Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1900-07-05
Richest Farming Belt In the World


The wonderful crops on the reservation
and throughout the Clearwater region is
attracting world wide attention this year.
The famous Palouse wheat belt has
reen regarded the most prolific in the
United States. The good qualities of the
Palouse soil are duplicated in the Clear
water region with some advantages of
climate to our credit.
This special grain belt lies at an eleva-
ton of from 1900 to 28oo feet above the
sea. The soil is peculiar to this region.
The crops of this year, or for a succession
of years, are not the result of an acct
dental combination of favorable weather
conditions. The soil of the Palouse and
the Clearwater region are of basaltic
origin, having been produced from ero-
sion of the country rock. Only in few
regions, as in Ireland and China, is this
peculiar soil formation found in an arabic
country. The combination of mineral
salts is pronounced the best for general
crop production Of all native soil compo-
sition. 1t is said that this soil is not only
very fertile, but practically inexhaustible.
The nature of its formation and the con-
tinuation of the process of disintegration
renew the properties that are consumed
in the production of the crops. The
soil of Ireland and China, which were
formed from basalt like our country rock
has produced crops for thousand years,
perhaps forming the only valuable excep-
tons of self revival known to the agri-
cultural world.
There have been many ideas advocated
to explain the formation of our soil. 1t has
been enormously called volcanic deposit.
This is disputed by the best scientific au-
thority. Ash soils are light and not per-
manent. The fine structure of ash de-
posits subject all the elements to the
action of the chemicals of the atmosphere.
This soil made by the grinding of gla-
ciers is not reduced to pasty pulp. 1t is
in distinct grains and these grains hold
the salts in minute cells to be released
as required by plant growth. The ice
mill of the gods grind fine powder, but
not as fine as the fire mill that releases
only the elements of smoke. Our soil is
therefore, not only more permanent but
more fertile than the ashy soils.
While we have the richest plateaus in
the world we have valleys of distinct
formation. The soliacious rocks have dis
intricated and the rivers have made a
base of this debris. Which our valleys
have not the foundation that causes a
perfect perpetual fertilizing quality equal
to the high lands, the released mineral
salts from the hills have been deposited in
the soils of the valleys. In many in
stances this natural fertilization is renew
ed by miniature overflow, and as often as
the conditions require. The distinct eli
mate of the high and low areas are nat
ural benefit. The seasons for various
crops are prolonged by the variation in
seasons. The cities and homes on the
hills may be supplied with the luxury Of
early fruits and vegetables early in the
spring when the same crop becomes
staple at one elevation it is luxury at
the other,.a natural benefit.
The Lewiston valley which now ex-
tends to the encircling mountains is the
richest in the world in natural wealth.
The rich crops Of this year are not acct
dental, but normal When the new home
builders Of this region learn the posi-.
bilities Of this basaltic soil and the va
riety of its possible products our day Of
glory will dawn. A new surprise awaits
the scientific farmer for every year he
tills these wonderful fields.