The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-01

authenticated instances wss Q yield OF 10i1z
bushels from one acre. This was on the farm OF
Mr.. E. j. Northcut, of Pullman, and the land
was accurately measured and the product care
fully harvested and threshed. would suppose
that individual acres in some of my own crops
had reached nearly or quite that figure A few
years-sgo had field of $50 acres OF heat
and from it had surveyors lay OF in one BODY
exactly go acres. The yield from this tract
was harvested and threshed apart from the rest
the returns being 5000 bushels, which sold In
the field for 81 cents bushel This was on the
foot-hill lands, which few years ago were con-
sidered valueless.
have also endeavofed to ascertain the cost Of
production per bushel and the profits per acre
In doing this / took three successive crops.
which averaged thirty-two bushels to the acre.
All work was done by contract, the blowing,
seeding. narrowing and harvesting being paid
for by the acre and the fhreshing BY the bushel
The blowing cost si.23 per acre, narrowing and
seedinE, 80 cents per acre: seed, 50 cents per
acre; harvesting and heading, s15o per acre;
threshing, 8 cents per bushel. This made the
cost per bushel little over 10 cents. / then
added interest on the value OF the land for two
years anu counted the cost of production at %
cents. As the three crops sold ia the field for
an average of SIS cents per bushsl counted the
profits at SIS per acre.
1t will be noticed that i counted interest ON
the value of the land for two years. This was
because summer iailowed the land Experi.
ence has proved that on lands not under irriga-
ton one crop every two years Is more profitable
than crop every year, and results are certain,
so that many farmers put only half their acre.
age into wheat in any one year, cultivating the
other half the succeeding year. The course il
expedient because of the characteristics of the
soil and the insufficient rainfall summer fallov.
ing preserving for one crop nearly all the mois-
ture of two seasons In time irrigation will
take the place of summer following and the
wheat-raisiug capacity of the state will be more
than doubled, so that be who thus will enrich
himself and the state will be "greater than he
who conquers a city"
The markets of the surplus wheat of Washing
ton lie beyond the seas. An inconsiderable
amount is ground by local mills for home con-
sumption and some has been shipped East by
rail- The bulk OF the crop is sent to tide water
OF the Pacific. There consid-rabl -four is
ground for Asistfc markets and the remaining
wheat is shipped principally to Europe. The
cost OF transportation to tide water has been
about l21a ceuts per bushel. but competition
and public clamor and appeal are bringing
about reductions. There Is no question
but that the cost of marketing Wash
fngton wheat has been excessive, but
this Is matter which is Fighting itself.
The increase of rail transportation facilities
promises lower charges to tide water, and as the
commerce of Washingtons cities on Puget
sound, the Columbia river and other gateways
70 the open Pacific enlarges, charter rates will
De reduced. 1t has been the custom in the ex
portation of wheat to cause the entire cargo to
be sacked, in view of the fact that the ship must
twice cross the equator, supposedly endanger-
ing the wheat by heating and changing place or
shifting. An experiment 10 now being made to
show that this is an unnecessary expense in any
case, and that there is no increase IN danger
w h0y he t. ~szl
Macdhui sailed June %, 1891, for Havre, France,
with Cargo of wheat in bulk. A successful
voyage will work a revolution in the method of
exporting, and the farmers of the state will be
largely benefited.
While wheat is the great cereal product of
Eastern Washington, IL is by no means alone
The conditions which promise success for the
efforts OF the wheat raiser are favorable to the
production of other grains. Mr. Eldridge Morse
in his article for the State Board OF Trade on tide
marsh lands has noted the wonderful yields of
Western Washington Eastern Washington can
also make most attractive showing. Barley
has been found profitable crop and the yield is
from thirty to fifty bushels to the acre Often
the yield 10 much beyond the latter fig
ure Oats need more moisture than
wheat, but they thrive in lands under
irrigation and higher up in the foot
hills where the precipitation Is greater Flax,
also, is destined to be Q wealth producing crop
for the state. and the abundant water powers
will insure economic pressing of oil. Washing
ton is not usually looked upon as a corn produc-
ing state, though it does finely in some local..
ties, the nights being too cool in other places
Planted in summer following land 1t will yield
from twenty to forty bushels per acre without
cultivation, and in lands under ditch the yield
often exceeds the larger figure.
The industrious, honest farmer who estab-
fishes his residence in Washington will find that
he can undertake varied pursuits with profit to
himself His success will depend entirely upon
his viii to succeed, for nature has provided
more than is usually bestowed any locality
The farmers of Washington are progressive, en-
terprising men, and the newcomer who is ready
to work shoulder to shoulder with them In GER
tain of a warm welcome.