The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-05-29
WHEAT IN PALOUSE.
Despite the Late Season the
Crop Will Be Heavy.
suPERAsuMoAmce OF RAIN.
Esu sewn 0rata Heasly All Winter
Allied Nsesssitst1sg ReseeAisg-
See AsNsssAs's Big Reach.

kosAirA, May 1.-sspec;aL The cold.
Vet weather that has prevailed nearly all
spring has made seeding late. than for
thirteen years. The ground has not been
% vet since the spring Of 1880 as il Is at
present, and still the rain continues.
seeding in this immediate vicinity is
nearly done. while IN the country west Of
mere to Rock Lake and ST. John all Of the
grain has been sown except in . few low
places, and these will probably be sown to
nay unless dry weather sets in soon.
During the pas: three days the Posr-IS-
IKLLisESeER correspondent has visited
nearly every point in Whitman county
and noticed particularly the condition Of
the crop and the percentage that has been
sown. In the north and western parts
OF the county from % 10 100 per cent. of the
crop Is nos in the ground and much Of
1t Is up. The weather has been 50 cold
that little growth has been made. but when
the sun has shone for two or three days at
Atime the growth has been rapid.
In the vicinity Of Oakesdale. Garfield.
Palouse. Pullman. Cotton, Uniontown.
Pennington and Tekoa the crop sown at
this date ranges from 50 to IS per cent.
Much piowinE Is yet TO be done. and this
cannot be done until the ground becomes
dryer. Farmers can mud in" their
grain and raise . good crop. but
il viii not produce If the ground is
piowed when too wet
The past winter has fully demonstrated
that this is not . fall wheat country. A
much larger acreage Of winter wheat was
sown last fall than usual. but fully 80
per cent. Of it was winter killed
and Will have to be yesown this
spring. The farmers 20 far from being
discouraged are jubilant. and it is impos-
sible TO find man who does not believe
the present seasons crop will be the
largest ever recorded.
An old settler told the sPosr-Ixrr11,-
GEScER correspondent yesterday that he
sowed his wheat in the mud thirteen years
ago when the season was similar to the
present. and that his crop averaged fifty
six bushels per acre. tho largest he ever
raised. He predicts that the present sea-
sons wheat crop will yield from forty to
sixty bushels per acre.
Compared With last seasons crop. it is
generally believed the crop this year will
be about equal in acreage, but much
larger in yield. In the northern and
soil is quite thin. the crops Of the past two
years were nearly failures. This
season it is generally believed
that country will produce much
larger yields than tho country further
east and south, where the rainfall is
greater and the soil deeper. In this Sec
ton the acreage is nearly double that Of
last year. which viii add materially to
the total yield.
Closer To the mountains the rainfall il
greater and the season later. and much Of
the low lands will not be sown. Here
there is much new sod to plant, but the
wet ground that cannot be sown in
time for crop will reduce
the acreage below that Of last
year. but the yield will b larger and If the
popular belief is fulfilled the total yield for
Whitman county will 90 at least one-half
larger than last year, or about 1900. 900
bushels.
Among the largest crops on land owned
by an individual is that OF Joseph Nc
Saught. OF Seattle. Mr.. Mcknight has
nearly $500 acres Of land in the northern
part Of Whitman aud the southern part OF
Spokane equities. nearly ell OF which is
sown and a lafssster cent. u up. Hon. ID.
r. Anderson. of Rosalia. is manager of
Mr.. McNanght's lands. The lands are
rented in lots of leo acres to an individual
and Mr.. Mcknight gets one-.hird Of the
grain in the sack. In addition 70 looking
after Mr.. McNaughts lands Mr.. An
dcrson has 2,io0 acres Of his
own land in wheat. This makes a total Of
nearly 1000 acres under Mr. Anderson's
control. and he expects yield from these
tracts OF ut least %. 000 bushels Of wheat.
These are only two of the many big tracts
Of land owned by individuals in ,hi. pro-
life country.
The potato crop. too. will be large Po-
tatoes are now selling at 2ccnts per pound,
which Is an unusually high price. The
crop was light las, year. hence the short
age and high prices this spring,
About The usual amount OF oats
viii. be sown. but the acreage of
barley will be small. is the
past two years have fully demonstrated
that the prices for barley will not Justify
its production in place Of wheat. OnIy
enough barley 10. home consumption vii!
be produced this year.