The National tribune., 1882-10-05
OREGON WHEAT FIELDS.
Some Interesting Facts About Region Famous

HOHe interesting FactS ADOut a Region Famous
for Prodigi0us Cereal Crops.
Ernest IpgersoU in October Harper's1
All the cereals are raised here, but you will
see little of anything except wheat which for
half century has made Oregon famous. In
1881, it is related, the first wheat was sowed at
French Prairie, in Marion county: and that
same field yielded thirty-fve bushels to the
acre in 1879 Rich land that, but equalled in
many parts of the western valleys, where the
soil is dark loan, underlaid by clay. The
richest acres of course lie along the wooded
river-bOttoms, in many of which can be traced
extensive beaver dams. The beavers have long
ago departed, but their occupation, by making
broad reaches of still water, oyerfowing the
lowlands, and permitting wide deposits of al
luvium, has produced q soil of extraordinary
fertility.
Of wheat, the yield to the acre runs from
twenty to thirty-fye or more bushels, full and
heavy grain often exceeding by five to nine
pounds the standard weight of sixty pounds to
the bushel. "Land summer-fallowed and fall
sOwed is certain to produce twenty-five bushels
as q minimum yield. In some parts of this
valley the Wahlametl, where the fields have
been cropped continuously for a quarter of a
century, they still produce enormously, thus
demonstrating the great strength and perma-
nent qualities Of the soil. The wheat Of this
region is plump, full berry, from which flour
of uncommon whiteness is made It's excel
lence in this respect is so fully recognized that
in the English markets it commands a premium
of from three to five cents over the best pro-
duced in California. Many varieties of wheat
are cultivated. The old white winter wheat,
originally introduced by the Hudson Bay
Company, is excellent in quality, and retains
its hold on popular favor. White velvet wheat
is certainly as good, and perhaps more pro-
ductive. Spring varieties of white wheat, as
Chilli Club Little Club, Australian, and others,
are well liked and give good crops The Pc
culiarities of the soil in the various counties
mainly determine, however, the kind of wheat
which is used for seed in different localities"
The surplus yield of wheat at present is
about 100000 tons annually in Western Oregon
more than two-thirds of the crop of the whole
State. This amount represents about 100000
bushels, much Of which was converted into
-four here. This year the acreage and crop
Will be little larger. There is at every little
railway station a great warehouse, to which
the farmer brings his wheat for sale as fast as
it is threshod. This Obviates the need of barns;
and you will see very few of these structures in
Oregon, except stables used for live stock. All
the wheat thus gathered in the country ware
houses finds its way before the winter is over
to the wharves at Portland, the railway charg-
ing uniform freight rate from all points. At
Portland vessels are loaded, and the grain or
flour starts on its long voyage around the Horn.
Neither mildew or rust has appeared to any
great extent, and no failure of the wheat crop
has been known since the settlement of the
country Owing to the dry summers,
the wheat is not affected by the long sea-voyage
to Great Britain, whittier most of it is exported,
and by the double passage through the tropics
incidental to its transportation.