Willamette farmer., April 25, 1884, Image 1

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VOL. XVI.
Kjorticulhind.
FLAX CULTURE.
Maxm'ield, Ohio, April 1, 1881.
Editor Willamette Firmer:
Wo think you ought to gie your
readers a good ringing cilitorinl upon
the subject of flax culture. Wo aro
over-producing wheat, oats and corn,
and under-producing flux. Flax is easier
to cultivato than most other crops, and
. wheat is selling in Chicago at S2 cnts,
while flax teed is selling at 1.05 in the
Mime market. Thero is yot plenty of
timo to put in large flux crops in every
section leached by your paper.
Yours truly, M. D. Haktci:.
It is true that we can turn to ilax eul
turo as a varioty and a needed product
for tho country. To what extent fl.ix is
needed wo cannot say. A few years ago
the oil mills contracted in advance for
flax seed, agreeing to pay three cents a
pound. Considerable flax wa raited in
tho folks of the Santiam and for awhile
it seemd to pay. Later less and less
was grown theie nnd complaints made
that it was not. a reliablo paying crop.
Flax seems to do well on low land nnd
can be, as our conespomlcnt hays, put
in later than now with s.ifoty. Much
flax was grown on bottom hinds near
Moscow, Eastern Palouo countiy, tho
chief reason being that contractors
agreed to pay three cents a pound. As
they had to haul a gioat distance farm
ers prefeiri d to raise n crop that brought
more than wheat and flax brought thorn
j at least tin centimes ''per poundweight
what they could get for wheat though
they did not got mo much yield per acre.
As to the profit rf flax, many laised it at
three cents per pound who do not since
tho i'ri'( has dropped. The yield on the
Snntiam ranged from eight to twelve
bushels to the acre and in the Palouso
it brought ten to eighteen bushels. An
other matter is whether thero will be a
demand for flax when it is grown. Tho
writer of the above is concerned in
manufacturing agricultui! machinery
in Ohio and wo suppose ho thinks our
flax will go East. As it is now wo find
demand for flax for the oil mill hero in
Salem and another in California, and
they find a maiket for their oil here on
this coast. If wo aio not mistaken the
manufacturers of oil East and on this
coast have agreement not to invado ter
ritory, and oil sells here cheaper than
in the E.ist. Of Louise it will bo
easy to oveido production of flax seed,
that is for this coast. As the mills do
not longer advertise for contracts to
grow seed it appears that they have a
saffl supply for all they care to grind.
Tho null hero does not nearly do a full
years work, and as tho mills on this coast
seem to divide tho trade it seems possi
bio that inci eased prodnction may be a
bad thing. As to shipment East of flax
teed that may not pay well enough to go
into extensivoly. We recognize the im
portanco of tho subject nnd will try to
obtain infoimation fiom Gray Sc Co. be
fore this gpes to press.
BTEAWBEEKIES CULTUEE AND KINDS.
Editor Willamette Farmer:
Having grown strawberries for more
than a quarter of a century, and during
this long period we have proved a few
strawberries to bo worthy, but many
have been found wanting in those requi
sites which constitute a fine berry and
plant ; hence we speak with experience
and caution.
The successful horticulturist has found
a few things absolutely necessary to
make money growing strawberries.
Some of these are : 1, a good market ;
2, help and nearness to market ; 3, a rich,
deep, moist soil ; 4, clean cultivation ; 5,
vigorous, productive, hardy plants; 6,
large, firm berries, and of fine quality.
With these, energy, and some brains, he
will succeed.
This much by way of premise. Now
SALEM, OREGON, FRIDAY,
for those kinds which experienco has
taught to bo generally reliablo or un
worthy. Tho Wilson. This is not a iirst-rato
strawberry, nay, nor hardly a second
rate one ; its hardihood, its immense pro
ductiveness, and its firmness hnvo given
it a great name. It is known and grown
all over the continent. Its reputation is
accorded to nono save the Crescent Seed
ling, and that only in productiveness.
The Wilson is firmer, less hour, and
therofoie batterfor market. When prop
erly grown it is agieat market berry. Its
faults aie : Compared w ith (air best fla
vored borries, it is loses, and further, it
has too many little ones. Tho lirst pick
ings arc always fine, the second, so so,
tho thiid little things! Still the Wilson
will outlive, as it lias outlived, many
that have been "mightily praised." It is
one of the few that can be commanded.
It requires rich, moist land to do its
best. Our dry climate and hot sun aro
unfavorable to it. Somo contend it is
running out and becoming diseased.
With mo it is healthy. As a market
berry it is among the best, and 1 recom
mend it.
Tho Sharpies is woithy, but is often
in large specimens hollow and soft
For homo use and near market it is a fine
stiawbeny.
