The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-15


ards should nor relieve rs from taking al
precautionary steps, both IN The way Cf
legislation ard n the enforcement os our
laws. For US TO assume that we would al
ways be free from pests would ~ to int
tate the ostrich. which puts KS head under
its wing in the presence Of danger. ard
then imagineS il : SAFE
Experience OF Eastern 1ortfruIturssss
has taught Us that The most effective rne1h-
cd for DISCRIMINATING pests 81 to spray with
certain solutions. For example. the wo-nly
apple IS nearly always caused by tire cod
ding moth depositing an egg IN the czIyx
Or blossom end OF the fruit after the bios
som has dropped of When this egg =
Matched the WORM eats its way into the
center Of the apple. To spray With a weak
solution OF paris green or arsenic puts a
drop containing an 1nfiniteSimaI quantity
OF poison just in the place where the cod
ding moth when Matched out begins 10
eat, then the first bite il takes kills Il.
In an irrigated country. where every
day - sunshine and every night Is dry.
one spraying answers for the whole sea-
son. as the little poison IS not washed away
by falling moisture; while IN rainfall
country there - practically no end 70 This
labor. for IL must be repeated as often as
You get a rain. X requires but little dis
cernment. then, 70 see that the greatest
burden Of the horticulturist is practically
lifted from his shoulders by our dry ell
mate.
those who know nothing about it-of the
labor required 10 iFrigste lands. As
a matter OF fact. one man can
irrigate from forty TO 1so acres
Of land depenaing upon the crops
10 be watered. the lay Of the land-that
Is whether smooth or uneVen--aHd fhe
disposition Of the irrigator 20 get around.
49, rEe.z fws-F-
gated crop: but YOU must also credit the
irrigated land with enormous yields, and
no crop failures at least seven tons OF
alfalfa hay each season. al three cuttings,
besides four 70 six weeks pasture IN the
fail: not quite as much red clover, and on
~ about four or five tons OF timothy az TWO
cuttings We think the extra labor for ir-
rigating pays well Not only is the guam
thy, but the quality OF the hay. Ike other
irrigated crops. is superior for il has
plenty Of both water and sunshine 10 grow
in. and perfect weather in which 20 be
cured.
THE idea OF fattening cattle or sheep on
hay alone is something unheard Of hy East
ern stockmen. IN all Central states winter
feeding OF cattle for the purpose Of fat
tening them requires corn or other grain.
The same is true Of dairy cattle, If any
returns are expected during the winter
months With US no one ever pretends 70
feed a pound Of grain. 70 either beef or
dairy stock. at any time in the year
Either the common red clover or alfalfa
a variety OF Cloyer-answers with as every
purpose. These facts are proven by the
experience OF every. stockman or dairy man
in the West.
We done make all this claim OF superior
fly for our irrigated crop alone, as = part
OF these advantages can -bs-credlted 70 our
milder climate.
Alfalfa is the king OF all forage plants;
nothing has Yet been found that will yield
such a quantity Of fodder and prpducs
such results One OF the largest dealers
and consumers of beef cattle has eXperi-
mented In the matter Of feeding for the
past three years, and, taking cattle al the
same time and under the same conditions
from the ranges. and putting them mp 10
feed for beef. they have fed one portion
of the herd on grain, with Wild hay as
roughness, and the other part on alfalfa
nay alone. As a result Of the experiment,
the cattle which were fed on alfalfa hay
dressed out larger percentage Of net
weight and turned of % per cent. more
tallow than those which were fed upon
grain and wild hay. and the cost OF the al
faIfa feeding was g per cent. less. Both
lots were put on feed at the same time,
and slaughtered at the same time.
The limit Of time allowed Tor this article
prevents further examples as 20 fatteuing
sheep and feeding hogs on alfalfa hay
alCne. But no person not familiar Win
the results VIII ever imagine the real
value OF it, Alfalfa is not grown success
fully anywhere except on irrigated land.
1t may be produced in nan-irrigated dis
tricts. but il grows tough and woody. and
as compared with the genuine article Is
practically worthless, and the yield Is not
one third as much.
In view OF the extraordinary dalrylng
advantages OF the irrigated regions In this
state, and in view OF the fact that the
chirese as people are developing great
taste .or condensed mix and are imp0Ft-
ing il into China from Switzerland, Dem
mark and America, we think that in thu
near future condenssx milk factories ON .
most extensive scale will De in operation
In cur dairy districts.
Just a word as 10 hops. For the past
two seasons this business has become very
urEopular the world over, owing % me
lov, price OF hops. The fortunes thai wers
made a few years ago ia this business
give IL a speculative Interest There are
about 5000 acres 81 fully equipped hap
yards in Yakima county alone, al irrt-
gated. OF course We do not advise any
one to engage IN the business. bat should
"a person desire 70 do 80. he can bay yards
for the cost of the equipment alone. land
thrown in. II a hop yard is valuable IN
any part OF the world II Is In this state
on the irrigated lands. for the dry warm
season prevents the hop louise from dam
aging the blossom and creating any mill
dew The growers do not have 20 spray or
spend any money or time on that pest.
The hot weather just cooks the hop LOUISE
and it drops Off the vines ike the dust.
Farming by irrigation "a scienCinc agSi-
culture. As compared with non-irrigated
districts. the farms are smaller and neigh
bors are nearer together, school districts
arc not as large and usually better cared
for, the roads are more improved, the
lands are higher in price. but as rule a
more intelligent class OF people occupies
il and the general social atmosphere IS
much more Ike a village or suburban
town. Twenty acres is enough for any
average family, for. wei cultivated. II viii
produce a wonderful amount OF crops, and
Il is far better 10 work that amount well
than TO attempt too much.
Celery. egg pant, and particularly as
paragus, are crops TO be grown with good
profit by the new settler while his orch
ard IS coming into bearing Corn ma
lures in all the irrigated valleys OF tais
state the yield running from twenty %
fifty bushels per acre. While IL can hardly
be considered as a commercial cron. yet
IL Is a great help 20 the sinai farmer.
Sorghum and broom corn both do remark
ably wei and should be raised IN COM
mefclsl quantities.
Assuming now that the great dssirabil-
ity OF irrigated lands for homes Is undis-
puted the most important questions Tor
this convention are. How mucA Of such
lands have we ia the state OF Washing
tom Have our irrigated lands been farmed
long enough 10 fully demonstrate their
character and ascertain the climatic con-
diticns surrounding themg Some Of the