 think tho people of Oregon ought to be notified of these tree swindlers being in the country, so that the.y can look nut for them, as they will rob our State of thousands of dollars and leavo nothing in return. Truly yours, A Kkauer of the Farmer. The above comes from a well known party. Many readers of this journal will remember the fight wo made against these same parties. It is a well known fact that $2.1,000 or $30,000 was taken from this State by these tree men a few years ago. Do not buy trees or shrubs of unknown parties, but patronize home deal ers whom you kuow. The best plan is to see who advertises in the Farmer, and then send your orders. Messrs. Miller Bros., Settle mier, Luelling, Settlemire of Tangent, C. N, Potter and some others, make known what they have to sell through the medium of our paper, and are dealers on whom all can rely. Leave tree peddlers alone, Baker County Coal, Lyell, the geologist, once said that there were no coal beds on the Pacific Coast; but he was mistaken. Excellent coal mines have been worked for some years on Puget Sound; and others have been found on the line of the Union and Central Pacific Railroads. Nor is this all. A very valuabla coal-bed or mine was discovered in 1865, by Win. H. Pack wood, about two and one-half miles above Olds' Kerry, in Baker county. A few months go Mr. Kockfellow, at the request of Mr, Pack wood, organized a company to develop these mine. They have now gone down about sixty-four feet, and the vein is eight feet wide. The coal has been thoroughly lesiea iy several uiacxsmiins ami others, among whom is Mr. Nichols a Welch collier; and it is pronounced, by them ami him as No. 1 coal for fuel and blacksmith purpos s. The coal is pronounced to be not only oi the Ust quality, but inexhaustible. A good coal mine is better than a gold mine. It is more remu nerative to its owners, and better for the country The natural resources of Baker county are simply immense, and not yet half developed. Itertille. Weathers sell for 2 per head in Baker and Union counties. FACTS ABOUT ENSILAGE. We published, a year ago, many facts con cerning the system of ensilaging fodder that originated in France; we havo lately published experience of numerous persons, who havo practiced this system during the past year in the Uuited States. A convention of such per sons was latclv held in New York, whero many farmers attended and gave their experi ence, ru.d many others wiote letters that were read there. We havo received a pamphlet containing tho full record of this convention, and shall make weekly extracts therefrom, in hopes that some of our Oregon farmers may adopt some ot the more cheap and simplo modes and save fodder this season by this proce-s. From proceedings of Ensilago Congress, held in New York, January 25th aud 2(lth, 1882: The secretory re id tho following letter from E. W. Stewart, of Like View, Erie county, N. Y.: I hope your congress, w hicu 1 1 egret I cannot attend, will emphasizo the importance of ensilaging the nitiogeuous fod ders as well as corn. Ensilage should be a complete food. All the by-fodders, such as linseed meal, cottonser.d meal, bran, mid dlings, etc., which aro used by the best far mers, would be quito inadequate in quantity to supply all feeders if they were to adopt it. So it becomes the part of wisdom to start the ensilage system on the right basis, makefile farm self-sustaining. Let ensilage contain a mixture of all tho grasses, including corn, and then cows will do as well on it, when pre served in tho best manner, as on pasture. An acre of winter re ensilaged with an acre of clover, both are ready to cut nt tho same time, will make a very well balanced fodder. An acre if millet or Hungarian grass, an aero of eecoud crop clover, and an acre of corn, ensi1 aired together, will make an excellent ration for milk without giain. And grain may bo added by those who wish to produce the greatest yield of milk, as many now do, even to pasture. A crop of peas and oats raised to gether will be ready to ensilage with early planted corn, and tho combination will make a most satisfactory ration. The vetch is suc cessfully raised in Canada, anil probably can be in Mew York and the Middle atates gener ally, and this may be ensilaged with early corn and make a well balanced ration. In short, thero may be a hundred different sotii bined rations ensilaged, which will produce milk, meat, or wool without other food. Mr. 0. B. Potter: I entirely agree with the views expressed in the letter jtut r. ad. I commenced my first experiment in 1870. I first used com alone, but sinco I havo tried urass, oats and sorghum, and everything else that you can grow on the Hudson river. It is better to feed a variety at the same time than to feed one all the timo. I feed from two pits at the samo time. I think red clover in some respects