The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1902-09-04
possibilities of Agriculture

Bayfield, county as an agricultural
region. The latest article on the
subject to appear in that paper is
written by Mrs. L. E. Davis, an old
residence of Bayfield,, and is as fol-
lows:
The question is being asked by
many men in the old settled country
to the southeast of Us, "can a man
make living as farmer on the cut
over lands of Northern Wisconsin,
The question has been answered in a
general way by the Press but not in
such specific. concise manner as is
satisfactory to the men who would
make homes here.
There are undoubtedly many men
on the outside, and maybe once in a
while one here, who still persist in
exploiting that old ''bugaboo" OF
short seasons. Until within the last
four or FIVE years this season question
was considered correct, but thanks TO
a few hardy settlers, and more es-
pecially to the large numbering firms,
is due the utter falsity of this posi-
ton.
Tt has been known to all of the
iumbermen here that nowhere in the
northwest does timothy and clover
hay grow so pontaneous and to such
proportions as it does here on the
cut over or stump lands.
Many of the large lumber compan-
les had more than one camp in oper-
alton, so to distinguish one camp
from another they named them head
quarter camp No. S /, 2, 3,etc., gen
orally the headquarter camp being
the business camp, aud where log
cling railroads where used, the place
where the engines where housed
over night ard on Sundays, SO it was
nothing unusual to see quite a gath
ering Of cabins of logs which the en-
ployes OF the road had erected for
then. wives and families to live in.
Frequently these headquarter
camps were used for several years IN
succession and thereby many of the
emploges cleared off an acre or two
and planted the ground to garden
produce To repeat the words Of
one Of The largest operators in this
part of the country: I never was
so surprised IN my life as I was the
first summer after my men began to
raise vegetables and garden trnck.
[ had until then entertained the out
side view that the season was too
short to ripen hardly any kind OF
cereals or tubers. Upon my first vi
sit nv foreman invited me out to his
farm, SO he put it, and to my aston-
ishmene [ found that his garden was
almost IS far advanced toward ma
turitg as was my own three hundred
miles south. ] had only about ten
days before began to use peas, beans
lettuce, ETC.. from my own garden
aud here I was to eat for my dinner
+. the same things that had supposed
could hardly be raised here at all. |
noticed also that the mar had pota
toes, euta beagas, onions, bets, cab
bage, cucumbers, and, more surpris-
ing than all, green corn and toma-
toes that Did fair to ripen. Why,
said ] Tom, (the foreman,) what is
the matter Of our raising our own
vegetables right here for the camps?
There IS no question but what it can
be do8e, In fact I an. so sure that
any cereal or vegetable that can be
raised in the northwest can be
brought 10 maturity right here, that
I am Going to secure a tract of this
land and make for myself a farm.
wei, SIR, said the gentleman in
conclusion, I'VE began clearing off a
large tract and to-day we are raising
all the hay, potatoes, rutabagas, on
ions. csbbages, in fact everything,
almost, that we use in our camps,
aad we're our operations to last indie
fnitelY, I am sure We coAld raise
everything we used. | know there
is no place where stock could do bet
ter; aud while I have never tried
winter wheat I am positive it would
be a complete success.
This is The story Of everyone who
has tried TO raise this kind Of crop,
and, farther still, all tubers raised
here. are of the very best quality and
quantity, universally sound and
first class keepers.