Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Willamette farmer. (Salem, Or.) 1869-1887 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 28, 1883)
VOL. XV. SALEM, OREGON, FRIDAY, DECEMBERfe, 1883. " NO. 46. ill DrresuDnncncE. ,ML'U w.uu uuu"1- oome Kina OI ?ss ahmsviu.k. or., n.. 24. issn. I T " How to Trap the Skunk. Su.km, Dec. 20, 1883. Editor Willamette Farmer : The right 'way to trap a skunk is an easy way; but how many farmers know how to do it properly? I have an idea of my own', and although it bids fair to bo a "hard winter," I'll not keep the idea. It is as follows: Now, how to manage. Take any kind of a steel trap (Xewliouse Xo. 1 is best), fasten it to the end of a pole, or narrow strip of board about 8 or 10 feet lo:i. something light, that can be handle easy. Set the trap anywhere the in truder will be most likely to get in, say in the barn, or at the doorstep. Tie the opposite end of pole from which trap i fastened to something that will hold the skunk, or, drive a stake, being careful not to set the trap where ho will wind itp, as among tools2 near a bush, or such like. During the night he will be caught. Look at your trap eaily so as to spring it before chickens get in if you should fail to catch your skunk. If you have, him, then don't go too near, and don't allow a dog around or anything that will frighten him, for ,a skunk never dis charges his offensive odor at being caught in a steel trap. He does not like it himself. He wants to . keep his coat clean, and will only use his 'weapon in defense. Unfasten your pole gently, then begin to draw him out of his.trap ; work carefully; do not let any 'thing touch him. After you are started, say a rod, by dragging him after you then you may walk fast, or run ; he will not discharge. Go to the nearest deep water and drown him, by leading him down in and rolling the chain round the pole so as to draw him under, being careful not to hit him. If managed right one will seldom discharge. Let him be under water fully live minutes after he ceases to struggle, then take him out and bury him. If you leave him in the sun he may still come to life. If you wish to save his skin or oil. I will tell you how. Begin'to cut and skin around the tail, being carefnl to cut only skin deep, as the two glands or sacks which hold all the perfumo which aie about the size of a wild plum, lie each side, and a little under the root of tail. If you cut through them it will spoil your knife and drive you oft". As snon as you skin far enough, cut the sacks out ; don't be saving of meat round them. Dig a hole and bury them a foot deep, then complete your work as carelessly as you wish, and no one will ever know or sus pect yon have been handling skunks, and the whole neighborhood will not howl "tilde' a skunk around." AXTI-Slirh. Evergreen Millet Crop Outlook, Etc. Ar.Msvn.i.E, Dec. 20, ISS::. Kditor Willamette Farmer: Having trial tho nmeli-.'ulvertNed "Evergreen Millet.'' or Johnson grass, it may interest your readers to learn of my success, or failure. Last winter I en deavored to proem e some seed for ex periment from Portland, but was in formed that tho supply was exhausted. I afterwards obtained a handful fiom a neighbor, who had been more fortunate (or unfortunate) than myself. This I sowed carefullv in drills, in March last soil A Xo. 1 red-hi!l land. About one half the seed came up in May and grow very slowly until the warm, growing weather set iu, when it made xa more rapid growth, and finally, attained an average height of three feet. I must do this grass, or millet, tlve justice to say that tilts was during our extremely dry summer just past, and it wa6 on dry hill land, and it would no doitbtdo bet ter in a more favorable season, and, also, on lower and moUtcr ground. It produced some feeed, but the tir-t white frost killed it to the ground. That set tles it as winter pasture grass. The roots are yet alive in the ground, and it romaini to be seen what a freeze .will do for them. If the poor thing survives the winter I shall note what it does next spring and Rummer; but I conclude from present experience that it will make it appearance late in the spring, to be early killed in the