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About Willamette farmer. (Salem, Or.) 1869-1887 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 9, 1883)
-v VOL. XV. tyvrnfyvnAtntq. Edltori&l Correspondence. UP THE COLUMBIA RIVER, Last week wo mado a flying visit to friends at Walla Walla, stopping for a day at Blaloek, near the John Day river, to seo how that country had stood the late drouth and to learn what crops were mode. It is a long day's ride from East Toitland to Walla Walla, We started in the misty weather common to autumn, and some rain fell before wo got to the Cascades. Leaving there wo found things less damp, and at The Dalles and nil places else we visited great piles of wheat lay on the open platforms beside the depots. Rain had not fallen to even wot the ground to enable wheat to make much growth. Around Walla Walla all farmers seemed prosperous. The transportation facilities seemed un equal to the work of moving the heavy crop of wheat that was produced thi-j year of unexampled drouth. We heard some man from Iowa remark concerning the country, that such a season as we had last summer would have left them no harvest. He seemed astonished to hear of the immense yields made in all direc tions. Eureka Flat is out out in the dry plains toward Ainsworth, and this year a farmer there averaged 46 bushels for a whole field of winter wheat. The products of the past season afford the best encouragement for now comers to locate and commence work. General prosperity attends the Upper Country, though not nearly what might be ex pected in a fairly good season. If there had been a few showers in the last of May and through June, the wheat crop of the country cast of the Cascades would have aggregated ten millions of bushels of wheat for export ; as it is there will bo about six and a half millions for foreign trade. We found many new comers looking up locations. The extent of country to look over embarasses an immigrant. Lands are being claimed to-day that were not looked at a year ago. Early comers were fastidious. They recog nized only the best and would take no other. This fact is illustrated freely at Blacock's, near the mouth of the John Day river, where we stopped a day on the return. A year ago a wide extent of gravelly prairie to the south remained vacant and unclaimed that the early coiners believed would remain vacant for them to use as range. They were mistaken. Men from Western Oregon who had gravelly land there, found this alkali plain lying vacant and located their homesteads and pre-emptions upon it. They were stimulated by seeing the products obtained on this year of drouth by members of the Blaloek Wheat Grow ing Company. The land between the Columbia and John Day rivers lies in a wedge sha.-, as tho streams draw gradually together. It is very fertile, and though quite ele vated, is clear of alkali and bears a sod of bunch grass equal to any gnvn in the I'pper Country. This fact attracted Dr. Blalock's attention and induced the for mation of a company to improve the lands and test their producing capacity. They and others organized a company. Each individual located the land allowed him as a citizen, homesteads, pre-emptions and timber cuhurers. They made their plans early known to Mr. Villard, and got his permission to occupy and farm the odd sections with the privilege to purchase at usual rates in case the company earned the land. His object was to ascertain the capacity of that land to produce crops. Hitherto stock men had monopolized it and encouraged the belief that it was too dry to produce crops. The common estimate was that the land was worthless for farming pur poses. The railroad company was wil ling to extend facilities to pereons who would prove that northern Wasco county could produce good wheat crop. They offered inducements for the Blaloek Company to commence woik. They commencd, lovying assessments to build n fence from the John Day to the Colum bia river, etc., and rnt with severe losses. Time hn shown that the bunch grass sod must be subdued by years of work. Their first attempt failed ; their second ditto; but they held on faithfully Some sold out and withdrew, but the