Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1895-05-25
Enstern washington FARMERS.

tnnt SeetloD 10 cut OoWh buti "N'N'oN
in wheat, and t. devote some of her
land to the cultivation OF fruits and veg
etables, as we'll as to increase their hold
ings of stock and engage more extern
sivelv in the dairying business. Ne"
crsameries are being put in operation IN
dozens of the smaller towns, small pork
packing establishments are reported as
being in contemplation, aud from all
SO ,tions, but particularly in the irrlga-
ton belt, are accounts of the planting OF
new orchards. The largest sawmlll N
the Palou is being taxed to supply
the suddenly increased demand for pack
ing boxes for eggs aud fruit, and finds
more profitable market market for IT'S
lumber in this new direction than II had
seen du ing the boom times, when the
mill was run on building lumber exrlu.
sively.
These are all encouraging signs OF
the commencement of the new farming
era for this state which will s ,on make
it independent of the rest of the world,
as far as it's food supply Is concerned
The prairie section of the state has
passed through an experience common
to all the new West. For years the
rolling bunch. grass hills of Eastern
Washington were considered worthless
except for stock raising, although un
surnassed for that purpose, The few
allnvial tracts # bottom land we're con
sidered all that was available for farm
ing. Farmers and grain ralseTs were
few and the great industry of the coun-
try was the raising of cattle. An al
venturous experiment in attempting toI
raise wheat on the hunchgrass hills I'd
denly demonstrated that these hills Tar
surraesel in fertility the lower bottom
lands. and in fact were the best wheat
lands IN the world aud had such depth
of soil that their fertility was practically
ineXhausuble.
The era of wheat raising followed thus,
but ten years ago it was common re-
mark in the Palouse country that while
the land there was admittedly the best
for wheat IN any section of the country,
it would never be fit for ANYTHING else;
that corn and vegetables would not do
well; that permanent meadows were I'M
nossible. and as for fruit, there was no
prospect of raising any except on the
warm and sheltered lands lying nearly
5000 feet lower than the Palouse hills
nm the immediate banks of the Snake
river.
The depression IN the wheat market,
while it has brought hardship and IL
many cases actual ruin to the individual
farmer has on the whole resulted IN a
narmanent good to the entire Eastern
Washington wheat belt. 1t has forced
the energetic farmer to look to other
crons than the one staple which had
proven unremunerative. He has tried
experiments. He has planted orchards
and has found, predictions to the con
trarv. that they thrived and produced
abun dainty. He has discovered that
grass can be grown as readily as In any
other section, and permanent meadows
are added to many farms, where IN for,
mer years the practice was to cut green
grain yearly for hay on which to winter
the stock. With the seeding down of
meadows has come an increase ID the
dairylug industry and the multiplication
of creameries. The low price of wheat
and the high freight rates have created
a movement to market that wheat IN its
most concentrated form, by feeding 1t to
hogs. and pork has become a great farm
staple in sections where few years
since it was imported from the east to
feed the farmer whose whole area OF land
was devoted to growing wheat.
There seems at present a steady,
healthy movement towards teturn to
prosperity all over the Union, Better
times are close at hand, and money will
soon move more freely in all channels of
trade. OF all classes, the farmer who
has something to sell at all seasons Of
the wear and is not confined to one