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About Willamette farmer. (Salem, Or.) 1869-1887 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 16, 1885)
,?. itf ..J VOL. XVI. During tlico Kurd TIiiun tho tendency to ro trcncli It cry strong and cry proper. Let tho farmer oik hlmiclf, howofet, II ho can aflorJ to dlspcnso with tho only Journal In the Btalo that belongs to Mm nnd represents hli Intertill! Thirteen jcara a;o no purchased tho Willamette Parxiw and Inustcd In It all our means and tho belt yean of several llc. Con lldcr, (rlcndi, whether It Is not incro rcasonablo at this time, (when jou know how Ifird tho time) muit pinch the publisher ot jour own Journal) to co out and col lect a small club ol now subscribers at tlio lw prico offered rather than think of "economizing" by doing without tlio serricct ot a friend ot such long standing. 4$)tm$tmiUnt$. UMATILLA AND WASCO COUNTY. Cold Srnis'a Ranch, ) Umntilla Co., Or., Dec. 21. f Editor Willnmotto Farmer Mr. Minto's communication to your oxcollont publication nro road with uni versal intorost by tho fanning commun ity, ns thoy aro tho practical observa tions of n practical man, and aro in tho main, very truthful descriptions of tho groat "plain country" of Eastern Oregon. Nevertheless, in his Notes and Observa tions in Wasco County, published in your issued December 12, 1 inclino to tho opinion that ho dwells somowhat too elaborately upon tho disadvantages of living and farming in tho bunch grass country. I theroforo beg to tippond a fow remarks which may bo deemed opti mistic by some, but which aro novortho less matters of common observation by all who havo n practical acquaintance with tho overy day lifo of tho avorago bunch grass farmer. In writing of Eastern Oregon it is necessary always to romombor that it is essentially a now and undeveloped coun try, and that wo aro only just beginning to reallzo tho important fact that our soil is good for other purposoe than that of whoat growing. Ten, yos eight ycors ngo, tho best of theso plain lands could havo been had for tho locating. A forr during oxporimontors had demonstrated that wheat could bo successfully raised on theso bunch grass hills, and tho soil has over since been exclusively dovoted to tho production of that cereal. Of Into howovcr, oihor experiments havo been tried, with equally flattering results and wo aro now boginning to form correct opinions of tho real valuo and versatil ity of mu soil nnd although wheat farming will for many years to como bo our stnplo industry, yot the resources of our soil aro such as to guarantco that diversified farming will in timo usurp tbo placo of our great Holds of stubble. In point of fact wheat raising is tho vory feature winch ronuora tlio great plains of tho Columbia such an attrac tive country to the avorago immigrant, for it is tho medium through which our farmers improvo and stock thoir farms. As a einiplo proposition wheat raising pays hoavy interest on tho capital in vested. An energetic poor man or a man with a small capital on a quarter or half section of government land can produco enough in three years to pay for his land and improvements over and over again. Tho expenso of breaking land is only $2 per aero by contract and enough can bo raised on tbo sod to fjir nish food and seod for tho next years crop. With a littlo money for lumber, provisions and sundrois.'tho new comer can livo as comfortably and cheaply hero as elsewhere ; bo has to livo anyhow, and while his crop is growing ho can bo either breaking virgin soil for next years crop, or ho can bo hauling rails and posts for fencing. At all events he is improving bis land in his spare timo and is consequently increasing tho val uo of his worldly possessions by each day's work, and with anything liko de cent farming, threo crops will, a afore said, pay him enough to purchaso his land and return what money he has in; vested. Mr. Minto says that "tho dry season makes this soil not a sure depen dence for crops." I mako answer that if the summer-fallow process of cultiva tion is adhered to that tho crop is rend ered totally independent of tho season. In other wdrda mora depends upon the SALEM, OREGON, FRIDAY, JANUARY 1(, 1885. mmi who faims and his method of cultivation than upon tho season. It is howovor a phenomenally dry summer whon tho rainfall is not sulllciont to guaranlco a fair crop, even with tho most slovonly and careless methods of cultivation. Tho avorago plan here, ns in all now countries, is to plow when you can and seed when you get ready and let nature do -tho rest, Tho result has built up Umatilla to tho second county in tho State, in spito of this un avoidable HhiftlcssncBs. And, although our climato may bo deomed dry by n man from Wobfoot, yet our rainfall is amplo for all practical purposos, and cxpcricnco demonstrates, that our soil possesses tho properties of absorbing and rotaining ntmesphorio moisturo to n wondorful degree, so that, as aforesaid, with propor cultivation, thcro is no such word as fail in tho farmers' vocapulary. Tho rainfall in tho locality