others held on. Then the grasshoppers came in 1S82 and took eveiything a? they did in Kansas That was enough to make the bravest heart sick, but they hold on, and this, tho fourth year, though they have encountered the worst season of dryness ever known, cropped sixty thousand bushels of wheat, besides much else. We stopped one night last week with tho Mariners, who have worked faithful ly and long Rgainst difficulties. Their crops aggregate 0,000 bushels of giain. Besides this they had an excellent gar den, in which they grew watermelons and muskmelons famous for their size and flavor. On the rich soil of that up land they grow wheat, barley, oats, corn, potatoes, melons, pumpkins, squashes, and all sorts of vegetables and many va rieties of grasses. They are conquerers, for they have conquered fate. The soil that refused them at first now yields abundantly, and they say they have no fears of the future. Having known them through several years of discour agement, it is pleasant to realize that they have been at last crowned with sue cess. They express themselves now as more than satisfied. Their harvest for 1883 must be worth in the neighborhood of seven thousand dollars. So much interest is felt in the dry re gion along the Columbia, near the mountains, in Wasco county, that we will review its productions at the Mariner farm. They broke up land a year 1 iofi re and sowed in wheat lat fall, La-t spring they sowed some to hai 1 y and in the spring they planted corn, etc. The extraordinary drouth pulled down the wheat average to twenty bushels. The barley went twenty-five, the corn twenty-five ; all good quality. Remem ber that it was nearly all sod land and that there was no rain after the loth of May, not a drop. Where they had 9,000 bushels of grain, a good season would have made it 15,000. The corn was planted ten days before the last shower and had no rain after May 15, Some 8-rowed red corn that was planted after the rain and matuied perfectly, without a drop of rain having fallen there from the day of its planting. All these crops were grown on tod land, plowed the previous spring or winter, and planted the first time. The water melons grow without rnin almost en tirely, and many weighed fifteen to twenty-five pounds. They have oceans of pumpkins the old-fahioned yellow ones. They have black locu-t and box elder growing finely for timber culture. They have blackberries, raspberries cur rants and gooseberries that all mado vigorous growth this season on the dry- est of upland. Their fruit trees all teem to be thriving. Mr. Wm, McKiney lives east six miles. There we saw further evidence of that being a corn country. He broke up quit a piece'of sod land last May, and after harrowing thoroughly planted it in cord. He had corn that would have yielded twenty-five bushels if it had made a good stand, but stock got in it. This shows that in that vicinity a man can market a corn crop of twenty-five to thirty-five bushels on new sod just broken. Mariner thinks his com would have done much letter if there had been June rains. McKiney has saved his corn and re-plowed and sown to wheat. Mariner intends to plant 300 acres to corn instead of trying to summer-fallow the land. He says he can mako as good a crop as wheat and that corn planting i as good as summer fallowing. Another fact concerning corn is that they claim it does not need SALEM, OREGON, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER to bo cultivated or worked. All it needs, they say, is to bo properly planted and left alone until ripe in the fall. All that can be seen and known justi fies the belief that along tho Columbia is a region that has been greatly neg lected, that will soon become n pro digious producer of cereals and vegeta bles. They say they can supply Port land with the best os fruits and vegeta bles and all farm products, if they can have living rates for freights, and they certainly should and must have such rates as soon as they become producers. Tho settlement of the lands between the Umatilla rivor and The Dalles is go ing on at a very rapid rato all along tho line. We gatheied information that was very interesting. There is a won fully