the best crop to ensilago that we have, it settles qu ckly into a compact mnss and you preserve all the juices, coloring mat ter and everything in it, which will be wanted if you attempt to cure it by drying. It will settle, so that a section six inches square will bo a good ration for a cow. Anybody who has seen spinach or dandelion pressed hard will know pretty much how this will look. Mr. A. A. Reed, of Rhode Island: Al though I am not a professional farmer, I have ensilaged for tho past two years. I havo en silaged corn, clover, rye," sorghum and the grasses, I have samples here of all hut the sorghum, whi;h has b-cn fed out. In this year's experiments I weighed my co,v8 when I took tVem off the grass; I took thn weight of the milk for nineteen days previous to putti.ig them on the ensilage, and then I put them on a c rtain quantity of ensilag tor nineteen day. Then I weighed my cattle again aud noted the gain or loss in weight. Then I put my cattle on hay and noted thn gain or loss in weight. Then I put them on sorghum and noted their weight lost or gained. Then I put them on corn again. Being anxious to try an experiment I bought a cow of ono of my neighbors, which had been fed on hay and grass. I put the cow on ensilage for niuetei-n days, giving her the same quantity she had he n accusnomcil to get. It increased the milk at the rate of two pounds per day, and improved the color of the butter very inateri ii'ly. At the first tho butter was petfuctly white, and now it is quite yellow. That is my experience with .ensilage. Col. Wolcott: At tho time I was filling my silos, we hail a drizzling rain for two or three days, but I kept my men at work from morn ing until night, putting the ensilage in the silo. You can see from the samples how good it is. I cannot see any difference from that prepared in the dry weather. I raised about thirty acres of rye last year, and I estimated that I had about nine tons to the acre, I think it is inferior to corn. . J. W. Jones, of Portland, Me.j In writing I wish to confirm in the most positive manner what I wrote last year, and sent to the Coun try Gentleman about wooden silos. I made mytelf a great deal of trouble writing that ar ticle. I had letters from all over the United States, West and South particularly, where I supposed there was the least need of anything of the kind. I have had to abandon my silo made in the ground and bricked up. I could not keep out the water. The only places where a silo can be made profitably is in very I sandy ground and on side of a hill. It is easier rto build a cistern to hold water in the ground than it is to build cue to keep the water out. Every year water lias worked in from the out side aud spoiled my ensilage. I have heard others compluiu of the same thing. My barn is raised up, so that I have a cel.ar under it, and. the bays go to the bottom, and the barn is 20 feet posted, making my silo 30 feet high, which I think a great advantage, as by having a great height, the enilageettleg let ter. I have this year put in about 300 tons, and it comes out beautifully, and cattle eat it better than the best of hay and do not require meal I have gamed oxen this year at tho rate of 100 pounds a week to a yoke, and cows will givo a third more milk than when fed en hay and meal. This season I havo just lined up my bays inside with single boarding. This keeps tho timbers from rottiiu', and answers every purpose. There is a little mould round tho edge, but I mix it right in, and tho cattle eat every particle right up clean. I kept fill ing tho silos right along toge'her. nnd was about two months filling them, kept them open and put no weight on till after 1 was dona filling. It is much more convenient feeding from barn, and but little more work to hoist it; ten tons of it does not require more space than one ton of hay, and from the best calculation I can make, ono ton is equal to 1200 pounds of hay. This may be a little high, but is based on observations of good careful men. Still we better not sot it too high; that is a mistake of all writers. Let us call it 800 to 1000 pounds equal to a ton of ensilage. I mean that I was two months filling, and put no weight on during that time, and I consider it an advantage to be a long tiino filling. I had enough, so I fillod every day or sometimes every other day, sometimes thei e would be threo days I would not fill any, but I used to tread it down every day on tho silo, within threo or four feet of the top, the weight of tho ensilage is just as good as the weight of rocks. This is the advanfageof having the silos high, say 20 feet. For th-i threo or four fict near tho top of the silo tho constant treading is better than a still weight. When, for in stance, we put in a certain amount to-day, the heat making a sort of moisture that toftens the material, so that it packs much