Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1879-06-13

The hiph basalt range II bills along
the Snake river, cnt by many raviDes
seems 70 forbid farming but from theft
summit q vast panorama, handreG
miles in diameter, ct hills and valleys
covered with luxuriant buuch grass
graets the eye on all sides Traverse
the whole distance - miles northwsrd
and the same panorama srreadS out he
fore you IN all directions. The CGnr
a. Acne n.ountains hannd the view 90
the northeast 40 to 50 miles distau'.
On the. west aud northwest the vision
of tens az THOUSANDS Ct aefes Of eras.
covered plains seems to mel' away 'nin
the iimi, Of the horzon Yolr pro
gress an'Enaa Ter sight Of itreeeaIs .
region staioslyf uadcl siiills ana beau
tifully nodded valleys 10 endless sue
eessiou md variety, a grand pasture
for few thousands If horscs, ,cat'l
and sheep, which cauhot eat miiIionlh
par' Of the grass. Il Is only ~ The
upper bench or plateau that You get
the conception u a vast anoirtt lax
bed, whose surface winters ~ere bnnd.
reds of feet higher. the shores 81 which
wear fhe Rock y lnonnttiDs on the east
the Cascades mountains 90 the W 81 aud
Hum baldt ult untains Of Nevada pn the
south. This. II astake ni, waS the
idea aud suggestion Of Prof Condor.
Sieptee nnd kaniakin buttes thpus
aud feet high, were possibly points q
rocks. aud the Blue monatans were
possibly islands in this magnificent in.
land sea. AS the Columbia began t.
cut it, way through the Cascades aud
drain 9 q these waters, the mar hes ap
peartd IN the shallow places. The lack
of self registering pocket barometer
made il impossible Tor me [" detect thf
gradual elevation of the country north
ward, but the siaos st Spokane Falh
indicate general level Of several hund
red feet above Snake river. The large
fossil bones were found in this vicinity
This grand series OF plains, once III,
bed of til lake, arc now tho whea
lands waiting Tor the plough. I
two counties above named contain
large proportion of these lands.
One hundre and sixty-ivc township
have been surveyed aud sectloued
which contain 1858 square mi es, o
their equivalent OF 3755 500 acres
One fourth OF these acres, ploughed aa
sown IN wheat, at an average yield q
twenty bushels to the acre would Civ
harvest product Of i0,777,6o0 bush
els.
Under the glass the soil on oil III
hills appears the sans, hae til,h, high
IL charged with the mineral element
Of the siisinteerated basalt, which seeu
to be the base or foundation Of ever
mound; hill and range. Ia fact hasa
underlieS aud trayer'es the entire husi
of the Colunlbia and ils afllaents in a
directions. Il is to this composite, vo
canic rock, that'all the soils Of the il
terror owe their exhaustless nineri
richness aud strength. The Soils Ia tn
valleys exhibit the same mineral qnal
ties, washed from the hills. with lara
per cent or vegetable or fixed carhop
ceous elements. All the soils on II
hills aud in the valleys scour the plo,
aud with almost equal force. Silis
Il stems in the finest powdered soil. Tt
alkali Of tho feldspar which, in par
composcs the basah, and which faci
tates its decomposition, washes out
the hills and slopes, aud appears 10 Il
bottom Of the bowl.
These facts indicate that the uplan,
will produce the same harvesrs If Il
cereals. vegetables aud fruits that erc
so laxurien,ly in the lowlaods, Test,
under the plough in hundreds Of plae
the results agree with the theory. ri
entire region. which can be plough
and sewn will reward the farmer wi
abundant haryes,s.
The settlers have chosen the vale
for their farms, which this wear, are t
wet Tor the plough aud seeding, ani
course, the harvest mnst be delaye
abe lesson drives them 10 the hillsid
and hill tops, where the wheat fields M
gladden. the sig bi wiih pledges of ear
and large harvests. A fear fingers
some minds that they VIII fail in d
seasons, and that safety may require I
irrigating citca and consequently Nv
ley farm. THIS fear Is as needless as
l. unsciepsifc. All the grass Of hi
plains and hills receives It's water sun
from the air Wheat fields aud ca
feds aud veg table G Ids DO The san
The best ana most ppmernuS network
irrigafing bitches fails to irrigate a
field. Only small per cent of g
den or nrchari feels the benefit OF t
rill thst is Turned through it. T
spot most dreueaed is mo:o inju,
than benefited. But the soil of