Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1889-01-26
PalOuse Country.


The Palouse country embraces all of
Whitman county, ". T., and Latah
county, Idaho. 1t derives its name from
the Palouse river, the principal stream
of Whitman county. The soil OF this
famous valley combined with the propi-
tious climate, has placed it without a
rival as grain producing country.
Small fruits are very prolific, attaining
great size and are exceedingly well
Favored. Large fruits do well, but
heretofore little attention has been paid
to setting out fruit trees, and hence, the
fruit industry is in its infancy, but the
flavor OF our fruits having attracted
attention abroad, and the quantities
that can be raised here, will soon place
this industry in the front rank, and the
time is not far distant, when the drying
and shipping of fruit will be carried on
with success throughout the whole
valley. Nearly all fruits of the temper
ate zone will grow here, some, of course,
flourishing better than others.
Wheat, oats, barley, rye, flax, buck
wheat and vegetables Of all kinds are
sure and remunerative crops. Wheat
yields from 80 to so bushels per acre;
oats average about IS bushels, and bar
ley IS bushels per acre. Timothy grass
grows to height of 6 feet, and is the
staple hay; clover and blue grass grow
luxuriantly. The natural "bunch"
grass furnishes an abundance of pasture
the year around, on which, well bred
horses and cattle, for which this valley
is renowned, grow sleek and fat. Corn
can be grown, but is not certain crop.
except the small varieties. The spring
sowing season extends from about the
middle of February until June; Septem-
Der, October, November and part Of De-
cember are the fall seeding months,
but some seeding is done every month
in the year. Harvest commences in
June, and as the grain does not shell,
it is continued long after all the crops
are dead ripe. When this country was
first surveyed it was marked as barren
waste, and unfit for cultivation. Yet,
for over II years has the Palouse coun-
try been cultivated and not failure OF
crops has been recorded. Whether
dry or wet season the crops are about
the same; no hot winds, early frosts, in
sects or hail storms come to blight the
farmers hopes; when he sows his seed
he knows what the harvest will be.
The climate is all that could be de-
sired, even by the most fastidious, as it
is the happy medium, resembling that
of southern Pennsylvania. Spring be-
gins early in February, and lasts until
the latter part of May. The summers
are delightfully."- warm but not Cypress
i've, with the nights invariably cool.
Winter commences in January and lasts
about six weeks. Some years the Their
mometer goes down to 80 degrees be-
low zero, but remains there only for a
few days. The official reports show the
mean temperature to be so degrees in
spring, IS in summer, SO in autumn and
"a in winter. Cyclones, tornadoes, biz
yards and heavy thunder storms are IN
known here. Taking it as whole, it is
hard to find country that has fewer
climatic drawbacks than right here in
the garden spot of America. For health
fulness, eastern Washington has no ri
val; the atmosphere is pure and invigor-
ating; and the general health of the peo-
pie is as good as that of places renowned
for their health giving propensities.