The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1894-02-01


places. Along the streams the new
craze for gold has led to Investigations
that prove its existence in many places
before overlooked, and the coming sum-
sluice boxes in place, the operators
satisfied with comparatively small but
independent incomes.
This promises to become new indus
try and as the opportunities are with
out limit, a more sure and indepen-
dent labor system can not be imag-
ined. Washington county can furnish
location for 10000 placer miners of this
of the Weiser
Farming and Fruit Raising.
AS the days of gold digging began to
lose their attraction by reason of small
er production some of the old pioneers
remembered that away back in the land
of the rising sun there used to be fash
ion among men of tilling the soil, and
as result crops of different kinds were
produced, good for man and beast to
eat. The valleys were pleasant to look
at and the experiment was tried.
Ground was broken and the seed put in.
Water was brought from the abundant
streams, and the results were astound-
ing. AS by magic the desert blossomed
and the memories of old home farms far
eclipsed by results in the new land.
Subsequent efforts have all demonstrat-
ed that the soil and climate of Wash
ington county are capable of producing
all products common to the temperate
zones in quantity and quality far supe-
rior to the general average, and as ir-
{ rigation is general no failure of crops
is possible. AS rule, 1t must be ad-
mitted that agriculture has been con-
Quoted in what would in more thrifty
countries be called very shiftless m an
ner. The average rancher holds from
160 to 800 acres of land. OF this, say
one-fourth would be in crop--a few
acres in grain, more in hay, with the
balance truck patch and some pota-
toes, and the few fruit trees that es-
capped the ravages of loose stock suf-
fered to break down with an overload
, of fruit. The rule has been to raise a
, little more than would be required for
home use, but not enough to create a
market of sufficient Importance to at
, tract foreign attention. There are ex-
| ceptions to this, but this is the rule to-
! day. And beyond doubt if the land
: tributary to Weiser for a radius of five
miles could be divided into small hold
ings of say from five to forty acres and
t devoted to well selected crops and fruits
] it would be more valuable than all the
products of the county combined, and
what we want is an organized effort to
bring these facts before the class capa-
5 BILE of doing this. No locality offers
) such possibilities for high-class of col
onists,-say such people as settled and
: made Greeley, the prosperous commu-
r nifty it now is-our railroad advantages
are far beyond any that Colorado could
offer,-and with a climate unsurpassed,
soil of wonderful fertility, society
well organized, churches of all denomi-
, nations, Except Roman), and good
system of schools, nothing seems to re
, main only that the proper ones should
come and develop what is now in EN-
bryo
For fruit and berries of all kinds the
: Idaho record at the Columbian Exhibi
tion leads the world, and the most at
tractive portion of this collection was
: gathered in the orchards and fields Of
Washington county. Our soil and eli
: mate are also peculiarly adapted tc
raising of sweet corn, lima beans, toma
toes and like vegetables used for can
ming, while potatoes, onions, beets, &c.
can be raised in unlimited quantities
: and at cost that would secure demand
/. for export with sure profit to the pro
ducer. Hop culture will eventually be
: one of the prominent industries, as they
grow and mature to perfection.
There is enough uncultivated, unused
and at present unsightly, ground within
= the corporate limits of Weiser to fur
/, nish supplies for a hundred now idle
:, young people, and bring in revenue II
place of a certain sum that now leave,
the country, for articles that ought t,
p, be produced at home. One of the chic
reasons given why something is no
done by home enterprise to bring thi
about is that more is raised now tha
can be sold. That Is, If a farmer raise
;, two bushels more OF anything than h
needs for home consumption, he puts
in his wagon and hauls 1t to town, tn
demand there is supplied, and therefor
1t must follow that the whole world
overstocked. Two thousand bushels O
the same commodity would have foun'
= ready sale. Washington county want
colony of iirst-class people to TAX
homes of from five to forty acres, an
not to raise grain either. We propos
to leave that to the northern country
Camas Prarie and such, where irrig;
Q tion is not required. We will trad
products with them,-we produce wha
they cannot, and the day is near at han
when the mining interests will consum
=. most of our surplus.
-, Irrigation.