The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-02-09
The Umpaua Valley.

4 N~4-@
letter written by a gentleman in this
city to friend in Ohio, in answer to
inquiries concerning this county, as
the information contained will answer
many inquiries of similar nature ad-
dressed to this office:
RosEBURG, Feb. 6, 1884.
DEAR SIR: I received your letter
last evening and was pleased to hear
from an old acquaintance. We have,
perhaps, one of the most even climates
to be found anywhere in the United
States. It is divided into the wet and
dry seasons, the same as California,
with the exception that the dry season
is of short duration, lasting from six
weeks to three months of midsumme-,
without rain. The winters are long
and vary as to the amount of rain and
are usually mild. There has been no
snow in the valley this season and it
has not froze ice to exceed one-half
inch i'll thickness in tubs OF vessels, al
though we had severe winter last
year, with considerable snow and freez-
ing weather. This winter has been
mild and open, the fields have been
green all winter, beef in good order,
stock cattle and sheep shift for them
selves all winter The only hay and
feed put up by farmers is for the work
stock.
Land varies in price, from govern
ment figures to forty or fifty dollars
per acre. Fair, average farm of from
section of land or less, with from 100
to $50 acres under cultivation, can be
bought at from So to SO per acre, at
the present time, although there is not
much land changing hands in this
county. The best farming land Is
owned in large tracts and let out to
croppers. All kinds of vegetables and
grains grow well here. Corn is not
| extensively cultivated, the nights not
being hot enough, although / have seen
some very good fields of corn along the
river bottoms, equal to that raised
along the Ohio river
Sheep-raising is one of the princi pal
branches of farming in this county.
| There is no dirt or burr to get in the
wool hele, aud the Umpqua wool, which
is embraced in this county, commands
a better price than any other. There
is prospect of railroad building from
here to the coast, which if consummated,
will cause rapid advance in real estate
in this county. The most of this coun-
ty is rough and rugged, there being a
good deal of waste land tnat is sulta-
ble only for grazing purposes. There
are many partially improved farms that
person could get and put into higl
state Of cultivation and double theil
money in short time.
| This is delightful climate to live
in. The summers never get very ho
and always cool nights and mornings
The soil is unusually rich and nitl
proper cultivation all kinds of vegeta
bles do we'll, while it is unsurpassed
| for apples, plums, prunes, cherries ant
the various kinds of fruits.
One Of the great drawbacks to grain
raising is the freight on the railroat
| from here to Portland, and when ther,
the market is about from three to fiv
cents less than San Francisco, on &C
count of the towage and lighterage OIL
the Columbia and Willamette rivers
The dairy business would be sourc
of profit here, if properly managed
Butter sells the year around from 25 t
SO cents pound, and it is not unusua
for farmers with large bands of cattl
to be without cream or butter on thei
tables good part of the time. Yo
can easily guess the reason why. Thi
is surely good country to live il
People exist with as little exertion q
any place on the globe. l have give
you fair statement as far as your in
: quiries 90. I will offer no advice as t
your coming here. Some who com
are pleased with our county, Will
others are dissusted and go away dis
pleased. Those who remain any con
; siderable length of time and go ava
l usually come back. There is plenty (
room for more. An industrious per
: son like yourself can do well here, {
) almost anywhere else.
On last Saturday w. g. Hill, win le scu