The Democratic sentinel and Harrison County farmer. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1851-1852, 1851-07-02
[TERMs-s1,5O A YEAR

There is generally oak timber enough in
this valleyto answer for frewood--the fir is
not good to cook with The oak is general
Iy scattered and shrubby. Along almost
all the streams, there is some ash timber
and aulder. A great many Of the bottoms,
Especially along the streams and close to the
mountains are gravelly; and in most of the
streams in this country there are round hard
rocks Of all sizes. The grass in this country
lis generally short, except in low marshy pla-
ccs. In August it looks dead and dry, and
50 remains till the rainy season comes on,
then it turns green and commences growing
again. This looks like an untruth, and l
could not believe it till saw it myself l
do not consider this good hog country, for
this reason, the ground gets SO hard in the
ldry season that they cannot root except in
marshy places l sold this season better than
I$3O0 worth Of bacon, and think about the
same of potatoes.
Now l will tell you how the poor emf
grants in l845 had to do when they got to
Oregon Some of them started from the States
poor-others lost allon the way. They had
\ to come down the Columbia on RATS and
boats. There being no road through the
Cascade mountains, they had TO drive their
stock through them along path. Having
got into the valley the wet season had alrea-
dy commenced, and houses were scarce, but :
wheat plenty. They had therefore to go to
work and pay for provisions. Rail making
was generally the employment. When they
had provided some provisions they then Sc
6 lected a location and put up little shanty
on it, and moved-had good health and ev-
crything tasted good What next? Went
to work, rain or shine, making rails; and
when their teams got little recruited, COM
mcnced breaking up prairie. If'they had
no team, make rails for some one who had
team; and thus get some plowing done. They
sow their wheat commonly some time in
/, March, and some not till the last Of April.
The next thing is, haul rails audience it, and
after harvest they generally had grsln enough
for themselves, and some to. sell to the next
emigration What next? Why after har-
vest harrow. your stubble ground over well,
and you will have tolerable crop. And
further, af er the next harvest if YOU do not
; turn anything on your stubble and let itlay
ul:il The next, you will have fine hog feed
> on it.
: What will tell you next? Twill tell you
chat we can sow wheat the year round here
and have a good crop. We have white
: wheat, that is called the winter wheat, which
It we can sow from the 1st ofmay till Novem-
: Der; and it will not head out till the next
harvest. We also have Wred wheat which
is called spring wheat, which we can SOW
from September until May. The weather is
generally dry before harvest and in harvest.
Before the wheat gets ripe some weeks, the
straw turns british yellow, and remains SO
until it is ripe, owing to little or no dews at
II that season ofthcy year When harvest comes
: on, we go to work-cradle and bind, and a
great many don't shock-some rake it in
punches and let it lay till they are going to
thresh it out, which has to be done as soon
as they are done cutting. Grain cannot be
stacked here to save through the wet season
: q will tell you about the wet season by and
by The way we get our wheat, isto put a
LOT Of horses or cattle, in adry lot on pasture
: for a few days, giving them littlc or nothing
! green to cat. Then clean off the Top Of the
ground, and build Q good fence. around it.
| and place your grain on the ground and turn
in your horses or cattle on It, and hurry be-
: fore the wet season comes on. But times
! are now somewhat different from what they
Iwere. Next, how are we to take care Of this
IIgrain? We have but one little house, and
it's well filled with children, and few 9TH
er things, end but few orno saw mills, to cut
: boards. Why sir,we build house--split
!, ,lpuncheon to lay the foor--daub the cracks
with mud, and empty our wheat in there.
!, Here | have been speaking Of past times, and
now they are somewhat changed; we have 4
great many saw mills, and we can get along
toerablc well. AS to grist mills, the FIRST
/, , winter was here, there was great amount
lot boiled wheat eaten, and clothing was
! scarce. We had to apply to the Buck-skin
man for clothing and shoes. II was impos-
sible to get cooking utensils. Clothing has
come in. so as, TO be tolerable plenty, and !
think il will remain 50, Shoes snd boots are
Likewise tolerable plenty atpresent, 50 are
castings. just before the gold mania broke
out although money was scarce,I thought
had naycr seen a more industrious setof
/ people in my life than were in our territory.
They were fixing up splendid farms, aud
raising a considerable quantity Of grain.-
4 The farmer then could hire help tn harvest
lat fair price, now be cannot. Farming
! has stopped III 4 great measure; and the
I farmer is.now raising grain for his own use,
and not foi sale The man who wants mon
Iey can SO to California either by land Of wa-
liter, to get gold. Itisnot worth my while
! to say anything about California or its pold.