described by Mr. Minto is loss than than that of any other part of our State and much less than fall in this ond of Umatilla county. This I attributo in part to its noaror vicinage to tho Cascades and in part to tho groat southerly tond which tho Bluo Mountains tako at that point. Tho timber lino of which Mr. Minto states to bo sixty miles distant from tho Col umbia river. In this ond of Umatilla county, as in tho adjoining counties of Washington Territory enclosed by tho Columbia and Snako rivers, tho timbor lino is not moro than thirty miles distant from tho most isolatod districts. Ilonco it follows that tho rainfall is less and tho difficulty of procuring timbor and fuel is groator in Wasco than in any other bunch grass county. As an item of in formation I will stato that foncing can bo contracted for from $20 to $30 per 100 rods, tho diffcrenco boing in tho quality of wiro used ; somo prefer tho plain wire, others tho doublo stranded barbed variety. Posts sot two .rods apart with two wiros aro sufficiently strong to turn stock. Posts can bn got in tho mountains already cut for $2 por 100 and cordwood tho samo prico por cord. Tho farmer who brings a littlo money with him will do bettor to buy theso things in tho neighborhood towns, whero they buy posts for .$1 per 100, con! wood $1.50 per cord and saves much timo in hauling to nnd from tho mountains. In this section wo havo no difficulty in ob taining a never failing supply of running water of tho purost quality at an avor ago depth of sixty feet, ns at this depth tho basaltic bedrock is seamod with sub terranean streams which percolates through tho honoy-combod bedrock in quantities that no windmill pump sorving 1G0 bead of Btock por day havo over boon ablo to oxhaust. Mr. Minto thinks that tho darkest phases of lifo in tho bunch grass coun try is tho comparitivo isolation of fam ily lifo. This is true, but not to a greater extent than prevails in alt new countries. Tho isolation is the lot of tho pioneer in ovory degreo of latitudo and longitudo, and I think our situation in this respect is infinitoly superior to that endured by tho ploneors of tho Willametto valloy under tho old W0 aero donation law, for her our farms aro not only smaller, but wo aro surrounded by towns and villages and railroads, all in an easy half a day's rido, whilo tho country is cut up into school districts traversed by good coun ty roads, which makes travoling good at all seasons. Nearly ovory school house in the county is, on tho Sabbath, tho rendezvous of all tho families in the dis trict, who assomblo as much for tho sake of companionship as to listen to that "sweot story of old" as it is expounded according to tho peculiar doctrinal views of this or that itenerant missionary whoso lifo is devoted to spreading the gospel among tho heathen ' bunch grassors. In tho winter timo dances, social gatherings and literary societies form a rallying point for our families which aro rarely neglected. The locality described by Mr. Minto is not regarded ns an nvcrago specimen of tho bunch gruefl country, if ho over extends his travels this far oastward I hopo to havo tho pleasure of showing him a far moro prosperous and comfortablo neighborhood than any ho has seen in Wnsco. We, of course, have our dis advantages. Wo havo not n sawmill on overy farm and wo havo to sink (i0 foot for water. Theso aro our worst drawbacks. Hut on tho other hand wo havo tho best of clean soil, easily broken, a glorious climate, plenty of native pasture, network of llounsing towns surrounding us, and wo aro literally corallcd by railroads, to that tho most isolated farm is not moro than fourteen miles from a railroad station. In tho fulness of timo tho scarcity of fuel may bo obviated would havo beon long sinco but for tho ignorancoor hoggish- ncss of tho railroad companion, who pre fer hauling empty cars from Portland in proforenco to supplying tho jwoplo with tho cheap coal and lumber of Ptigot Sound. Tho prosont carrying rates of theso commodities is prohibitory, but it will doubtless bo amended to a common sense basis when tho Now York directors nro mado acquainted with tho practica bilities of tho case. Thcro aro still somn vacant govern mont lands in this section which thoso seeking homos will do well to secure nl once. I would not adviao any ono to como (o this country with lees than $700 or $1,000. With that amount of ready monoy thoro will bo proctically no difficulties to contend with. Thoso who desiro furthor information about this country aro respectfully rcforrod to nn article over my signaturo published in tho WiLi.AMirrn: FAumeii, of January 1881. I will bo willing to show intend ing settlors around theso vacant lauds for a small per diem, and if I am not at homo W. AV. Caviness will do so. Yours truly, A. F. Paukek. Ltttei from Lana County. Cottaoe Grove, Jan. 2, 1885. IMitor Willamette Farmer) Wo havo boon having quito wintry weather, but not to wintry as eonio you speak of in your paper. Wo had a lit tlo whiff of snow on tho 1G of Decem ber nnd on tlio 1G it sleotod ull day and tho