fall, proving a, summer plant only. Of its value a a hay plant, further exjteriment,! is neees aary. If iU roots prove perennial, and iU atimmu growth can successfully compete with fern, (torrel, wild oats, etc., and it turai off good crop of hay, i( may do us some good. But I am har mssed with doubt. Some kind of grass that will succeed as a hay, and winter pasture gars, on the wheat lands of the red hills, is the grass now wanted in this section. Orchard grass is better for pasture than timothy, but is not as good for hay. Mesquite grass makes a heavy growth on low land, but is not good for hay, but is not so well relished by stock as a pasture grass; ne: her will bear haul freezing. We have a native Blue grass which is becoming quite common in theso hills, which makes a fair pasture, but is unproductive for hay. It is high ly relished by stock ; makes a strong sod; bears drouth, freezing and close crop ping well ; is tenacious of life, but we don't take kindly to it. It is too small a producer. But it grows all winter in sunny days, and under snow, in season and out of season, and once started in a field of Johnson grass, would probably gobble that evergreen! while it was asleep in the ground. Winter wheat looks well better .than usual at this season. Fall plowing is well advanced, although rain is needed to make it plow well, but the farmers may do us some good. But I am har- The firt Farmer' Club. I Commencement at Willamette Unlveraryf A Bidden Treasure A Scrap of Mining- Hli are keeping at it, and more than tho inual acreage of Febiuary and spring grain will be sown. Henry Keixe. Letter from Illinois. HAitT-m'Risic, 111., Dec. 28, 1883. Editor Willamette Farmer : As I have not seen anything in the Farmer from our State. 1 thought I would write a few lities and contribute a few items. After a fine dry fall we are having real winter weather, with about four inches of snow. Fanners are haul ing in their corn. prettyTivcly, and it is only worth 30 cents here, on account' of the bad condition- of corn' this-year, caused by a cold, wet, backward spring. There is hut little dry, sound com in this country, and it seems to be a pretty general thing throughout the States. We had but little corn in Illinois lat year that would grow, and I think then will be less this year. The majority of the corn that was shipjied in lieu- for seed did not do well. Our oat crop was good: w licit only about half a crop ; grass good ; vegetables fair, the potato crop being abundant ; fruit scarce. I like the discretion given of Oregon and Washington through your most ex cellent pappr; I think the best means possible to learn all about a country is to take and lead a good, reliable paper fiom the same. I believe that Oregon and Washington is destined to make a fine country in the near future. You seem to have all the resources that is necessary to make it rich, and a pleasant climate. I will write again some time in the .future. Your? fraternally, IAto Sm:imoni. CtANGE ELECTIONS. Salem, Dec. 27, 1SS:J. Kditor Willamette Farmer: Marion County Pomona Grange has elected officers for 1884 as follows : D.m'l Claik. M.; K. H. Bellinger, O.; .1. Yoorhee-, Lecturer; 1). II. Lafollett, S.:W. M. Hilleary. A. S.; A. .Stephens, Chap.; F. J!. Smith, Trea-. ; K. Stiong, Sec; K. Kimsey, G. K. ; Martha A. Minto, I'omona: Pherne .Strong, Flora; Irene L. Hilleary, Ceres; .1. M. Kim-ey, L. A. S.; who will be installed on the 3rd of January. , The Salem Grange has also elected officers for 1J84, to nit : K. Strong. M.; G. G. Glenn, O. ; Dan'l Clark, L. ; F. R. Smith, S.; M. Halbert, A. S. ; .1. 