The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-07-26
FARMS IN WHITMAN COUNTY.
CAREFUL ESTIMATE OF PRESENT
YIELD OF GRAIN AND FRUIT.
wheat VIII he an Average Crop. hut
Oats and Barley Are Poor-Yfeld
of Fruit VIII BE the Greatest in
the History of Washington.

| Special Dispatch to the Post-Inte1ligencer
COLFAx, July 25.-Harvest has begun
| throughout Whitman county. Binders
| have been running IN various localities
| for several days. and In some of the
earliest fields they started nearly two
weeks ago. but IL was not until today
| that headers started generally. Thresh-
ing has not yet begun to any extent,
but many will start this week, and by
August l every header, binder and
thresher will be busy. The harvest be-
gan at least one month earlier than
usual this season. This is due to many
causes. an open winter and early spring
being the principal reasons. This is true
OF all parts OF Eastern Washington and
Northern Idaho. In Whitman county
spring wheat viii be less than an aver
age crop, varying from almost a failure
to excellent. Wheat sown last spring on
summer-fallowec ground Is almost as
good as fall wheat. but the acreage OF
this Is small. Nearly all summer fallow
was sown last fall. and produced won
derful crop.
The average yield per acre in Whitman
county this year will be little better
than last year, and an increased acreage
win give a larger total yield than the
county ever produced except in 1897, the
u
county. This statement applies only to
wheat. Oats and barley are the poorest
ever known. There is small Acreage
of barley. and the yield is light There
is larger acreage of oats but very
poor yield. probably from one-fourth to
one-hah of a crop being all that will be
produced. No one seems to be able to
give a logical reason for this. but the fact
remains that the county will produce
little more feed grains than will be need
ed for home consumption
OF fruit there will be the largest crop
ever grown in the county. Every kind
of fruit is yielding or promises a record
breaking crop. Last year the fruit crop
was nearly failure. owing to the severe
winter preceding. which killed the fruit.
This acted upon the trees the Same as
summer following acts upon grain
field, and the result Is the biggest crop
Of fruit the county has ever produced.
Winter apples are found TO be the most
profitable crop, and since 1888, when
Whitman county shipped 100000 worth OF
apples to the markets OF the Middle
West the acreage of this fruit has great
~ increased. II is expected this figure
will be doubled this year II the price IL
as high as now promised. An apple
fair" Is under consideration. and will
probably be held in Colfax this fall. The
plan Is to have from $4,000 to 100000 boxes
of apples on exhibition at the fair, to
which buyers will be invited. Here the
farmer and orchardist will meet on COM
mon ground. The producer will have
samples of his fruit to exhibit. and the
buyers can purchase by sample. or
course II will not be necessary to con-
fine the exhibits to apples. Pears.
peaches. prunes and other fruits can be
shown and sold. as well as apples. But
apples being the principal fruit sold In
this condition ~ Ia auRregfed that the
exposition be known as an apple fair.
Next TO apples prunes will be the lead
ing fruit crop for export this year. The
aggregate acreage of prunes In Whitman
county Is quite large. probably reaching
into the Thousands Of acfes.~ These win
be dried or evaporated and exported In
that condition. Dryers and evaporators
are being erected In various parts OF
Whitman county. Hulin Bros. are erect
ing one with a capacity Of seventeen tons
OF green fruit per day at Colfax. j. Al
len, of Portland. II erecting dryer at
Elberton with a capacity OF seventy tons
OF green fruit every twenty-four hours.
which win be the largest In Whitman
county II not in the state. There are
over 800 acres o. pr1nes Within three
miles OF Elberton, and tho yield will be
the heaviest ever known. Other smaller
dryers are being erected at various
points I'm the county, and thousands of
tons OF prunes will be evaporated this
fall These find ready market In the
mining regions of the north. and many
carloads are shipped to the Middle West
and Eastern states.
OF peaches pears, plums, apricots. cher
ries and all kinds OF small fruit there
will be produced an enormous crop this
year Peaches are only grown along the
Snake river. in the southern part of the
county, but many tons are shipped daily
ID. .k,t. a. oVt1 int
in Montana and British Columbia. APP
ricots are almost out OF season. but the
yield was good and prices fair. The
same IL true In every respect OF cherries.
Taken as a whole. the farmers, fruit
growers and stockmen OF Whitman coun-
~ are in prosperous condition. The
crop OF wheat is above the average. The
price promised will leave n profit 10 the
farmer. There Is money In all kinds
Of fruit. and hay Is in demand at prices
that pay we'll Horses cattle. hogs and
sheep are In demand at higher prices
than have obtained for many years. and
there Is a general revival OF interest
In the stock industry. As result OF
these conditions the country Is ndvanc-
ing. and improvements may be noticed
on every hand, A trip through the
country viii disclose new and substantial
improvements on farms. More new farm
houses. many Of them costing from 81 500
20 ~, 500. have been erected since 1897 than
during any ten years since the organixs-
ton OF Whitman county. Farmers are
building new harms and houses and erect
| Ing wlndmllls this year, and all the saw
mills are kept busy turning out lumber
| fer country trade.
In tho northern part OF Whitman ecun-
~ this Is especially true. There are
| more elegant new homes scattered
| through that district than can be found
| in many Of the best farming districts
| Of the Middle West which have been set
I tied decades longer than this state. The
| Bank OF Ro@aIia. q small private bank
carries from $4,000 10 81. aoo % deposits az
| the present tizle, most 81 Il the money
~ -