The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-17
Paon From Eastern Washington
Wheat Belt.
PROSPERITY is THE REFRAIN.
Whitman County Crop Thirty Days
Ahead of the Season-Aiready
Heading. and Farmers Are he
gfnnfnx to Prepare for Harvest
tnr-untehinx Wealth of Fertile
Ffeldm-GIad Voice OF Columbia.

-
ness Is waited from the richly favored
grain belt OF Eastern Washington Resi-
dents OF the Big Bend and Palouse coan-
tries who are IN Seattle attending the
Grand lodge OF Masons tell the story OF
the surprising richness OF that fertile
and and OF the growing crop Of grain
which is row rapidly ripening.
In Whitman county, the crop IS now
thirty days ahead OF the ordinary seasons
crop. Fail wheat has already headed cut
harvesting. Last year in the first week
OF June the farmers Of Whitman county
had just finished their spring sowing. Now
they lean on their fences and watch the
grain ripen into golden stalks which will
bear in rich plentltude the staff Of life.
Prosperity has come TO Whitman coun-
ty," said J. W. Stearns. cashier OF the
First bank Of Tekoa, TO a Post-Intelligen-
Ger representative yesterday. THE farm
ers garnered last year bountiful harvest
OF grain. but even the crop of lSs, is TO be
eft in the distance by that OF 1888. unless
the climatic conditions should be most I'M
favorable for the remainder OF the sea-
son. For that matter. l do not believe
that anything can iniure the fail wheat.
This is now headed out and rapidly ripen-
ing. 1t is at least thirty days ahead Of
the average seasons crop. In the dis
trssct adjacent 10 Tekoa the crops are all
in adv 1nce OF the season, so that We will
escap3 the late rains which sometimes
play 1svoo with the crops.
the yield in Whitman county should he
a. least - per cent. larger than that OF
last year. In 1897 Whitman county raised
between 6.p0.0o0 and s.oo0,doo bushels. This
years crop Will probably reach 100000
bushels or very near il. AS a result the
farmers are busy and happy
There is little or no danger OF hot
winds affecting the growing grain Of Whit
man county. especially fall sowing. The
heavy rains OF May came just at the OPP
perfume ti,>,e. They soaked the ground
and fixed tile crops 10 stand all kinds OF
dry weather The fall sowing in many
places is unusually large. Spring wheat In
some places is in the boot as the farm
ers express II. The spring sowings look
tine and nothing but the most remarkable
weather can hurt the crops as they now
stand.
Last years harvest placed the major
i;y OF the farmers in my section of the
state on their feet. If the present crop
turns out as vel as Ii promises, the grain
growers OF the state will be on velvet"
Columbia Just as Good.
George b. Baker; who has lived IN East
ern Washington for twenty years. says
that he has never seen better crop pros
poets al this time Of the year. Mr. Baker
IS prominent resident Of Dayton. Column
bia county. Conve-sing with a Post-In-
telligencer reporte. yesterday he said:
Columbia county VIII produce at least
100000 bushels Of grain this year In ex-
cess OF the crop Of 1891. Last year the
yield OF the county was approximately
$4,000 bushels. This year Il should be
at least 100000. All the present indca-
tons are prophetic Of an enormous Yield.
l never saw the crops look better at this
fime or year. The acreage in grain in our
county is fully 20 per cent larger than
last year. The yield per acre will run as
large as that OF the 81 crop, which was
regarded in many places as Almost phe-
nomenal ] do not believe that ANYTHING
can hurt the crops as they now stand.
The season is very early and on account
or the large amount Of fall sowing the
crop Is wei advanced toward rnaturit,,
After reaping bountifui harvest last
year. and being confronted with another
for this season. the farmers Of our county
naturally feel contented"