The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-06-16

Resources. OF Oregon and Washing.
ton.

Oregon is not perhaps a greater
wheat-producing district than several
of the states in the northern Misss-
sippi valley, though the chances for
failure Of crops are far less in this state
than most others. The yield per acre
in good years is probably as great in
many of these states as in Oregon,
though the result year after year is
not so certain. Several of the states
produce as good wool as Oregon, and
some of them send to market millions
of pounds which rank above the Ore
gon product, but in no state of the
union is the work of wool-growing
carried on as cheaply as in this. The
wool-grower in Pennsylvania, Ohio
or Michigan, who would make no
more provision for the care of his sheep
in winter than is made by the average
wool-grower in Oregon, would come
out minus his flock i'm tho spring.
The superiority of the wool product of
other states is due, not to better eli
mate or to greater facilities for grow
ing finer fleeces, but to the general i'm
provement of the breeds of sheep and
the care with which the sheep are fed
and fsheltered in the winter season.
An expert in wool can pick upa fleece
of the spring clip and tell in an instant
what kind of treatment the animal
from which it was shOrn had received
while it was growing. a sheep sub
jccted to cold SHOWS and rain, or half
starved in winter, will turn Off Il fleece
in spring the fibre of which will be
short, weak and knOtty, while an ami
NAL of the same blood, well kept, will
shear wool that is pliable, strong and
smooth. The stunting of the sheep
stops for the time the growth of the
wool, and at the point where it starts
again knot or weak spot is produced,
which is readily discovered by any
one with much experience in the arti-
Gle.
Oats, barley, rye and buckwheat can
be grown in Oregon at as little cost as
in any other part of the United States.
Potatoes also, and fruits, except such
as are tropical or semi-tropcal, grow
here to as near perfection as in the
most favored countries. The grasses
suitable for stock feeding and produce
ing butter and cheese are far more
abundant and better in quality than
those found in almost any other part
of the world. Hops, IA staple article OF
the worlds commerce, flourish in the
various parts of the state where they
have been tried, and the product has
been pronounced to be of the highest
quality.
With soil and climate for the growth
of large quantities of the above COM
moditics, all of which are staples in
trade, there is no excuse for the man
who owns a good piece of land to COM
plain, because he cannot produce this
or that single crop with profit. The
chances for that versitication of indus
trial pursuits which is so conducive to
II perpetuation of the fertility of the
soil and the increase Of the general
wealth, are no better, if as good, in
any other state in the union as in Or
egon. If the soil on mans farm is
not good for wheat he is unwise to
keep on sowing it with that cereal
year after year in the hope that he
will realize in some way more than
half Il crop. Perhaps it is good for
some of the othersmall grains, or hops
or fruit, or potatoes; or may be he
would do better to put it in grass and
go to raising sheep. The wise hus-
bandman will ascertain what is likely
to be profitable for him to grow; and
happlly, IN this state the range of
products is not limited by the climate.
There Is wider scope for diversity in
agricultural pursuits than is usually
found in the same latitude, and the
full development of our resources as
state will not be witnessed until the
owners of the soil come to realiza-
tion of this great advantage. Instead
OF the confinement OF the exports from
the state to wheat, wool and salmon,
there are dozens of other articles which
thrive in our soil and climate, and
which, when once sufficient quantity
OF them is produced to attract the at
tention of the trading world, will COM
mand market and become quite as
remunerative to the producer as the
three commodities upon which we
now place almost our sole dependence
to prevent the balance OF trade from
being overwhelmingly against the
state.