The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-01-03

ne -os< o. pross1ction or ro,,-~~
wh'af but in wheat IL woaid ,,rr,ss -.
average . cents a bust1el -. 80. -.
ma 1kes. and oats and barley Il, r,vc-,o~,ss..
accordaag 70 yield. Figuring an 49,. 49,.
tnas everything il hired "a h. a<.-. -
also fnfst tie yield Is an average ~ $780,.
pusAeis 70 the acre. the cost Of r.rr-s,,<.,,s
Mneat . about like this for one acrs.
s'onR --..-.................. n -
o"shk .....-.............. "a
sSl1H8 ....-............. *
ccru -.........-............... "a
saaine. including board of mon 1-S
nsesnfhs. including beard OK men fsD
pAsneis. at IL az
a1Aetahs. average, cents per
pusnes ....s..-....-... 80
Sacks average. IL cents per bushsi. / Is
osaa ..-s...................... e &
II viii thus be seen thar 4he uw,,.a.
crop costs $S-45 an acre. or u s-s cents
ousaei 70 produce. A Conservative est,-
mate Of the cost OF production az uhea.
Is therefore about 30 cents q h,,sseg -.
cslains the cost OF sacks, which il an eS-
sentiai charge, as ali our wbeas Is sb,r-s,,
from the ssabcara sacked Taxes. inter
est on the investment and susb items
would 81 course increase this cost OF ac-
tual production
leu me something of the harvesting"
harvesting In Washington extends
rough period Of time corresponding TO
.ne iiase OF seeding, Commencing about
Inc middle OF July and lasting until thu
hrst or October. but the bulk OF the bar
vesting Is done between August 1 and
september IS. The ways of harvesting
arc various. The header is probably
most used OF any cutting machine The
heaaer Is an ingenious machine that
works on the principle OF a ship at sea.
having wheel for a rudder and The
driver standing over this ruider wheel
acts the role OF steersman or pilot. This
wheel Ii at the end OF tweiye-fsot beam
extending straight behind the machine.
The four horses are divided into two
teams and stand with the beam between
them. The driver stands over the ushesl,
on the beam and the machine rams In front
OF the horses. so that at first sight the
horses seem to be pushing instead OF pull
sng the machine. The or or right hand
team always walks on the new-cut swath,
The heads OF grain are run from the plat
form of the machine on draper which
extends upward through what is known
as the header spout and the heads faii
into the header box which Is On a wagon
for that purpose. Each machine has three
or four header CONS as attendants The
new-cut grain Is hauled to the threshing
machine direct or TO a stack, frog, which
1t may afterwards be thrown into the
thresher by a derrick fork. There are
also great many seif-binders used and
few combined harvesters, which cut aud
thresh the grain as they so. These. how
ever are still looked upon as an expert
ment in Eastern Washington.
Eve have two ways of seeding grain
now In vogue, broadeasting and drilling.
There are several ways of broadcasting,
such as the old fashioned way of hand
sowing: broaacagt seeders attached to
wagons. which SOW some forty feet at
thrown, and several makes of broadcast
hoe see5ers. resembling somewhat the
drills. Opinion differs among farmers as
to the best method OF seeding. Personally
I prefer the broadcast method. as the
drills frequently deposit the seed in
lunches"
What about markets and transporta-
ton for your pyoducts?''
course largely dependent on the European
demand. Probably 30 per cent. OF our
product Is exported as wheat and -four
and fully 7s per cent. is exported as
wheat. The voyage from the coast ports
to Liverpool or the average European port
covers from 1900 to 1000 miles. probably
the longest distance that grain IS trans
ported on earth. The ocean freight usual
~-.r -,
ton G. 20 pounds). the average fer the past
three seasons being s. shilIngs. which
would amount to an average charge OF
Il Is cents to take a bishel OF wheat from
Seattle to Liverpool. 1900 miles or more.
which Is less than IL now costs 20 haul 100
pounds of wheat from Pullman IN Whit
man county. TO Seattle. distance OF only
800 miles. or about oue-fortieth Of she
longer freightage, Unless this grain
country can have "A material reduction in
freight rates to the seaboard We viii
have TO quit trying TO raise grain for ex-
port. The railroads say they can't AFFORD
10 carry IL for any less. they are oirrat-
Ing az a loss. etc. can't pay fixed charges,
are i'm the hands of receivers and SO on.
But II the water was squeezed out OF their
stock and interest and dividends were
only paid on actual values. they could
sing a different tune. or il the salaries OF
their high officials were reduced to com
mon sense levels. something In proportion
20 the services rendered. they could mend
matters for the producers along their
lines The producers in Eastern Washing
ton are suffering from the highest pass
enger and freight tariffs in the United
States and something VIII soon have TO
be done fer relief. But there, could so
on Tor long time on these raiiruad
abuses, bur I think have said enough
10 show that the people are suffering from
sntoAera BILE railroad tariffs
.wna< Is ycur opinion eE diversified
farming as = relief for hard tines
..sfsxei farming Is, OF course, advisable.
ht,s n Is not now practicable IN oar por-
zion az the state. We eaa't even ship =
majority Of our fruit and vegetable crops
"a the Puget Sound cities. as the freight
rates are prohshisory. California can ship
81 water freight rates and exclude the
n-x,a.acts OF our farms. handicapped with
"a. asrn railroad rates. There was
lerwe rotate crop grown In portions OF
.AsS county this year and Cor a ti:sse the
raslsuad had tariff on potatoes east that
allowed their shipment there and allowed
the prsducer from &C to So censs Ter 100
,a.,n.ss for his product, hut the railroads
ah.nsonea the special rate. haul their
cas- back empty. and the Potatoes VIII
,,a, hiring mare ihaa the cost ~ Fsrsstac~
snn ana sacksng. On sha other hand we
h.ve "a nsy from so 10 SO a tea fre4ghS
:, sg ne goods we bay and import fgoFa