1'. Kob erton, Chap.; I., Johnson, T.; A. Stephen, See,; S. G, .Tugli, (I. K.; I'herne Strong, I'.; Mary J. Lousignont, Flora; Martha .1." Miller. Ceres; Ellen Bagley, L. A. S. The officers elect of Salem Grange will be installed on the fith of January. K. Sntov.. What Will Curt Want on Borate. I'jEAut.M Hill, Or., Dee. -24, ISA'1. Kditor Willamette Farmer; I have, friend -one of your nb-crib is who i detiroun to eee a chip for wartc on hor-es. In tliifc case one is on the hursea bie&ct, and the other on the heath. Shouh you, or any of your many reader, know a cure, please nuli liih it in thf" Fa Kin.it and greatly oblige A Simst'UiiiKB. Xon:. We will endeavor to gie a remedy for this case in our next issue. The practical exjiericnce of any reader will be ehcrfiilly puMiahcd. Kniroii. Aumsviu.e, Or., Dc. 24, 1883. Editor Willamette Farmer. A Farmers' Club has been organized here under favorable auspices. It holds its regular meetings on tho first Satur day of each month at one o'clock, 1. M., at Kiene's school house. We have also a regular old-fashioried debating club running at the same place and meeting on Tuesday evening of each week where all the boys both old and young take a hand. IIus'uy Kinxn. Xotk. This is the first club we hoar of as forming to carry out tho sugges tions of Prof. Grim, of tho State Agri cultural College, as published in the Fakmkii. These Farmers' clubs are ac complishing great good in tho Eastern States and we feel sure they will be found to be not only pleasant re-unions but profitable as an interchange of experi ences and experiments. Eon ok. Tan Bark, Tannin;, and Tanneries. The Curry county Post, says: A correspondent writes to the Wil lamette Fakmki; asking if there are any trees in Oregon that will produce tan bark. Of 001110, there is any quantity of tlicm. There aie vast forests of Sarchen Oak in Curry county that will yield tan bark inferior to none in the world. And further, a . large portion of these forests are situated on vacant lands that can lie had under the homestead and pre-emption laws, and when cleared of its timber, will make excellent farms or pastures. The Atorian not long since told of the amount of hemlock and other trees that were about the mouth of the Co lumbia which- have -bak. necessary-for this business. It has been a wonder to us that while there has been such un excess of cattle in times past, that there has not been more tanning dono in this country. We believe thcro aro fewer tanneries in operation now than there were twenty years ago. Of two sets of vats we knew of in Salem that didn nourishing business many years ago none remain; they are now useless and gone to decay. In those times California used our leather and found it first-class in every re-pect. Tanning in its vari ous detail, neceary to the manufac turer, is a very haul and diity bu-ines., but i- a good paying business, and leather is necessary to civilization, and always commands cash, it is an article that is not dependent upon fashion, therefore is without fluctuations, in mar ket. Xewer ways of tanning may have taken the place of the old, to some de grees, and the process does not require as gre.it a length of time, since ingredi ents h.we been found that hasten th curing of hides, yet nothing, wo believe, has been found that will allow the dis.-u-e of tan barks for perfect finishing. The Bed Scale Bug. A coi:iieI"ONiii:xt of the Oregon Sen tinel, from Applegate, says : "More fruit trees are being planted this fall than ever before, and my opin ion iB that most people that bought of the California fruit trees .will yearlong faces another year, for the fruit trees J have seen from there are not to bo com pared with those grown on Applegate, both in roots; and beauty and smooth -netsof stalk, and further how do they know Imt what they have imported that terrible pest, the 'Keel Scale Bug' and pei haps other diseases that time will never cfl'ace from our fair country. So in the futuie patronize 'home industry' and let their fruit agents alone." Xot only will the Red SrHle Bug get among our trees, but every other noxious insect that is mentioned in that climate aa favorable to in-ect life. We hae teen the real codling moth, iu several localities in the Willamette Talley, which came from infected fruit that wae ship ped to Portland from California gradu ally this fearful pM has worked its way ,to Marion county. The Fah.mei: gae warning of this year ago, and urged that a bill should Ls.' passed in our Legis lature to preent the introduction of diseased fiuit and trees to Oregon. Hcarlet fever and typhoid feer hac disappeared from AMnrin. also from rMiem. An endeavor will be mnde to gt Dr. F. S. Hoyt to deliver the BaccaJaurciUc sermon at the close of the scJfool year. Dr. Hoyt was connected