productive scope of country in western Umatilla that yet offers much room for new comers. Between Willow Creek and John Day there is much ex cellent countiy. The John Day Prairie, as the magnificent plain between that river and the Deschuttes is called, is fast settling up, and will soon begin to turn off heavy crops. That will prove to bo as inviting as any section of tho Upper Countiy. Wasco county will, before long, come into note as one of the richest farming districts of Oregon and be a subject of pride therefor. WASHINGTON COUNTY ORANGIE FAIR. Stafford, On,, Nov. 2, 188:1. Editor Willamette Farmer: A very interesting agricultural exhibit was mado at tho hall of Butte Grange, on Oct. 31st, in which the Butte and Farmington grange of Washington co.( the Tualatin and Oswego granges of Clackamas county, also a few agricultu ral friends participated, at which the fol lowing articles were exhibited Mv. John Richardson, two varieties squash, two of cabbage, three of pota toes, two of apples, two of corn, field pumpkin, dried pumpkin and corn; M. Monnau, potatoes ; S. Richardson, onions cabbage, black turnip radish, yellow globe manglowort, two varieties of tur nips, two of carrots ; T Paulsom, four varieties of potatoes, among them the el ephant and blush variety, three varieties of wheat, viz Frilz.Clawson Shuinaker, Wyson surprise, a general J variety of f raits and egotables, also butternuts and corn ; 1. (iault, a variety of potatoes among them the blue peerles, three va rieties apples ; Mr. Pollaid, caulillower, cabbage, carrot, rutabagas Mr. Gormen, a potato weighing three and a half Ji.s ; M. A. Tagert, several varieties of pears, four of grapes hubbard squash, apples, canned peache-, four kinds of jelly ; C. 8. Gault, turnips, potatoes, two varieties of cabbage ; Mrs. P Mann, tomatoes, shell match bo-? ; C. Wood, four varieties of apples, two of pears, tomatoe, early and late roe potatoes, rutabagas, Mr, Gaskell, pears and apple-; Mr. Marska, carrots; T. L. Turner, ten varieties of poiatocs, wheat; W. (J. Hayes, pump kin, hubbard squash, two varieties apple:-, pears , P. Larson, beans and peas; .Jonn owoeu, a inpie-iieaettu can bane , potatoes, black walnuts ; Olds fc Tyson, White Australian wheat, jears, eight varieties apples, and thieo of po tatoes; It. V. Short, white Norway oats fifty-two and a half pounds to the bush els, white Russian oats, wheat, two va rieties corn, two of apples, jiears, mam moth pearl potatoes; S. P. Ingram, a specimen of Zaradclla three and a half feet in length, pumpkins, rutabagas, two varieties carrots, two of torn, two of apples, watermelons, onions; G. M. Bolder, German spelts, of which we are informed, he raised wxty-two bushels to the acre ; Mr. Coley, a head of cabbage weighing thirty-two lbs; one rutabaga, twenty-two lbs, Hampton oats yielding forty-nine lbs to tho bushel, a sheaf of oats six and a half feet in length, two varieties wheat, thirty-three- heads having grown from one kernel, tobacco, two varieties of potatoes, carrot-, quinces three variolic applets, three of pear.. , A, It. Shipley, twelve varieties grapes , Mr Elmer, a pear weighing two and three fourth lbs; Mr, Bryant, imitation tur tle shell of Conafir.Mrs. Norman, mock oranges, a branch of a vino containing two U)t of grapes ; Mrs. J. Krusc, canned peaches, ripe cucumbe? pickles, bread, butter, cookie ; Mrs. It V. Short, dried apples ; Miss Alvina Short, a toilet set of 1' rencli artpamting, two plaque, : painted imitation horse-shoe of hollv wood, a panel picture, two painted canines, paintul card, painted satm slip per case, inncy Kiiuicii pin cushion, 10- sette tidy: J.Poland, M. )., exhibited cases of dental and surgical instalments, anatomical clans, vaccine matter in a bottlo containing n -flutdBsupposed to bo capauie oi preserving it twenty years, besides soma other alrfles. Mrs? E. Coloy, butter, cheese, canned jjjjonchos, quinco icily, card basket; Mmc S. L. 1 r.iyco, egg plums preserffd-irt Mcc-hol, in IN((j, pnnes, tomato catsu Melia Milem. rasnborrv svitin. i cordial, plum jelly, wateh.pocke't work ; Miss flora Hayes, apple jelly, cucumber (a curious freak of natnrq, lace toilet set Mr Mary