, 1882-01-14
Mixed Husbandry.

Mixed Husbandry.
The great Importance of mixed hus-
bandry is not yet felt i'll Eastern Oregon
and Washington as it will be a few years
hence. Now wheat raising and stock
are the great staples Of production. The
virgin soils, clear Of foul plants, bring
forth fabulous crops Of grain With small
labor of tillage. And stock have roamed
over the vast grassy plains winter and
summer, fat and sleek, without care, ex-
cept to work OF brand. 1t was supposed
by many that the bunch grass i'll this EN-
pire of range would never be eaten out
OF fail But like the Umpqua valley and
aud the Willamette valley, signs of fail
ure are seen In many districts where
stock animals have continuously ranged
for twelve or fifteen years past. The
opening up of the vast districts Of bunch
grass lands tn cultivation by the running
Of railroads through them, is the signal
of new era In productions there. Mil
lions of acres Of these lands viii soon be
planted IN grain. To that extent stock
growing will decrease-at least SO far as
the wild bunch grass is concerned. On
the decliyitics and rocky districts, not
suitable for tillage, stock will still run in
limited Numbers. This is all for the best.
A large number of men came to the
bunch grass country to make their pile,
easily, but not to settle down to rural
life. Like the children of Israel, they
wanAer with their hocks and herds.
Soon this vast wheat empire will he set
tied up with prominent citizens. Stock,
raising will be limited, and farming will
be the great business Instead OF grub
bing and clearing of timber lands. as III
other districts on this coast, the God Of
Nature has spread out ready cleared lands
of great richness and fertility, millions OF
acres The great railroad systems now
operating in all the vast bunch grass
lands, are opening to the outside world
the immense tonnage of human food, and
these people will be in direct communica,
ton with the great eastern and western
raiions of the earth. These settlers will
te permanent, and the country will bloom
and blossom as the rose
But no nation can be permanently rich
and prosperous that depend mostly on
exporting their grain. The rich prairies
of Illinois, Iowa, and Willamette and
Umpqua valleys were supposed to be in,
exhaustless in wheat production. They
were run continuously in wheat or Other
grain, and now their yield has gone down
to less than one-half of former yields
If .he farmers In this vast rich bunch
grass country will, in due time, resort tc
mixed husbandry and rotation in crops,
they Will reap the benefit thereof
There are numerous articles Of pro,
duction that can be raised in abundance
and perfection in this large country, which
if properly put up for home and foreign
use, will save the importation of such ar
ticies into our country, and thereby keep
that amount of money at home while
At the same time the lands would recu-
perate for future wheat crops Canned
articles in immense quantities can be put
up for market at home and abroad.
There are plums, prunes, pears, sweet
corn, tomatoes, straw berries and blackber-
ries. apple preserves and jellies Pota-
toes in vast quantities can be dried on the
apple driers and made into potatoe meal
and canned up and sent to foreign lands,
and when opened ont can be prepared BY
the cooks in IL minutes for use ON the
table, and are as fresh as ii Just taken
from the ground. Summer fallowed
lands IN corn, squashes, potatoes, turnips,
cabbaSes, peas, beans, beets and melons
are not the least impoverished by such
crops. but will yield a larger crop Of
wheat the next year Such vegetable
crops upon the land every fourth year
will keep the land fer an age from de-
crease in the crops
4 limited amount of sheep should be
kept upon every farmers ranch As scay-
engers to eat UP the growth Of weeds that
will spring up on the prairie lands A
most excellent forage crop On these lands
Is rye sosn in May or June, and pastu,ed
in all the fall and winter months. This
viii continue green as long as it cannot
head out Vast Quantities of dried Ap-
pies, plums and pears could be made and
shipped from these districts
When all these vast, fertile districts
shall become well settled up by farmers,
gardeners and fruit raisers, the tonnsge
upon the railroads will be increased twen-
ty fold beyond the present.
Then tonnage will be reduced to lees
than one-h half of shat it is nov. O, the
cars and ships Vast weslth and popula-
tion viii be in all these fertile districts.
And thus the owners Of the railroads and
ships, and the masses of the people, will
be reciprocately benefited.