wifli tho old "Oregon Institute" as earlyhs 18o.'l, and wast much beloved and reSJiected by the students. We believe tbfc idea will meet with hearty approbation, and will draw together many of tharold scholars, thus making it an event for a happy reunion of pld timers. Wchavc no doubt but Dr. Hoyt, will be glad to visit us, as wo have heard that he retains a warm memory of his early life in Oregon, and hap regretted that ho did not remain among us. A Talking Dos How a Bad Boy cot away with the Old Man's Money. Away among the Waldo Hills lives a family by the name of Smith. There is nothing singular about the name, though a single member qf that vast family has succeeded in making it fain ous. This is how ho did it. Theie was a strong supply of juvenile Smiths, the atmosphere of the I lill naturally tend ing that way ; tho ' first parties " being noways backward in coming forward. The eldest son was Tommy a promis ing boy of ten years. (We were going to say summers, or spring, but he was too "tough" for a spring chicken.) But to get at the dog. One day Tommy brought home a mangy looking canine, whose, only recommendation to the con sideration of superior humanity was th'e eparsity of its coat and its extreme youth. When Tommy brought that dog Jioine the old man bucked like thunder. Said be, "I gues we have plenty of children to feed without adopting pnrps." But Tommy had re ceived a first-clas public school educi-i tion, and had never failed to observe as letrvoleL-JEIe knewjjisdaddy to a bean. " Pnpai" said he, .you're apt to get fooled on that dog; he don't lo 't much, but he comes of a breed tlirf talks." The word " talks," and in bis mind's eye laid out a beautiful future for that purp. Tommy, seeing his ad vantage, lost no time in following up the game. ' I hnow a man," said he, "who lies near Sublimity, who says he can train this dog to talk in six weeks. However, he cliaiges like thunder for Ieshons; but to tell you, Dad, talking dogs N as scarce as Chrfstmas pre-ents on tbo Fouith of July." This caught the old man Iwtwen wind and water, and at Tommy's advice he put up a cool $20 for the fust two weeks' liMoni-'. The ttvo weeks passed, and Tommy came ainund for the next assessment. The boy had interviewed tho dog, and reported the progress toward conversation to be good enough to warrant tin- outlay of an other "double eagle." The old man put up the twenty with a blank confidence seldom met with in this degenerate age. J fe only ltmarked, "Tommy, I guess that dog will lie fixed for a side show ne.t w ek, eh '''' Toiinn.' wasuot certain as to whether the educa tion could be finished at such short no tice, but said he would go and sin the trainer, speak with the dog, and repuit progress. He came back with the r.id news that $30moie was requiied before the brute could be turned out as pcrfict Forty dollars had aheady liccn spent, and it seemed a pity to let the thing go by default for the extra SHI), so the old man put up once nioie. The six weeks passed, and the pater dispatched Tommy to bring home the now educated dog. Tommy started early in the dn, and the whole of the Smith family was naturally on the qui ive for the result. The hands of the old Dutch clock weie watched with an amount of anxiety that they neerhad been befoie. At lat the boy's footstep was heard on the stoop, and Tommy cnternl. Alas' there was no dog. The old man went for him bald-headed. "Whar's, that dog?" said 'he. But Tommy, with a peculiar motion of his right linger and no-e drew his father from the family eiicle, and thus explained "I got the dog, father, and was walking him along the railroad track towards home, when he pulled up and .said, just ft" natural a life, "Well, how's thii.gs''' At fnt I was. sort of atoninhrd. but whn I be gan to think how he'd been trained, hi talk seemed to come natural. 