Richardson, butter, picklel onions, grape jolly calCc', pie, and a tidv ; Mrs. A. M. Wood, buMff. bread, rai-ed biscuit; Mrs. T. M. Pa3P son, miner, uowers in pots, WjiTTer bouciuct : Mrs R. McFarland. cnmhiric.d pin cu-diion ar.d toilet bov, lumping Las4 ket of civhtaized leaves and rna Mr. MeFarlaju., a basket of llpwCrypatle from turnipleets and cairjtsk beauti fully arranged with natural' leaves ; Mrs. Hattie Heath, two picture! of sea-moss from San Juan island, specimens of pink and white coral, an ivory ffsh hook from teandwich Islands, a scorpian and cehti- pede in alcohd, a Hanaku necklace of shells one of s;eds and one of teeth ; an oyster snen weighing soventeen and a half lbs from Sandwich Islands, views of Sandwich Island scenery and people, a Chinese junk and crew in marble, wooden bracelets in form of serpents from China, vsgetablo ivory ball, vege table sponge, mushroom coral shells, flower pot from Takite, two robes the dress of tho natives and a war club from Fin Islands Bohemia vases, card recciv er, chickens manufactured from feathers, cucumber grown in a bottlo, railroad badge used at tho opening of tho Nor wich At Worcester railroad in 18.1.), picture "the little Granger," watch case and tidy in worsted needlework, tobacco pouch in bead work, crotehed tidy, noodle-work tidy, oilcloth splasher ; Mrs. Jennio Whitmore, painted satin toilet cushion, toilet cushion and two tidies in worsted needle work; Mrs. E. A. Wood ruff, toilet cuslu'on in spatter work ; Mrs. Fannie Shipley, wall pockot; Mrs. Eliza beth Gault, two knit counterpanes, stnnd coer and lampmat, Nancy Ellis, wall pocket in worsted needle work ; MaryA. Tigert, patchwork quilt; Miss Lottie Short, fascinator ;Mrs Agnos Gault, tidy; Mrs. E. B. Heath, fruit picture; Miss Linnie Shipley, piano seal f, table scarf, toilet mats, Mrs. C. E. Shipley, quilt, comforter, afghan and sofa pillow of patchwork and ornamental needle work collections of cones and minerals, Nor wcgian spoon. Tho time given the reporting commit tee was o limited, that we fear many mistakes were made, and tome articles and names overlooked. The crowd in attendance numbered over two hundred. Tho hall was hand somely decorated and tho Pleasant Hill brajs band discoursed fine music making altogether an occasion long to be re membered. Could some of the reporters of the city papers, who have been t-o Farcastu in their comments upon the inferior fruits and vegetables brought to market by tho farmers', liao been present on this occasion, they would have observed that the producer reserves the best of his productions for home consumption, and that the universal failure of which they complain, in the fault of the unusual dry season rather than that of the agricultu rist S. L. Havks. Hop Growing a Carried on In the Puyallup Hop Felds. SUMNKl,"wT., Oct. 31, 18i3. Editor Willamette Fanner Having given some idea in previous articles of the general features of the greatest hop country on the Pacific coart, viz. The valleys of Sumner and Puyallup, I now proceed to enter into the iiioro minute particulars of hop growing as carried on here. From the fields of Mr. Era Meeker, of Puyallup, were gathered last year the largest amount of hops ever frown in any tingle yard in the United States-. This amount was 71 tons. Many style hirn the largest hop grower in tho world, and if statistics do not lie, this mut be the fact. Mr. L. F. Thompson, Mr, Meade and Mr. J. It. Dickinson of Sum ner valley rank next. Tho last named gentleman owns a largo farm near Tur ner, Oregon, and has set out a hop yard on that place ten acres in extent. According to statement made by iWrrs. SinlipWi- mbcad '. 