The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-06-19
WALLA WALLA FARMERS.
A Lecture to the Farmers Of Esstern
Washington that Applies all over
the Territory.

Washington that Applies all over
the Territory.
Wslla Walla Statesman
ut amuses me to hear about the
fine farms in this country. The fact
of the matter is, there are no farmers
in Walla Walla yalley-that is, men
who would be considered farmers in a
country where farming is carried on
in a scientific manner. l will make
one exception, and that is Thomas
Gilkerson, who resides on Mill creek
a few miles above town. That man is
q practical, scientific farmer, and he is
the only one have met in this valley.
All the others raise wheat, wheat, and
little or nothing else. Ii some of these
thousand-acre wheat farms were cut
up into 16lacre tracts, and farmed
properly, this would be one of the
grandest agricultural sections on earth.
You've got the land, but you want
some Of our eastern farmers out here
to show you how to work it.
These were the words addressed to a
statesman representative the other day
by an eastern gentleman, who has
been looking over the country. There
is much truth in the above The lack
of diversity of crops in the Walla
Walla valley is often the subject OF re-
mark Very few farms in this valley
are conducted after the manner of the
best managed farms OF the eastern
states. And the reason Is Just as
stated by the gentleman quoted above
everybody IS raising wheat 1t is
the boast OF many successful farmers
in the east that they raise everything
they consume, with the exception OF
groceries, farming implements, etc,
and that when they 60 to town they go
TO sell, not to buy. 1t is lameutable
fact that many farmers in this country
buy even their butter, vegetables, etc
This is true of many portions OF the
west. Farmers are too busy to bother
their heads about such small matters.
This state OF affairs changes as the
country becomes more thickly settled.
Diversity of farming in the Walla
Waila valley becomes more marked
every year. There are some Just as
good, practical farmers in the
Walla Walla valley as any
where else, and as soon as they
become convinced that it will pay bet
ter to enter into farming in all its de-
tails instead of sowing every available
acre to wheat, they will adopt that
course. We believe that time has now
arrived. There are a whole lot of
things that pay on farm besides
wheat raising. As Colemaa's Rurai
World truly says, it pays to rotate
crops; TO save and use all the manure
you can make; to have diversity of
crops; an abundance of pasture and
OF meadow; as much stock as you can
carry: to produce by judicious plan
ming all the food that is wanted on the
farm; TO have good barns and shelter
for all stock; To have machinery to
chop, grind or cut all the fodder wanted.
to give mixture and variety of foods !;
to use igdiciou>iy the fat forming and
muscle making grains: to provide an
asadance OF pure fresh water; TO use
thoughbFed sires; 10 make good butter
raise large fine poultry and an album
dance of.eggs jusfsswhen nobody else
has them; 10 house farm machinery
and TO protect the iron and steel from
rust; 10 have well cultivated and
well stocked kitchen garden and orch
ard; to keep the dwelling and out
houses protected by paint, or other
anti-rot material. TO be saving of every
thing and waste nothing.