'How' tlie old man?' ho said. At this fmiliar us- of your identity I bristled up and aked, 'Do j on mejii my ddv' Of course I mean him. replied the canine, 'and doc ho still LU- that red-head d servant girl like he ntd to do'1 Thi was too much for me father, nd I up with a plffewf an iion rail and knocked his brain out." "You did quite right, my son," said theoM man, as he quietly slid a fnedollar piece into his ton's hand. Iii future eon't liotbcr with talking dogs; so ke-p muni on the sitls- jOi't.' As yet few people have an idea of tho extonsiveness of tho new discoveries in tho Cteur d'Alono mountains. From what information wo can obtain, says tho Walla Walla Union, of old minors the mineral district is much more ox tended than reports make it. The mines arc located in the Cnuir d' Aleno moun tains, but they aro outside of the Prit chard district. Tho first assay thowed $9.41 in silver and a trace of gold. The second assay showed $t!3 in silver and !fl.S4 in gold. The third .$183.01 silver and $7.20 in gold. Tho rock is free mill ing ore and the mines are 30 miles this side of the " new diggings." The Cn'Ur d'Aleno mines now known as Fritchard and Kagle creek, were, dis covered by a man named Mulligan over five years ago. After discovering the mines Mulligan enlisted with himself a California miner named Irwin. Mulli gan claimed to havo discovered a silver mine of famous wealth, and nlso 100 acres of placer diggings that would pay $2.1 per day to the man. Mulligan went to Lewiston and had a district recorded known as the Mulligan district. When Mulligan came to this city ho indulged in quite a spreo and suddenly doparted for Wallula. He was lost track of then and was not heard of again until ho reiohcd Chicago, wnf'o ho tried to in terest capital to come to his aid in de veloping his discoveries. Ho suddenly dropped from sight there and has novor beeniieard of since. When Mr.McCoy first went to the mines he remembered Mulligan's description, which hojhnd written in a book. Taking these along he found them to tally exactly with the topography of tho country and land marks, even as to projecting boulders, broken trees, stumps, etc. Mr. McCoy and others intend going on a search for the "Hidden Treasure Silvery Mine," of which they have a minute doscrip tion as to location, etc. During Mr. McCoy's last visit to the mines ho fol lowed the directions as laid down by Mulligan and as far as he went he found them correct excepting that tho mine was not theie, although (he surround ings were minutely described. Mr. McCoy left for tho mine yesterday and during his present stay there ho will further prosecute his search. It remains to b -1 en whether Mulligan told half a lie or not. The N. P. Refrlgorator Car Co. Weun deistmid the noees-siry arrange ments have been made for the purchase of sixty acres of land near the mouth of Three Mile for the ejection of the works of the Itefriecrator Car Co. which will be ended in the early spring. So says The Dalle" Mountaineer. These will consist of sfoek pens, slaughter houses and other buildings. It is expected that about 200 men will be given con stant employment, and as their base of supplies will be The Dalles, it will add materially to our growth. There will be no necessity for any other slaughter hoH-e- to be anywhere around th't city, as the company epc1 to purchase all the beef cattle in this section. Ily means of a cold ciurentof air, the meat will be kept in a nice state of pre- rvation, and the dealer can procure his side or quar ter of litef or mutton as he may have occa-ion to u quire. Kven in the 110 .'est days 0 summer, animal food is kept in iich a cool atmiispheie in the refrigerat ing cars that it can be eanied hundreds of mile-, and appear as fif., as when 111 st put in The same can lie stated of fish, poultry, and vegetables; and when it is tal; 11 into consideration, the large number of salmon which could be ship ped to Ka-ttin niarke's fiom this -oion, it will be understood what a great ad vantage they, will Ik to this city. Last County At rlcultural Society Fiom the Kugene State l'Mrn that this oixuety held Journal we a meeting rwenllj dud iijipointed committees from different localities to ascertain and re port what inducements could I offered in tli' way of providing the free use of ground for track, pavilliou, camping ground, tc for holding the Third Annual County Fair. Following are the committee Kugen S.H. Friend l.. I.. D. Smith, John Stuart, F. M. Wil kins and ItobtllaveM. Cottage Grove J C WalU.e, K.WAVhipple and O. Knot. Spnngrield