timber began to break about noon and continued to break almost continu ally for over two days and night. Tho ico on a common straw was an inch in diameter and five or six miles farther up tho creek it was two inches in diam eter, but did not extend to tho mountains neither tho snow nor tho ico. Hcnco wo had high wator. Tho brush foil into tho creek and woshod onto tho booms among tho saw logs and thus breaking overy boom abovo Cottago Grove. Tho wild geese and ducks Hocked in hero from tho north moro than has ovor beon dono all winter. Tho north and south winds seems to havo met hero Tho south wind being within hearing overhead sending down moisturo whilo tho north wind wedges in underneath and freezing so that wo havo ico over everything now. x ours, etc. J. Jr. Taylot. Thoro is a sunken forest of whito cedar in Now Jersey which has beon mined for timbor ovor sovonty years. Tho industry of digging tho sunken logs is carried on by tho people of Dennis ville, a villago which was brought into existenco through tho buried worth of lumber in its vicinity. Over tho sunken forest, trees of largo sizo aro growing, and in many instances theso aro cut away to reach tho moro valuablo timber threo or four feet below tho surface Tho sunken trees aro of enormous sizo ; their ago is a matter of curious con jecture. It is probably they wero buried many conturics ago by tho action of an earthquake. At O'Donovan Itossa's rooms. New York, Cant. Plielan of Kansas City, was stabbed by our Hurry, supposed to bo be cause suspected ol betraying J nan sec rets. He may possibly recover. Ho shot tho wan who stabbed him in tho thigh. j equalizinu taxationthe law or VEKM0NT. In 18S0 Vermont passed an act for equalizing taxes that is said to work ex cellently. Mr. Pettingill recently allud ed to it in a communication to tho Ore gonian and on looking it up wo find it contnins provisions that wo havo urged as important for years past. Tor tho advantage of nil interested wo publish it ontire. Its provisions aro : Section 1. All taxablo property shall bo set in tho lists nt ono per cent, of its valuo in monoy, on tho first day of April in tho year which tho list is mado. Tho listers shall appraiso each Horn of such property at such sums as thoy would ap praise tho same in payment of a just debt duo from a solvent debtor, having regard to tho current valuo of such prop erty, and Halos thereof, other than auc tion sales, in tho locality whero it is situated. Sn.2. The Secretary of Stato shall annually, on or boforo tho first day of March, furnish at tho expenso of tho Stato,tothb several town and city clerks, blank inventories sufficient in number to moot tho requirements of this act, and in tho most convenient form, with suitablo interrogatories, to contain when filled n complete statomcut of all taxa blo proporty, reol and personal, of each taxpayer in Baid town and city. Said blanks shall bo so formulatod by tho Socrotary of Stato as to rcqulro, under oath, from each person and corporation such full information as to each class nnd item of his taxablo property, real and personal, as will cuablo tho listers, after a personal oxnmination ot all vis ablo property, to appraiso all such prop erty at its trtto valuo in monoy. Said blank shall also contain nu interroga tory for a statement of tho amount of stocks, bonds, or other securities claim ed to bo exompt from taxation under tho laws ot this Stato or tho United States, owned by or hold for its or their bonoiit. Sec. 3. Said blank iuvontorios shall also contain when filled n statomout of debts actually duo from said taxpayers on tho first day of April, to tho amount of deductions claimed; and no deduction shall bo mado in the list by reason of dobts owing by him, unless such state ment includes tho name and placo and residonco of each person or firm to whom ho is so indebted and tho amount sy owing by him to ench crson or firm, or on account ot ins being an indorse! or security for nnothorj nor shall any deductions be allowed any taxpayer on account of a joint indebtedness oxcopt to the amount ho would bo obliged to pay it all tlio person jointly bound weio to pay equal parts of the debt. And from any deduction allowed a taxpayer (III IllXlHWll. Ul It J01I1L IIUICIHOIIUCSS except to tho amount ho would bo ob liged to pay if all tho persona jointly bound woro to pay equal parts of tho dobt. Ami from nil deduction allowed by listors an account of debts thoro shall bo deducted tho amount of United States government bonds and other non taxable securities owned by'tho taxpayer claiming such deduction, and all debts due him from solvent debtors. Seu. 1. Said inventories shall also contain tho following oath ? I, of , do solemnly swear (or affirm) that tho abovo is a true, full and correct list and description of all my taxablo prop orty, both real and porsoual, and all property which should bo sot in tho list to me, nnd that I hnvo set down only such debts as f am unconstitutionally bound to pay, to tho amount of the de duction clnimod, that my answors to theso interrogatories aro correct and that