, 1883-08-09
Weekly Argus.
Eastern Washington.


visit east of the mountains:
1t is rather a fearful trip to take ia
midsummer, tins jomncyinE through
the upper country beneath the hot
sun and over the dusty roads 1t i
more than | bargaincd for. though
the Information to be gained now Is
worth more than al any other season.
My last was from Pomeroy. l saw
considerable Of Garfield county after
leaving that place Everywhere win
ter wheat was looking well, though
the proportion grew less a. We came
further north and east. Everywhere
that l stopped to converse with farm
ers they all agreed that they could
not afford to take chances on spring
sowing of wheat, and that fall grain
was certain to yield from twenty-five
to thirty bushels such year as this.
or 1882, if well put in. Improved
farming methods is all that Is needed
to make this upper country certainly
productive
Within IL year many settlers have
taken claims south of Alpowai can
yon and west of Lewiston. along
Snake river, but they have not yet
become producers. Also, this last
spring many new settlers came into
the lower Deadman country, north Of
Pomerey, and Garfield county Is pref
ty well taken and has $500 popula
ton. Probably small tracts of land
are vacant, and some has been ''smug-
gled,n no doubt, but it will not be
easy to find good locations hereafter
south of Snake river, without man
has patience and takes time to hunt
land up. There are yet large tracts
of vacant land in Walla Walla coun-
ty, and some near the river in both
Columbia aud Garfield counties, es-
pecially on the east side OF the, last.
Northern Idaho viii sometime be-
come very productive. The Nez Per
ees have too much lanl they do not
use, and at least half of their reser
walton should be bought of them.
When that Is done, and the Cmnas
Prairie, south of Lewiston, becomes
productive, and the rest OF the coun-
try south of the Clearwater Is perma-
nently settled and we'll farmed, the
shipments from that region Will be
larger. This year they may be con
siderable, Notwithstanding the dry
season and the newness of things,
but could get no intelligent idea
of the area in grain nor the probable
surplus, t.r. ........
North of the Clearwater, also in
Nez Perce county, Idaho, there IS
more animation. The Potlatch coun-
try has been settled long enough to
send aconsiderable surplus to mar
ket, and the Genessee country will
produce something for export, as also
the region around the head of Union
Flat which is extensively farmed.
The trouble is that all that region
should have had fall sowing of wheat,
which would insure twenty-five to
thirty bushels of grain, whereas it
has been almost entirely spring sown,
and too often sown late in the spring,
SO is dependent ON showers to come.
Without rain all the region above
Dayton and north of the Snake will
show light turn off of spring sown
wheat. The common estimate has
been fifteen bushels for spring sown
and twenty for fall sown. Much
spring wheat viii be cut for hay or
yield ten or twelve bushels. That
sown early in the spring may go
eighteen, and even twenty in some
cases.
at Wawawai met my old friend
Ell Northeott, formerly of Salem,
now successful and hard working
farmer. He has no fall wheat; says
the early spring sown is good and
the late sown light; expects to har-
vest twenty bushels, to the acre;
things are some better than in 1882
when eighteen bushels He is neal
Snake river. and his winter wheat
kills out when the snow blows off the
points. Seasons are earlier here than
at Moscow. H. calls twenty bushel;
fair half crop; has been there sly
years, and considers it the best coun
try he ever lived in, and has done
well there. He has given up hauling
fuel from the mountains and buy.
coal at $l5.50 ton, and two ton.
carry him through the winter.
FROM Lewiston to Pennington tn,
spring is late in coming and the sol
is of a heavier character. There j:
some wipter wheat along there, es
pecially near Moscow, where the pro
portions is one-third each, fall sow
ing and early and late spring sowing
They claim Tor these relatively thirty
for fall, twenty for early spring; fif
teen for late spring. Toward Farm
ington there is greater proportion
of late spring grain. and from Col
fax to Pennington 1 saw tie poores
show for crops met on the road. al
north of Snake river wheat look
well yet; there is no ''burHing" TO ma
terialiy harm 1t. A little rain vii
help all grain, and double the yielC
of spring sown, especially late sprins
wheat. Over all the country from
Umatilla to Spokane barley and oat
ars good crop, corn looks well anC