Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-08-25
WESTERN RAMBLEs.
WAII.A WAIIA Aner i.

remark has been made before. NV
friends, will be frank with YOU: 7
have lived in SO many great and olo-
rious vests, that | am little puzzled.
When I left the Green Mountains,
twelve years ago, and went to Iowa,
/ fondly believed that was the west,
and the only west worth talking
about; and it really is a fine state,
with its broad praries and immense
corn-felds, attractive homes, etc. |
had not lived there long when | was
informed that the great and glorious
west had gone to Nebraska to live.
Feeling anxious to keep up with the
times, we took up the line of march;
/ say we, for mean myself and hus-
band, his dog, the canary bird, and
the usual amount of band-boxes and
bundles. We were told that few if
any of the western states or territor-
les have so rapidly or so deservedly
taken rank in development, and that
it was becoming more attractive
yearly in the development of its vast
resources and increase of its business
facilities, all of which combine to in
sure the promise it has long held out
of becoming second to none among
western states. But the great and
glorious west was not satisfied with
Nebraska, and started for Northern
Dakota. When last heard from the
Northern Pacific r. r. had taken it
to the Pacific Coast. But if [ may
believe what I hear in this vicinity,
Washington Territory is the great,
gloriously glorious, of all the glorious
vests on record. [ have had some
chance to judge, for we have been
spending our vacation in Walla Walla,
the wheat metropolis of Eastern
Washington. If my Vermont friends
were to take trip through this part
of the territory they would pronounce
it desert. Around Ainsworth and
Wallula it is level waste of white
sand and sage-brush. The sage-brush
resembles our NORWOOD and is about
as bitter. AS soon as the land is
properly irrigated, the sage disap-
pears. 1t is very temperate and don't
like water. Walla Walla is great
wheat country. The soil is compared
to that of Sicily, the once great
granary of Europe, and is the s'De-
composed and pulverized remnants
of flood of lava and volcanic mat
ter" The alkali which impregnates
the soil furnishes natural fertilizer.
The soil varies from five to fifty feet,
in many cases to an unknown depth.
The amount of wheat and other
grains would astonish any one. From
careful inquiry l learn that the aver
age yield Of wheat is forty-five to
seventy bushels per acre, and in many
instances ninety and hundred BUSH
els per acre are not unusual. In
many counties they are Introducing
the bead wheat with great results.
Mrs. Hogan, farmers wife not far
from here, told me they had field
of barley that yielded one hundred
and five bushels per acre. Oats and
rye yield proportionally. Flax and
hops are important and profitable
crops. Corn is not successfully cul-
tivated, the nights are too cold for il
to ripen. Lincoln county boasts OF
its fine potatoes. The surface of the
land is rolling, the uplands being
most productive, and the soil retains
its moisture wonderfully. Eight
hundred bushels is not an unusual
yield per acre. The season fol
seeding wheat extends equally wei
from September to May, and the har
vesting period runs from July t.
November, that season being free
from rain; the straw standing anC
holding the grain, which straw viii
not do any where but on the Pacific
Coast; the grain is dry and hard il
consequence, and can be carried
around the world again and again
without becoming musty OF otherwise
injured in quality. The surplus grain
is marketed in Europe, being LOADED
on European vessels in Puget Soun'
or at Portland, and a better price i
received than could be had in Chica
go. 1t is scarcely possible to exager
ate the extent and value of the forest
of Washington and Oregon, especial
ly in Washington west of the Cascad
:. Range. The principal growths ar
fir, pine, spruce, cedar, larch, hem
9 lock, ash and maple, forming tn
largest and finest body of timber o
the globe, growing. SO straight, an
gently tapering as to specially
them for ship masts. Yellow fir
: often 250 feet in height; silver 15O
: : cedars are found of 20 feet girth an
: 1870 feet in height. 1t is the boast {
the citizens, and the records establis
the truth of the statement, s.Thel
never has been a failure of crops
- Oregon - Grasshoppers, chino
bugs, weevil, rust and mildew ha,
~ never injured crops. An old resides
- of Walla Walla county informs n
: that the winters are generally mi
for the latitude; there is as IN
he enough ice formed to yield a supp
e. for summer use. The season usual
IS opens in February. that being t
Sc month the farmers do their spril
ZEE blowing and seeding. Suffice
IL moisture falls during the fall, wlnt