I havo not conveyed or disposed of any proporty or estates in any manner, or created any ficticious debt for tlio purjwso of ovading tho provisions of law, or affecting tho valuo and amount of my taxablo estato ; So help mo God. Skc. 5. Provides for destributiug tho blanks for tax payors to all property owners. Skc. fl. Relates to sending such blanks to norations. non-resident porEons or cor- Sec. 7. Itefors to filling out of blanks by tho proper officers of corporations or ttio trusteo ol any property, or person liublo to pay the taxes. Sec. 8. That all such lists shall bo filled by tax payors on April 1st of each year. Sec. 9. That listors shall proceed on April 1, to tako up such inventories and cotnplcto tho appraisal of all proporty. Sec. 10. Whon person or corporation wilfully omits to make, swear to and deliver said inventory, or any part of it, or makes false answer, or if lifter behoves the list to bo Incorrect, ho shall ascertain as best bo can the property, shall aj NO. 4!) praise same and doublo tho sum so ob tained, and shall bo so assessed. Si:c. 11. Concerning right of appeal to county authorities. Skc. 12. False swearing mado per jury and punished accordingly. Skc. lU. Prescribes n very strict oath to bo tnkon by tho lister or assessor. Skc. 11. Punishment of assetsor for any transgression provided for. Skc. IT), Lists shall bo nlphabotically arrauged and rcturnod to proper custo dian before tho 2i)th of April, of oach year. Skc. 1G and 17. Relates to tho assess ment for year succeeding pnssogo of act. t Snc. 18. Secretary of Stato shall pro vido blanks for uso in every county. Sec. 1!). llopeals former laws that conflict. Skc. 20. Exempts institutions, sav ings banks and trust companions otherwise taxed. Tho Stato Insuranco Company is em phatically a Farmor's Company n company organized nnd controlled in tho interest of tho farmer, nnd ono which adbrds the cheapest and host security against loss or damago by fire. Tho monoy paid to this company is not used to pay losses on hazardous risks in towns and cities, us is tho cao with other companies, but whilo it receives its money from tho farming community, it is constantly paying it back to thorn, thus making it emphatically a homo institution dovoted to tho intorost of tho farmers and ownorsof privnto dwollinga of tho Northwest alone. All policies of tho Stnto Insuranco Co., provido for arbitration. Do not fail to socuro ft policy of this reliable homo company at onco. Romombor that nearly $200,000 worth of fnrni property and dwellings havo been destroyed by firo in Oregon and Washington during tho last ycor (about ono dwelling a day.) Your homo may bo tho noxt to bum! Can youall'ord tho loss? You sny that "times nro hard;" if bo, your need of tho protection of an insuranco policy upon your homo is tho groator. Tho best indorsement a Com pany can hnvo is tho pntronago of tho pooplo of tho Stato in which it is located. The Stato lends in Oregon, whoro n faith ful corps of agents, assisted by prompt and liboral adjustments has placed her in advifuco of till competitors. om-Edgo Butter. Gilt-edge huttor is tho nauio given.to that high colored, waxy nnd extra quality of buttor which comes from our famous dairies, and which commands such a paying prico, tho demand always boing ahead of tho supply. In tho production ot tho so-called gilt-odgo butter, tho first thing in order nro good butter cows, and thoso which parlako largely of tho blood of tho noted Jerseys and Guernsoys nro tho host. Tho cows alonu will not, how ever, iusuro an oxtra quality of butter; thoy supply tho dairymau with tho materials, and unless ho handles them proporly, tho product will bo anything but high-priced butter. Much depends upon the dairyman, and ho must not merely understand how to hnndlotho milk and cream and mako tho buttor, but ho must put his knowledge into constant prnctlco, the (jnueiiit of a singlo item frequently damaging tho quality of that week's lot of butter. It costs much moro to produco butter of that high quality than it docs common and low priced butter, yet it pays, and it pays woll, to oxorciso tills oaro and thoroughness. Thoro is no reason wbv our farmers should not secure far hotter prices for their butter than thoy do, us it can lo gotten by tho exorcho of moro caro and cleanliness than is now gonor ally accorded to their dairy products. Farmoni save your monoy by trading at Port it Son's drug store. There is a contest going on among Ktiroicnn powers for jxrascssion of African territory, Germany has tnkon up a claim thcro that causes trouble. Gormany is also claiming islands of tho oceans that causos a llutter among others who havo grabbed heretofore moro than their share. Plymouth church cats for 1885 woro sold recently i tho highest brought $800. Tho total sold for, including rentals, $27,250, against $ai,-I80 in 18&1. In 79 thoy brought $08,097. Ucechor was very jocoso. His friends say thero is only ono Beochcr and thoro will bo many presidential elections, Chinese children can nttond tho pub lic schools of California. Jt-W'!.t stWWt-XM.1.