closer, and when you go in to tread tho next day, even whero it is trod very closely tho d-.y before, gives several inches, and in that way you get tho whole packed very solid. You want to givo your silos a thorough treading every moruinir before adding nnytlung. Tho stones are of no particular account except for three or four feet on top of silo, and for thac need no' bo loaded so heavily ai you mention in your book, unless where you go to using soon after the Bilo is filled. Thero was a very little waste around tho i-ilaa of mine, but wo mixed it rght in and the cattle ate the whole. Mr. Mills: I would build a building some thing like an ordinary ice house, being careful to have a good strong frame evert on tho in side with hemlock boards. Then I would put tho odder in. 1 would not tramp it, and when I got it full I would place my covers up on it, having tho covers uniformly weighted, so as to get a uniform pressure all round. I would havo the prt'Bsura about ,100 pounds to each pquare foot. I would have each rcccptac'c titled and weighted on the samo day. i wouni not cut my fodder short. I believe in keeping tho cellular tismss as intact as possible, with nil their juices. I cut diUcront lengths last season, from three-quarters to Uvo inches.and in future shall cut longer. I would not use rye at all on account of tho cigot. When I get my farm rich enough, I proposo to raise noth ing hut tho perennial grasses I cut my corn after tasselling, when it is full of saccharine matter. I use the Southern horru tooth com, getting my seed from ono section, from ono particular State. I plant about eight bushels to the acre, and I plant by hand. ' Tolio continued. Well-Merited Success. A gentleman oncu asked n distinguished dispensing druggist to explain the secret of tho almost universal demand for Dr. Rich mond's Samaritan Nervine. Ho said that it was, in fact, a genuine medicine such a com pound as every good physician would prescribe tor tho disease which it was advertised to euro. Of course, it cost less than any druggist would charge for tho suno article supplied on a physician's prescription, and besides, thero was a saving of thu doctor's too in addition. Moreover, by buying thu druis in such cuor mouB quantities, and having a perfect appara tus for compounding tho mixture, he was not only enabled to get better articles in the first place, but also to present tho medicine in better form, and at less prico than thu same preparation could hu pojtibly obtained from any othor touico. Dr. Richmond has devoted all his energies to the alleviation of human sulleriug. With this end in viuw, and with his whole huart in his great labor for thu benefit of the allliuted, ho has achieved marked and merited success. Tncro can bo no real success without true merit. That hit success is real is evidenced by thu fact that his reputation bs a man and physician does not deteriorate, and thu fact that thero is a steadily increasing de mand for his Samaritan Ncrvino provis that it is no nostrum, but a reliable remedy. He lias r pcatedly informed tho public that it is no patent medicine, and no patent has over been asked for or obtained. Neitln r does he advertise it as a cure-all. There are hundreds ot diseases that hu acknowledges it will not curu. It may bo urged that somu.of thi-so dis eases ard so widely diflerent that it seems absurd to prescribe the same remedy. They may diller in symptoms, yet ill character l precisely similar; and then uo must take into consideration tho fact that remedies may pos sess various properties Thus, some medicines are both tonic and alterative; others may be tonic and laxative, the properties diUcring ac cording to tho quantity administered, and the time and circumstance j which demand its em ployment. In the manufacture of any pharmaceutical preparation the purity aud strength of the material used, ami the requisite machinery to be employed, are among the chief essentials. The first is insured by purchasing the in gredients in large quantities, whereby the ex ercise of greater care in selecting the materials can be afforded; and the second can only be accomplished whero the business is sufficient ly extensive to warrant a large outlay of capi tal in procuring chemical apparatus. These facts apply with especial force to tho manu facture of our medicines, their quality having been vastly improved li.ico the demand has become so great as to require their manufac ture in very largo quantities. These ideas am not mere speculative re marks to mislead the readir, or to induce him NO- with false views of tho sunerioritv of nir medicines. Wlulo inspecting Dr. Richmond's establishment you wonl be surprised to see the admirable- facilities, both chemical aud mechanical, which ho umploys in tho prosecu tion of his business. Everything is arranged in tho most perfectly systematic