, 1865-02-03
Familiar Talk to Farmers.

EDIToRs STATESMAN The favorable location
of Walla Walla Valley has, so far, proven of
but little benefit to the owners of its soil. With
orAaf O oduantaore over the inhabitants of the
Willamette Valley, by reason of vicinage to the
richest mining region of the globe,-when al
most fabulous prices for every article of farm
produce and livestock are obtained-the agri-
culturists of this section are complaining of a
dearth of money and plethora of produce
And yet, while the granares are full, there are
many articles which are not produced in sufi-
cient abundance to meet the ordinary local
wants of the town. 1t is only occasionally that
butter of me-production can be bought in
Walla Walla; poultry and eggs are scarcity;
it is with difficulty that respectable pumpkin
can be found, and almost every article of prop
erly varied root-crop has to be paid for at high
ly remuneratiye rates to the producers. shall
commence, then, by glancing at the propriety OF
supplying the large local demand for these
things, and after the hunger of the people who
live here is satisfied, shall proceed to point out
some means of disposing of the surplus pro-
ducts of this valley. Let us first consider
THE GRAIN CRoP-WHAT TO RAISE, AND How
TO DISPOSE OF IT.
The experience of the past year has shown
that the extensive production of oats does not
PROMISE very suddenly to enrich the farmer
The demand for the supply Of the roads lead
ing to the mines is less than usual; first, be-
cause the full stocks of goods in the mines have
done away with the necessity of winter-freight-
ing, and the settled condition of the population
to the east of us has largely diminished the
grain produced at points nearer the places OF
consumption than where we are situated; thus
insuring sales at lower prices than those al
which we are able to deliver. Instead of look
ing to any increase of the demand for the sup
ply of the roads, it may be taken for granted
that it will steadily decline-eventually to moth
ing. From this l infer that sowing tame-oatS
here is like sowing wildcats anywhere very
Improbable business
Wheat-growing, on the contrary, has always
been a remunerative business in this country
Starting in with two and a half cents pound
the advantage of your Web-foot competitors
your farming population oughtto consider them.
selves on the hgh-road to wealth. But there
are certain conditions necessary to make the
production of wheat profitable; it must be o.
good quality and be made into a superior arti
Gle of -four. To insure certain sales of wheat tC
Millers, there must be large increase in the ca
pacity of your four-making machinery. Thi
to-day is the first, great necessity of the valley
Do not make a mistake and think that an in
ferior article of -four can obtain sale in tn,
mines. The contrary is so far the truth, that i
may be truthfully asserted that no other class o
people are so particular in regard to the qualit,
of the -four which they consume. This arsie
from the fact that bread constitutes larger por
ton of their diet than it does of any other equa
! number of men on earth.
shall assert, then, that to make wheat-grow
ing profitable business, good wheat must b
sown, and sufficient machinery erected to insur
that it will all be manufactured. It must thel
be thrown on the markets in the mines and it