The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-01
The Yield in the Palouse Country VIII
Be Enormous.

Be Enormous.
Palouse News.
Harvest time is rapidly approaching
and evidences of the fact may be wit
messed daily and almost hourly on the
streets of Palouse. Several threshing ma
chimes and engines are standing before
the various repair shops and men are at
work on them putting them in a condition
for the seasons work Every day from
one to half dozen binders are hauled
out of town and several men are busy
setting UP and starting them in various
parts of the country.
The crop in the vicinity of Palouse is on
the. whole a good one. Fall sown grain
on summer fallow ground is especially
fine and some fields thus cultivated viii
yield from 40 to 60 bushels per acre. while
the entire acreage of fall wheat will prob
ably be above twenty-five bushels. Spring
grain has not Jared so we'll for several
reasons The season has been a dry one
less moisture having fallen than for sew
eral wears. In the spring rush some grain
was hurriedly and carelessly put in and
wild oats and other foul growth have
been more troublesome than ever before.
However. spring grain will make good
average crop and the season is so much
earlier than usual as to guarantee suffi-
cient time for harvesting before the fall
rains set In
From reliable sources 1t Is learned that
in large portions OF the county the crop
will be a light one, in the western part
amounting almost 10 an entire failure.
Fall grain even in the lighter sections
made a good crop where not taken by
squirrels, as was the case with a consid-
cradle portion. But hundreds OF acres of
spring grain IS so in iured by hot weathe~
and winds as not TO he worth harvesting
and ssme viii, not even be cut for hay
The best section OF the Palouse country
however which is included in the strip
Of country running from Oakesdale and
Thornton through Elberton. Garfield, Pa
louise. Pullman, Cotton and Tniontown. es-
capped the blighting effects Of the June
winds and any very noticeable damage
from the ravages Of the squirrel pest and
the crop throughout this strip promises
70 be above the average yield.
Last wear there was shipped from Whit
man county between 1000 ono and s. ZOO. coo
bushels Of grain. This year on account OF
decreased acreage and short crops in
MANY parts. together with the increased
number OF hogs and other stock kept I'm
the county. the amount for shipment will
fall short Of this figure. Hills F. Smith
Of Fndicott. crop observer for the agri-
cultural service for whitman county. es-
Inmates the amount OF wheat for shipment
a. 80 per cent Of last year. Hon r. C.
McCroskev. Of Garfield, saws this esti-
mate is plenty large enough and is in
ctnHd 10 oeleNe II VIII ran even below
that figure. A great deal depends on
what the late spring grain amounts 10.
There is large acreage that is just head
cd out and Of course little can be pre-
dicted regarding II. IL the climatic con
ditions are favorable IL may make an OK
cellent yield. but If II continues hot and
drv IL viii be very light.
The last two years has witnessed q
marked change in the methods OF wheat
farming in the Palouse country. Nearly
all wheat raisers have cut down their
acreage and are farming only what they
can handle profitably with little or no
hired help. and are doing their work more
carefully and reducing II 10 an exact sci
ence. instead Of doing n large business in
a siip-shod, hap-hazard way Consa-
quently expenses in all lines have been re-
dueed and, with the same price for their
product. the profit should be greatly in
creased.