order, and whilo to tho ueneral observer thero appears to bo no room for improvement, yet new appara tus and mechanical applia cos aro constantly being procured for the establishment. STATE iMJWS Silverton will havo a stallion sh w un April 20th. A new bridgo has been hail's across Silver creek, near Silverton. I'ho structure cost $900. Farming having proved comparatively suc cessful in the western end of Lake county last year, we may oxpect to seo more land than ever put in grain this year. Mr. Drew, of New Hampshire, who not long sinco bought some mining property of tho Ityc Valley Mining Co recently sold it for SS0.000, doubling his money on first in vestment. New and more commodious q-iarters are cnntemDlatcd for Fort Klamath which will firobahly be made a four-company prist before eng anil a iJIIO 000 appropriation has be-on proposed for that purpose. The fivo year old daughter of John Warner, of Williams creek, Josephino coun'y, says the Jacksonville Times, was burned to death last week, her clothes catching fire from some brush her brothers and sisters were burning in a field, Tho Jacksonville 77m essays that Jay Beach, of Linkville, Oregon, will mako a circuit of Oregon with his fust trotting stock noxt Fall, nnd will compete for the partes hung up by the dillercnt societies. A cow belonging to P. Monarch, of Co is Bay, got mired in thu swamp at Tt n Mil" last week, and was devoured by bears in a short timo. Hon. Warren Truitt, of Polk county, is daugerously ill, at his residence in Dallas. It appears that ho was first afllicted with tho measles, and afterwards erysipelas made its appearanco in a cut in his lip. S D. Snowdon, who died last week in Marion county, had deeded all his property to Hon. Win. Darst. Mr. Darst refused to accept it, as Snowdon had never received a consideration of an) thing. Tho machinery bed mgiut' tn the flax mill in Albany is being taken nnart and stored away. Thu proprietors, Missrs. Home k Romilly, aro Bomtwhttt disgusted with their venture, and aro looking out for soma morn favorable locality, to which they will remove their ma chinery. On Sunday last, whilo their pirents wcro at church, two sons of Mr. Blackburn, of Conter Precinct, Linn county, aged respectfully nine and six years, obt duett posses-dun of a pistol, nnd while playing with tho same thu ynunirer was shot by his brother in tho side, inflicting a painful wound, Tho valuable colt belonging to T, If. Tongue, Esq , of Hillsboro, which that gen tlen an recently brought from California, met with an accident on Saturday lad, which re sulted in its death. The animal was sick, and its attendants wcro in the act of administering some medicine, having previously bached it into a stall, when in itx struggles it reared up and fell over backwards, striking in its fall upon the manger. This week has marked an important stage in thu progress of tho work, says the C'orvallis Qawtle. Tho contracts for thu thren funnels between Cnrvallia and Yuij'iina huvu been let to Mr, .1. A liiighee, f San Francisco, The lengths of the two tunnels on thu di scent from tho Summit into tho Yauiiiiia Vnllcy are 760 and 3.10 feet, und that just below Mr. Napp's hou-e, U00 ftet, Tho work is to ho begun within two wmli.i from signing tliooon tracts, ami tho tunnels and appioachu- have all to bo completed by tho end of July next. Thu Walla Walla Union complains that drunken soldiers roam the ttit-eti of Wnlla SValla at unseasonable hours. Thu Cheney Academy was open-d on April 10th, and theru was eight childicn in attend unco. The teachers are from thu East. Mr. William", late n ritiren of Waitshurg, and at present a rancher, has been adjudged insane and sent to tint as) linn, Nino cars of cattle wcro roc ntly shlpj ed from thn line of thu N, P, R R, to dealers in Portland. Crowds of prospectors and ollivn aro again rushing pell-mell for Wood Kivir mines." High water is reported alont thu stage line routes, says tho Idaho Sitttr inn, anil has oc casioned some delay, hut t iu stages are now on time. Boise City, says the Statesman, is promis ing, and thu population inci easing. TKltltlTOICIAL. The wheat fields abovu Walla Walla look exceedingly well this jear. 'lh grain is about six inches high, of thick growth, with a good healthy color. The s'eamers Baker and Faxon, Captains llaughrnan and Stump, are nnw running at Passenger boats between Lewiston and Texas erry, leaving each point at fi A. i. The AI inota and Spokan aro running as freight boats on the same route, A gentleman recently from thu Dtaduun country iuformi the Walla Walla Union that the farmers of that region are all busy putting in their Spring cropi. Hu predicts that a third more grain will be raited this year than during the season of 188I, A young sou of Mr. John Boyd, of Baler City, received Injuries by hit horaa falling, which caused his death. A m if m