A, D. Burton, M. If, Harlow and II. F. l'owei. Cresswcll Boscoe Knox, W.J.J. Scott and St ve Martin. Junction J. X. Kdwardi. I. S. Swear ingen and J.is, Milliron. Irving 1. D. Gibron, J.C .lenningi and Sam Howard. Siilaw .l.AJ. Crow, Geo. Lambeth and W. I. Coleman. Pleasant Hill J. It. Seller and .lo-iah f alli-ou. Coxohrss l.s evidently studying the all-important question how not to do itf Thcro is a barrel full of bills on hand and among tho thousands introduced it will Ikj rather difficult to decido which shall bo taken hold of and pushed through. Tho political measures will all bo handled with extreme caro and touched lightly. Tho presidential elec tion is too near for comfort. Elastic consciences and slim purses at times ex ist in Congress even. Tho ruling prin ciplo will In) to do nothing that can react and hurt tho party that dares to meddle with it. Thero is tho tariff", but all havo conservative views on tariffs just now and will not meddlo with anything, ex cept it be to comfort the wool growers a little by restoring tho wool duty. Farm ers have votes and it wont do to trifle with the wool growers. Then thero aro the National banks, and Congressmen own moro or less bank stock. So it is dubi ous if the banks suffer this winter. We havo a superabundant revenue, also, and how to cut it down is the difficulty. Thero are so many sides to tho revenue question that wiso as Congressmen aro they cannot decide where to begin to take off taxes. So wo go on collecting a hundred millions moro rovenuo than wo havo actual use for. Tho public land question is of much actual importance, ; especially as to reclaiming the land grants that aro forfeited whero tho com panies havo no intention of doing the work. Thcro may bo some that pressnt claims for continuance but those cases nliould bo carefully examined to see if the object of tho grant is still worth what it will cost. It will be better to have tho grants revert to tho govornment, of course, but take the caso of tho Oregon and California road, that is a public ne cessity and very costly. That company has issued bonds on the strength of tl.e grant nnd so has got the credit to con tinue the work. But there is more dan ger that Congress, will continue grants that are undeserving tlian they will re voke any that are deserving. The nation has not much faith in Congressional ac tion in favor of public interests and there aie lobbyists always on baud to place ImhmIh and stocks "where they will do tho most good" . to the corporations. Now 'iiiA'rO'Dounell is dead and gone, another "martyr to Irish liberty," wo must concede that the best thing wo know of him was that he died in a man ful way. His career is not especially noteworthy or praisow rthy. He claimod American citizenship and it was inti mated that ho had Ik en a I'nion soldier. It waspiousl that he km traseliiig at sea with a woman who pacd as Irs wife, but who went off with another man as soon as O'Donnell was in limbo. He drank whiskey and was an Irish patriot, whodiauk and talked Irish politics with Carey, the informer, mid one day, when whisky'iitnd patriotism were both in excess, he accu-ed C.uey of licing the mauhewas ami pretended not tobe, apd shot him dead. It was not to O'Donnell's credit that he filled the role wedescriltcd. As U killing Carey, that is nothing creditable either; although ho will go down to posterity as an Irish martyr, while in fact he was only 1111 Irish mur derer, Carey infoimedas to tho niur dercrs of IJurke and Ccumdisb, which weie liouible n I lairs, rind always will Im blots 011 the Irish character. So far Im did good woik, but the world despises an informer, and the Irish world, especi ally, U sure to hale inch a one. St r.-ciuiiHis will plea-e buy a postal note or send by regi-teied letter to 11 direct. Don't pay it lo any one else but remit to u. We will semi a receipt bowing; exactly how their dates stand on our books. We cannot pay agents, for the price i as low as we can afford to publish the Wii.lamktti: Fhmek. Terms, one ymir f2 IX); K months, 1 2.V The hm.-t candies of domestic man iiiHCture at Amos Strong', Commercial atrret, Salem. Oriiauieiitu for ChrUt ma trees, toy candies, etc. " "