The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1891-02-27

lVe Is HaEiSaule tue year Touhtt, ouo eno
upper stream can be navig,ted only six or
,ight ii:onsi.s of the year, beginning with
5he fall rains. Last year steamboats, were
plying the river in October, but this year
owing to lack of the usual amount of rain
the boats did not start at all till about Jam
nary 18th, an almost unprecedented fact.
Both sides of the river are supplied with
which, with tie steamboats,, fur
nish ample means of transportation.
Wheat is the great staple of this valley,
though oats, all kinds of semi-tropical
fruits, hops and vegetables flourish here.
ty years and the average yield is still from
20 to 80 bushels to the acre. The Daily
Oregonan, of Portland, quotes ''valley
wheat" at 81 22a to $l.25 on January Is,
aud oats at 50 cents on the same date.
Wheat is sowed almost any time from
September to March. depending only OIL
the farmers convenience and the proper de.
gree of moisture. The only reason, per-
haps, why wheat should be the staple crop
IS that it requires less labor than most ether
crops. Self-binders and steam threshers
also still more reduce the labor. People
are awakening to the fact, however, that
fruit raising cah be made more profitable
than any other industry and mary fruit
trees. especially prnnes, are being set out
each year. The fruit industry, however, ls
only in its infancy, but Ursgnn is bound to
come more to the front each year as one of
the great fruit producing states of the Unit
ed States.
| Nearly every one raises some fruit now,
though much of it is allowed to w$ste or
is fed to cattle end hogs. Indeed, quite IL
common way of fattening hogs here IS to
turn them loose among the fruit trees.
Fruit nearly always has a local marketable
value which would make it worth while to
take care of it. was given couple OF
aprles grown here in town and each measur-
ing l5a inches in circumference, either OF
Them being large enough to make ''mess
of baked apple" for large family. These
of course were above the average i'll size!
but one would have trouble in finding
'mates' for them. 1t would he hard to
say whic Is more plentiful here, apples or
pears. The festive COW and frisky swine
luxuriate as much OH the one on the
other, and have seen large luscious pears,
that was told would bring so cents per
bushel here, and would readily sell i'll Iowa
at "three for dime" chopped up here and
fed to the family COW. Favored bovinel
Happy indeed must be thy lot thus daily To
be furnished with luxnres fit for an epi-
cure! Prunes yield without stint as do all
the small fruits in their season.. and the
season" here is remarkably elastic. For
instance, on December 18Th, [ saw large
bunch of Strawberries grown near town.
They were fine large berries just turning
ripe and on the same stalks with some OF
these berries were fresh blossoms. These
were grown ont of doors, and without pro-
lection, and was told that this same bel
had borne ripe Strawberries each month
from last May. Peaches and grapes do
we'll here but are not SO thoroughly adaptad
to the climate and soils most other fruits.
Roses, p,nsies, and the harder flowers
can usually be found any month in the year.
The season here known the rainy season
l But little or no snow usually falls in the
e valley. There has been none far this
t season. Since Desembef, the seasons Of
: rain, fog, and bright clear weather have
;. been about equally distributed. There has
Y thus far been more than the usual amount
n of fog and less of rain and clear weather.
e The fog is chilly, disagreeab!e and penetrat"
g lug Il always gets sr when 1t rains,
Il and instead of dreading it might be ex-
l. pected, the Oregonisss look forward to it
y with pleasure and may be seen FLASHING
e merrily through inul and rain. oft times
Is without overshoes or umbrella This APP
e parent liking for water has given rise to the
Is term "webfoot" which is applied to the ma
IS tives and to all who have been here long
q enough to get acclimated. Larks, robins.
's blue birds, ssarsows aul other feathered
IS songsters sing jsyously during rain and SUN.
D. shine, but are glum during the fogsy
sr periods. They may be seen, however, OIL
5; any day.
'pl Having spoken of the Willamette valley
Of in general, let us compare it with other por
IN tions of the state. The whole state west ol
I'd the Cascade mountains has much the same
I'd climate as the Willamette valley. This
/" portion of the state is cut up into small vs
of eys by the swift mount sin streams that
:, find their way TO the ocean. The William
% cite valley has been longer settled than th'
re other portions of the state. and has those
r. staid qualities which belong to older com
a, munities anywhere. In fact, anyone com
:, ing here aud expecting to find himself III
y the rough wild west will bc disapppinte'
ip though he will find customs and habits O
re though somewhat different from what he Il
e. use,f to.
This is not true of the whole state fo
: there are many portions as rou2h and wild
so as can be. Nearly all of the state institu
ot tions are to be found in the Willamette val
r. lev. East of the Cascades the country is a.
.o different in climate, ETC., as if difference
~ uf ten degrees of latitude existed. There
ie the winters are long and cold, the rain
r. scanty. and the soil aud productions differ
- T. - ; &bn.. ofo Tff, ff