Tho (ilendalo is a linn, largo and pro
ductive variety ; isxfino for canning. It
is sour and has too many little ones. I
consider it only third quality. From my
exporience with it I cannot recommend
it. It is late and Arm, and for tlieso lea-
sons it is. cultivated, t shall discaul it.
...Warner'&Prolific is soft, popr,in,qual;
ity, small unworthy. 1 shall plow it
under.
Kay's I'nMiiic is eaily, firm, large, pio-
ductivo in fruit and healthy in plant. Is
woithy. I prefer it to the Wilson.
Tho Cumbeiland Triumph for tho gar
den or near market is splendid.
Tho Duncan is very early, rich and de
licious ; only suited to the gardon.
The Marvin is late, large, productive
and plant healthy, Is a good market
fruit.
Capttin Jiwk I have on trial and will
report in future.
The Phelps, or "Old lion-Clad," is tho
best market berry among early kinds I
know of. .Tho plant is very vigorous,
forms many stools and fruit buds, splen
did foliage, and n remarkably ugly
formed boirv It seems as if Nature had
piled in flvo berrio" together to form only
one. Hut notwithstanding tho berry is
ugly in form, it is rich, high flavored
and bolls well. That's the main idea,
sells well. For an early, big, rich berry
it is much superior to tho Wilson. If I
had to choose only one strawborry for
early use it would bo tho ''Old Iron
Clad," so called becauso of its immense
vigor and hardihood. It is hermaphro
dite. You can set it anywhere and half
tend it and you'll have plenty of berries.
It is worthy. More anon.
A. F. Daviwsox.
Timber Wastes
A writer in the New York Times founds
a note of warning to all our people who
have 6eemed to regard tho supply of
white pine as inexhaustible. What he
says is well worth consideration. We
quote:
At a Forestry Congress which met at
Cincinnati in 1882, a paper written by
Mr. James Little, of Montreal, one of the
first lumber statisticians now living,
proved to the satisfaction of the ex
perts gathered there that we are near
tiie end of our supply of that precious
timber, ana this means not less tnan J,-
(VU"1 Ylf nm a vnar rl Airivt. luu Mi.
Little showed clearly that tho available
supply in Canada, so generally supposed
to be inexhaustible, was nearly gone.
He quoted-the well-known statement of
Prof Charles S. Sargent (Director of the
Arnold Arboretum; connected with
Harvard University, and special accent in
charge of the forestry statistics in. the
United States Census,) made in his report,
1682, that the entire stock of standing
white pine in the United States does not
exceed 80,000,000,000 feet, and that this
includes the. small inferior trees which
used to bo thought not worth cutting,
that 10,000,000,000 out of these 80,000,-
000,000 feet are cut every year, and that
tho demand is steadily increasing.
Mr. Little further stated that tuc value
of tho annual product of our mills ns it
falls fiom the saw is STOO.000,000, and
that whito pino is the chief itom in that
product. At tho lumber yard, where
most folks buy it, it is certainly within
limits to say tint it is worth on the
average 50 per cent more, or !U."0.000,-
000. To replaco it from other countries,
Qil it could bo obtained, wnicli is im
possible,) would require more than all
tho tonnage of tho world for transpor
tation, and it would cost in tho yard
eeitninly more than twice it does now.
Horo, then, we get our billion ilollais
of annual direct deficit, and this takes
no account of thole from tho cupphng
of in inufaotures depending on working
wood, or fiom climatic changes and
derangement of tho water supply. Since
these facts weio made public the price of
pino lands have no.irly doublet!. A
gentleman of high diameter, well ac
quainted with Michigan, told the writer
tho other day that good standing pine
which was bought ot tho United States
(lovcrnmout for SjS.iiO per acio is now
valued at ."i200 per acie. JJiit the 10
morselcss slaughter of ourlittlo remnant
goes on at increasing speed. Last year's
cut was the largest over known. Ono
out of tho eight ycai's supply is gone,
and tho end is therefore closo at hand
unless wo begin t" economise.
Plint Trees.
An uiticlo under tho nbovo caption
litis the merit of Lciiig.in season at this
timo evon if it does not set foith any
intelligence as to tho manner, of pio-
cecding in the praiscwoithy business ot
planting and cultivating tree-. Wo do
not pro-fess to" 1) ovci-stoukod with
knowledge on tho' subject, which we
would be glad to impart if such were the
tho ease, and wero it within our power
to offer premiums to tho ono who evinced
tho most cnterprito in this nvittor, wo
would do it in a minute. Tho soil and
climate of this country is favorable, tho
original cent is nominal and can bo
paid mostly in labor poihaps that is
tho main sticking poiut and whythore
is not more interest taken in improving,
beautifying and protecting homos by
the cultivation of fruit, shade and orna
mental trees, is a question wo aro com
pelled to "lay on the table." Thero aro
many people who have lived in this
couutry long onough to witness tho
growth of luxuriant gioves and profitable
orchards on thoir own farms, but whoso
ranches nro as baro and uninviting as so
much land in a desert. How much
difference there is in tho looks and vuluo
of a farm that is thus improved and one
that is not. What is true of a single farm
is true of tho whole country, and tho
appearance and value of this valley in
i ho ears to come is just what fanners,
in the improvement of theirfurm, choose
to makoit. Union County Itecord.
