Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1896-02-21
Fertile Lands Between the Cas-
cades and Bitter Roots.
IS AN. EMPIRE WITHIN ITSELF
Rich in Diversified Agriculture and Fruit
Lands and Well Supplied With
Railroads. q

liiC 8 cat pdSln IeSlOH luIeTNCllLS NC
tween the Bitter Root mountain range,
which traverses Idaho and Montana
north and south. and the Cascade range,
which forms a natural division between
eastern and western Washington, COM
prises the greatest and best portion of
agricultural lands in the northwest
This basin is mostly open or prairie
land, interspersed with occasional for
ests of good timber along the tributary
streams to the Columbia river. This
mighty river is one of the greatest wa
tercourses on the continent. 1t drains
| the basin region and passes through the
| Cascade mountains to the sea. Its chief
| tributaries are the Kootenai, the Pend
d'Oreille, Kettle river, the Colville, Spo-
| kane, Okanogan, Methow, Chelan, En-
| tiat, Wenatchee, Yakima and Snake
| rivers, besides many lesser streams.
| All these have their stretches of valley
lands, especially adapted to timothy
hay and alfalfa, but at the same time
| fertile for any grain or root product un-
| der the sun.
The several districts in this favored
inland region are known as the Palouse,
| the Big Bend, the Yakima, Vyalla Wal
la, the Okanogan and Colville. The Pa
louise district is famous for wheat and
fruit. Whitman, Columbia, Garfield,
| Asotin and Walla Walla counties are
embraced in that favored section and
contain in the aggregate 5,0S0,000 acres.
1t is fairly well peopled and is traversed
by several railroads, of which are the
Spokane Falls & Northern, the Spokane
& Palouse, Central Washington, the
Oregon Railway & Navigation Com
pany with it's system of branches, and
the Washington & Columbia River rail-
road, known as the Hunt system. AL
though a great many people have To-
Gated in this district. there are still
thousands of acres of vacant lands,
both government and railroad lands,
some of which are still subject to en-
try as homesteads, and all of which are
open to purchase at low prices and on
easy terms.
THE PALOUSE.
The grain yield of the Palouse region
has been uniformly good and far in ex-
cess per acre of any section east of the
Rockies. The yield per acre of wheat
ranges from Is to so bushels. The av-
erage yield for the past five years, as
shown by the government bureau of ag-
riculture, was 203 bushels per acre,
which is higher than the average of any
other state in the Union. All other ce-
reals yield proportionately well. This
average, it should be borne in mind, in
cludes the poorest as well as the great
est yields. Careful, painstaking farm
ers generally get an average of 30 BUSH
els per acre of wheat. The greatest IA
vorites in wheat are Blue Stem and Lit
tie Club. Fall wheat and spring wheat
have so far done equally well. Wheat
has been for years the chief source of
wealth and support of the good people
of the Palouse region. The land, though
rolling and somewhat hilly, is as fertile
on the highest elevations as in the hol-
lows or lower levels; and thus far has
shown no need of fertilization.
Experience has shown that diversified
farming pays well. Not only the cere-
ais, but fax, vegetables and fruits of all
/. kinds grow abundantly. Some of the
!, finest orchards and berry fields in the
! world are today fiourishing in the Pa
: louise region. Thriving towns, affording
good local markets, with good schools
and colleges, are well established and
| are rapidly growing in all the counties
named-in this article.
) The two main railway lines-the Spo.
kane & Palouse and the Oregon Rail
way & Navigation Company-connec
: this region with the city of Spokane
: The farmers ship their grain and frui
by the car lot to three different points
viz, Spokane. Tacoma and Portland
{ Or. Those living near the Idaho lint
< find a ready market for fruit, vegeta
bles, meat and dairy products in thu
Occur d'Alene mining towns and camps
A which are reached by rail as well as b.
4 wagon roads.
$ The most prominent towns in the Pa
e louise district are Colfax, Pullman, Pa
S louise City, Moscow, Pomeroy, Garfield
t Tekoa, Pennington, Rosalia, Juliaett;
r and Kendrick. These places have al
d the appointments of well regulate,
n modern cities, such as electric lights
il street car lines, telephones, excellen
: public schools and churches, and som
d of them have colleges and opera houses
e and, in fact, everything up to date es
sentials to high standard of socis
conditions.
THE BIG BEND.
h This district is comprised of Lincoln
: Douglass, Adams and Franklin coun
ties. In many respects it is a rival G
. the Palouse country, for it is also
a great grain raising section and in add
q ton has some of the finest stock range
Is ever pastured by horses and cattl'
IS Here, too, diversified farming, inclu6
g ing fruit growing, can be carried o
n with great success. AS a dairying ri
gion it can not be surpassed. TIL
; farmers of Lincoln county especial
!, have given more attention to that il
dustry of late than any other sectio
# of the state. That speciality is rapid
r. on the increase. There is some MOI
K waste land in the Big Bend than in til
Palouse district, but that which can NJ
IS be put to the pillow makes excellent pa
as ture for horses and cattle. as 1t PR
duces "bunchgrass" abundantly. TIL
le grass is more nutritious as pastural
than blue grass. 1t fattens stock quicl
no ly and is the most wholesome pasturae
known to stockraisers. These countri,
to offer an inviting field to immigran
co who are DESTROYS of engaging in farm
ing. Wheat is the leading staple. ar
the facilities for marketing grain a
good, as the Big Bend is traversed |
~ three lines of railroad-the Northel
=. Pacific, Washington Central and Gre