The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-06-08
A Chat About Hay.
Rancho and Range.


reporter OF the Rancho and Range
called the other day at the office of Lilly.
Bogardus a. Co.. Seattle. firm which
handles a very large part OF the grain and
hay shipped into That city. Mr.. Ed +.
Bogardus was present. and very kindly
consented to talk little while for the
benefit Of our readers.
What is the prospect for market for
hay In Seattle this year," was asked.
ut would be difficult to make predic-
ton" was the reply. TT all depends on
what kind Of winter we have. You see,
the feeding season last winter commenced
in November and continued until way into
March. This made FIVE solid months OF
feeding. Western Oregon had a short crop
and had to buy from US. Then the foods
last fall destroyed good deal on some
parts OF the Sourt.. In Skagit valley
alone something like thousand tons were
destroyed by the water and another thou
sand burned. Two thousand tons at the
present state OF the market would come
in pretty nice in Seattle Just now"
rs the demand for hay growing on the
Sound?"
"wen. yes: I may say that 1t is, for
Eastern Washington product particular
~ The quantity sent TO Alaska is grow
ing. while every two months We are ship
ping by steamer good-siZed orders TO
South America. The latter is a market
that is Just opening up. There is class
of weiI-to-do people down there who keep
fine driving horses. and are willing to pay
$50 per ton for our hay, which - what IL
costs laid down there. The trials they
have made Of Eastern Washington seems
10 be very satisfactory and we are in
hopes that a good trade will be built
up with that country. They require the
very best timothy and the quality Yakima
and Kittitas produces seems to fill the
bill"
Can you make a rough estimate of the
amount of hay coming to this port In
year?' Including that passing through
and distributed to other points, / should
say it was about io.cOo tons"
What kind OF hay is principally con-
sumed?" ''Weli, there has been a big
change In the demand In the last three or
four years. Then there was very little
inquiry for clover alfalfa or mixed hay.
Today there are ten cars Of alfalfa and
clover handled to where there was one
four years ago. ] attribute this 20 the
great increase in the dairying industry.
There has been more clover and rcd tor
handled this winter than ever before. II
,s raised on the Sound and comes in by
the steamer load. Neither alfalfa nor
clover mixed hay f. used for feeding
horses much. We have some logging
camps on cur list that pay US willingly
sc or 81 more per ton for kiftitas and Yak
ira timothy IMAM TOT tUs E-pAtta pie-eSi.
That certainly ia country unsurpassed
for producing fine hay. There ss some
thing strange. however. in the fact that
people are somewhat pretudiced against
the wild hay raised over there. although
IL IS OF very good quality and stock do
we'll on 1t. II Is simply notion that mas
been very generally taken up
Are no, the farmers learning 10 put
their hay up In better shape than they
used TO o. yes there Is some improve
neut noticed. One of the greatest com
plants we have 10 make is the fact that
they allow IL 10 become exposed TOO much
to the weather and bleach out. This gives
IL a very had appearance. We not infre-
auently find In a car half a dozen bales
that are damaged. Then after IL IS oale1
many neglect in piling II. 10 raise II
above the ground. Those bales resting on
the damp ground become spoiled. but
they send them just ttle same Now there
is no need OF this loss. and IL is just as
easy fer q farmer 70 ship MA hay tnto
market IN good shape II Viii pay them
10 take Just as much pains as they do
when shipping fruit.
is a uniform weight hale being gen
srafIv aAor,ses72Tt Yes: Eastern n aSfl-
ington does better in this respect than
the west side A 10 or istpouna bale
Is the best. When 10 or - pounds II
put sn a bale il !s compressed 50 hard
that n cakes. and then 4. is liable 20 spoil
from moisture. 0n the Sound l@5 pounds
"a enough because there Is mora moist
ure in The hay TIE tsarsts-. when he
cuts apen bale 81 hay. likes 30 have Il
loose and 81 such shape that hiS a0rses
can make way wSth &c easily.