Fruit Blossoms.
Although tho honey obtained fiom
this source is not equal cither in quality
or quantity to that from clover and otlu r
sources, yet coining as it does just win m
tho bees have usually nearly exhausted
thoir old stores it is a crop of great mo
ment to tho apiarist I do not know of
a prettier sight to tho bet-keeper than
tho yellow-banded Italians at work on
fruit blossoms, nor a plcaBantcr sound
than their merry hum or rejoicing. One
would bitpposti the houey from choice,
cm ly cherry trees mut he unusually tin"',
but 1 believe those that lime tried it, all
agree that it is anything but dolicious.
It seems to have a strong, rank tast that
much resembles the taste noticeablo in
cherry troo bark on the buds ; tho honey
from tho apple blossom is much the
same. It is excellent for starting brood
rearing, but it is of littlo or no valuo for
table use. Although it will not be ad
visablo to try to get surplus honey from
the fniit to b'ooin, it is somotimes an
excellent idea to put a frame or two of
suctions in the lower story, that they
may get the foundations nicely built out
ready for the clover season. If they
should store somo of tho dark honey in
the sections it will be all removed during
the interval between the fruit bloou and
white clover. Enterprise.
Mr. Jno. W. Gilbert has two full-blood
Berkshire boars, four month old, which
he would like to sell. Any one wishing
such an animal will do well to address
him immediately.
iMsuat fVotth ftvrun nvtf fftila to enr If
sd ia Usm aBdacoordfag to dirotieM.
APRIL 25, 1884.
CORN PLANTING.
Thero is yet plenty of timo to plant
com nnd beans and these two iu tides of
production aro needed and can bo used
to advantage if grown. Tho remark is
often made that wo do not produce much
that wo consume that could bo grown at
home. Wo buy an immense supply of
vegetables from California and we pay
tho coin for them. The quostion of
importance is : can wo grow thoso
things at homo? As to some early vege
tables no doubt wo shall always buy
them of southern gardeners. Hut our
regular supply should bo grown in our
own gardens and to watch the coming of
California steamers is a sight to remem
ber. Tropical fruits and vegetables come
of course, but tilers mo cabbages, cauli
flowers, celory, asparagus, and many
other vegetables come tho year round;
al-o butter, cheese and 'honey como all
tho time. Moio interest is taken, wo are
glad to see, in dairying and in apiarios.
Oregon honey is becoming n regular
arliclo of trade and Oregon and Wash
ington dairies produce more than hereto
fore. Yet tho fact remains that two or
three times a week stoamers arrive with
cargoes of California products, very much
of which wo should grow at homo. A
now element is coming into the country
that is no doubt more congenial with tho
new order of things. A now impulso will
bo given to thoso who wero horo of old
and wo shall -eo Oregon become far more
productive than ever. It is not kind or
proper to taunt our producers with the
fact that wo do not produce all wo can
and ought. Tho better way is to study
tho.situiition and show what needs to bo
done. To assumo to know all is not
considerate or rospoctful but wo try to
study things lis they aro and then reason
what they should bo with tho aid of ox
porienuo that has mastered tho difficul
ties wo encounter.
CONGRESSIONAL MATTEUS.
Congress has accomplished littlo as
yet, this session, because so much timo
has been occupied with consideration of
of the tariff bill iu tho house, and tho
Senate has had tho oducation bill and
somo othor measures before it. Tho
revoking of land grants moves slowly.
It is probablo that tho Oregon and Cal
ifornia and tho Oregon Contra! grants
will bo revoked and no doubt tho Toxas
I'acifi'1 and somo othor grants will go
back to tho government. It is hardly
probab'o, aocoiding to reports, that tho
Northorn Pacific grant will bo repealed.
For one reason tho act originally mado
a positive grant of tho lands on tho lino
of tho road and tho company claims to
havo legal rights that tho courts will
repec' and that thoy will defend. Somo
arrangement will probably bo mado for
tho surrender of tho grant west of Will
lula by tho company, but that is only a
surmise. Tho grant across tho Cascades
from Ainsworth to Taeotnu, it is thought
will stand, because it is needed to enable
the company to build the road on that
line. It is probablo that tho Cabcado
branch road will bo hurried to comple
tion this summer and tho lands earned
Iwfore next winter. That will wind up
tho Northern Pacific grants. We only
givu these as current rumors. Tho ses
sion of Congress may be prolonged until
late in the spring or early summer, as
thero is a great deal of irnpoitant legis
lation demanding attention. Our Con
gressmen are doing all they can to secure
sufficient appropriations for the im
provement of our rivers and harbors.