9, 1883. theso mon cuttings for new fields should bi?sct out in March or Apiil. A slight yield may bo realized tho first year, pro vidintr tlmsoil bo double nlnwid. Thn cuttings-should bo set seven feet;aparr in iv m-uui-u. iucoKer pieiers ono poie io a hill. ' Other growors set two poles. Froni three to fivo roots aio planted to each liijl. These aro placed with tho eyes pointing to a common centre anil upward, and are but lightly covered. A very little cultivation is necessary' be sidos the spring plojving. Some growers nover tottoh their fields from May to September. Others cultivate to soine extent, deeming tlip weeds thai aro con tinually springing up, as delitorious to the vines. In the wintor and early spring it is necessary to cut away the -superfluous roots in the old yards, to prevent them from crowding ono another. This is done with sharp hoes, plows, or with a two-horse harrow. A portion of tho wor)c which 'must bo carefully attended to is setting the jniles for the hops to run lUpont' Theso poles arc generally 20 foot fn Height. If carelessly set any heavy v?ind will throw them down. It occurs often when laderied with hops, thus causing both inoqnrcnionco and loss poleshind training vines is estimated to be nearly $30 per aero. As wo'havo al ready glanced at this wo will give no farther particulars of tho cultivation, but proceed to describe tho hop kilns. The drying of the hops constitute tho most particular and tho most important part of hop culture. Skill and experi ence are necessary, Two kinds of kilns are used, the draft kiln and the fan kiln. Messrs. Thompson, Meade and Dicken son and others use the former. They are' erected at a cost of about $2,000 each. Mr. Meeker uses tho fan dryer which is much higher priced; his kilns aro tho finest and porform the best work on tho coast. Tho draft kilns are buildings of from 20 to 2G feet square. Tho walls aro about 20 feet in height, surmounted by a high hip roof crowned with a ventila tor. Theso kilns aro weathor-boarded and plastered inside as high as tho ven tilator. They aro dividod into two stories by a floor about 17 feet from tho ground. This floor consists of slats laid an inch apart and covcrcl with light burlap cloth or as wo denominate it here, kiln cloth. Beneath is nlaced a larire stove weighing about 1,000 pounds, and made of heavy east iron plates with grate bottoms. Tho cost of such u stove is about $7f. From it a largo pipo ascends and is attached to u T so the pipe will run in opposite directions around tho room at a distance of about two feet from the wall and meet on tint op'wsito side of the stove. Cord wood is some times Used but coal however is prefened as it is cheaper and gives a steady heat. Such aro tho kilns used hvinost trrowers and where practicable they aio built on a side lull as tho hops can then bo dis poned of to greater advantage and at 1( ss men-e. Each kiln will cure a ton of hops in a day. Tho fan blast is con sidered by .Mr. Meeker to be the best in use. Tho hotie is built on a similar plan to that of tho draft kiln, it is not so high, however. A large fan is Used to aid in tho drying process. This is run by steam on the outside of tho dryer. An air tight tube leads from tho fan to the kiln, under tho foundation, pours the cold air liuieath and around tho heaters and is forcid through the hops. Boxes five feet ten inc lies long by two feet ten inches wide at the top, and four feet four inches in length by two feet four inches in width at the bottom aroused in this vicinity for gathering the hop. All growers uho tho came standard. Handles of cedar strips ure fastened on for convenience in carrying. The value of the hot) lies in a sub stance near the stem called lupaliue. It is the bitter principle in hops and con sists of globules of a bright yellow color. It is liable to injure if oxjxwd to a high temperatuie, and it is very neoej-sary that the drying be watched carefully, as from 120 to 100 degree Fahr, is the heat required to dry hops properly. Some growers heat their kiln to 160 degrees, but this eH)ils the hops by destroying the lupaliue. Tht hops aro spread on the floor at a depth of fifteen inches to three feet and many growers to accelerate the drying process, burn sulphur under neath the floors. Two pounds aro burn ed to one hundred jtounds of hops. No definite time can beset for drying hops. wnen sou ami nexuue io tue loucii.wmi the globules of lupaliue bright and tin cbang d, they may be considered dried and of a first class quality. The dried hops are taken from the kiln to the warehouse, tbrawn into largo bins and after hop picking aro mado into bales weighing from lu to xou pounds. The cost of producing an acre of hops yielding '1,000 jioundi is estimated at Consequently it lsTjfccossary that this portiohfy'f the? workubb thoroughly peri forrrfed.' Tho cost of cultivating, settincr NO. 39. $200 an acie. It costs seven cents a pound to produce hops. All abovo that sum, is clear gain. A yard ready for cultivation may be bought for if300 an aero in this valley. The grand total outlay thon is !f,")00 tin acre. But still by commencing on an economical plan, builelinglog kilns, etc., tho cxpehso may be materially lessened. Such is a slight sketch of hop growing on Paget Sound. 