USE OF UMOOJMO.
r M. Wilkins informs us that ho under
took this spring to kill out the morning
glory or wild potato vino that is com
mon in old fields In patchw in upland
prairies and hills in this valley. In somo
fields this plant seriously injures tho
yield. He says sheep on it in summer
will kill this plant, as it bleeds to death.
Sheep like the tops and hogs like tho
rood, which is much larger than the
NO. 11
top. Ho tried subsoiling and found
where this plant oxists, that six inches
bolow tho common plowing was a thick
mat of roots. They had to follow and
throw out tho roots with forks. Ho broke
tho ground twelve to sixteen inches and
the roots lay on the surface, killed by tho
freozo, as thick ns a hay crop. Mr.
Wilkins says that mnny farmers miss it
in letting this weed injure their land.
His land has no clay under it, nnd turns
loam up from a depth that will hold his
crops. Ho followed a sixteen inch plow
with a twelve inch, set over to run in
the same furrow. It is no doubt truo
that many fields in Western Oregon
need subsoil! ng to bring them up t
their original fcitility.
A Disastrous Fire Tho Probablo Causo.
Mr. George Mrcnr lives in Sout
Salem, and opposito to his placo is a
brewery wheio many good-for-nothing
people spend thoir evening and when too
full to go home sleep in somo barn closo
by. Ono day ho found a man lying in
his barn with a cigar just fallen out oT
his mouth, asleep. Mr. Mercer carries
on dniying nnd teaming iu Salem and is
a very hard working citizen. Satuiday
night, or rather towards Sunday morn
inir, his stable was binned with four
hoisos, and harness and a valuable hack,
causing him very serious lo. Ho is a
man who him no ouemies and tho only
reasonable wnv lo account for tho iiro is
tho supposition that somo loafer too full
of bier, slept there and going away
towards morning lit his pipo or cigar
and so set the bam on Iiro. So wo sco n
good man suffer serious loss of his prop
erty becauso he lived too near n brewery.
Of course tho brewery man would not
incite any one lo set a frionds burn on
fno, but ho did what amounts to that if
he sold him tho liquor that mado him
incapable of acting with reasonable
caution. As we live to seo such things
and much woro things occur around us
we feol moio embittored against Ilia salo
of liquor. There is something wrong
whim Mich lo-ses occur nnd no man is
responsible for them. Thero should bo
sound and reliable law to nmko every
man who sells whatever intoxicates re
sponsible for losses occurring from such
cause. No doubt tho better way will bo
to restrict the salo of liquor or prevent
its nitniufnetnjo. AVo owo it to society
to iiflbid protection against tho groat
and terrible evils occurring from in
tempeiance. Talilni out Stumps by BlastluR.
Last Monday we wont to Lake Lallish,
to the farm of F. ,1. Heatty,and witnessed
some very effectivo woi k in tho stump
lifting line. Ho had on his field somo
stumps fivo and six feot through. Tho
process was simple enough and was
about as follows : Ho made a small hole
under tho stump, largo onough to got in
a ciutridgo and stick of giant powder.
Tho object of this was to mako a cavity
lnrgo enough to iuseit tho Judson pow
der. After setting off this chaigo wo
invariably found n eavily of ample size.
Clearing itoutthc Judson powder (about
twelve pounds') was placed underneath
ihoHtump; a third of a stick of giant
powder with a giant powder cap on a
piece of fuso inserted into it was laid
alongsido tho Judson nnd then the
whole cavity was filled up again and the
earth tramped down carefully. Of
course tho utmost caution was observed.
Tho match was applied to tho slow fire
and it wus communicated to the cap,
which 1ms twico the power of a gun
shot, which in turn set off tho giant
powder, and that started tho Judson.
Th whole makes u simultaneous report
and was sufficient to 0kjii up a stump
fivo feet across and weighing many tons.
The whole mass would rise up bodily in
tho air and the roots for yards around
lay baro and slivered into a thousand
pieces. Tho process is simply to clear
out a good place under tho stump thest
set off the Judson powder and yo
stump is out und in suitable shape tot
mote either by firing or hauling off wi
a team. Tho cost is comparatively ligl
and can bo summed up about as follow
Twelve pounds of Judson, $1.20; giant
powder (1 6 pound), 10c ; fuse, 5c ; total,
L35 to remove a stump fivo feet
through, weighing three Ions. To this
must tie added tho labor of oxcuvuting
and clearing. We venture lo cay that it
will. coat not to excised $1.50 to removo a
stump us above otutcd. It would take
two men two days to grub out such a
stump, to aay nothing about removing
it after taken out.
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