1 will givo a sketch of tho Indian hop pickers in my next. " Saitiuuk." Linn County Business Council Endorsas ti9 Mortgage Tax Law. Auivw, Or., Nov. 1. 1SS3. Editor Willamette Farmer : At a regular meeting 'of tho Linn County Business Council, P,. of II., hold at Santiam Grange hall on November 3d, fjio following proamblo and resolu tion was passed by a unanimous vote of that boely, with instructions that the Secretary furnish tho Wiu-AMEm: Far mer and other papers with a copy of tho samo for publication : Wiikbkas, inco tho Legislatuie of Oregon at its session of 18S2 passed an act which is known as tho Mortgugo Tax Law, thcro has been much discus sion pro and con as to the publio utility of said law. And, Whehi:as, Tho Patrons of Linn Coun ty Business Council is composed of far mers and tax-payors who oro ontitlod to a hoaring and a voico in matters per taining to tho genoral welfaro of the State. Therefore, Resolved, That this Council is in favor of all property that has or claims pro tection under tho laws of thi State, pay ing its fair proportion of tho necessary expenses to maintain such protection. Resolved, That wo boliove the Mort gage Tax Law has brought out a largo amount of property which has heretofore oscapod taxation. Wo aro thereforo in favor of giving said law a fair trial, until some bottor method can bo found by which justice can bo dono to all. Resolved, That we aro unutteiably opposeil to taxing only such propeity as is in sight of the assessor mid exempting money, notes and accounts simply be causo tho owners thoroof can by'faNu testimony conceal them. Resolved, That moneyed men and monoy loanors should not find fault with the iiractico of nsscssint! real estate. at less than its estimated value, whilo tnoy thcinelves will not take mortgages on land for more than about one-third of its estimated value to secure the payment of money loaned. Unsolved, That wo lnt.il with pleasure, tho coming of capitul into our State, and aro not opposed to tho combination of tho samo for any legitimate purpose if not so managed as to opprewo other industries. Ni.mkod Pav.vi:, Soo'y. Weatner Beport for October, 1883. Rom, Novi'ihIkt 1, 1883. During October, 1883, thcro weio 11 days during which rain fell, and an ng gregatoof 3.11 inches of water; tlmro were fl clear and 1 1 cloudy day-", other than those on which rain fell. Tho mean temperatuie for the month was I!t.(i!) deg. Highest daily mean ten iperat ure foi the month, f-7 deg. on tho 3d. Lowc-t daily mean teiiipemtuie for the mouth, II deg. on tho 21st. Mean teiiiierattiiu for the month at 2 o'clock 1-. m., fl.!8 deg. Highest tcmpeiaturi- for the month, (Jl deg. at 2 i-.M.ou thcilth, 11th and lfith. lowos-t tcmperatuio foi the mouth, 3S deg. at Da. m, on the 21st. Frosts occurred on tho l.'tth, 30th itiul. 31st. The prevailing winds for the month were from the north during 12 days, southwest 13 days, south 13 days, south fi days, northwest 1 day. During Octolicr, 1882, there were 1 rainy days and 7.01 inches of water, i ( lear, and 1 1 cloudy days, Mean temperature for the month, 18 01 deg. Highest daily mean teiiiKratiiiu for the mouth, 53 deg,, on tho -1th, litb, 7th and iith. Ixjwest daily me-au tcui'icratuio for the month, -10 deg. on the 3d. T. I'EAIICJf, The Paris Rourb estimates tin totat stock of gold iu the world in use as coin or as hanking reserves in ono shapo or other at about 680,000,000, of which total England has 120,000,000, Franco 13,000,000, Germany 80,000,000, and the United States 92,000,000. Other nations come in for shares varying from fe03,000 in the case of Holland, to 30, 400,000 in Spain's.