The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1902-09-04
lDAn0'S CROP PROSPECTS.

LARGE Yield and increased Acreage IN the
Clearwater Country..-Flax Alone Valued at
100000.
press correspondent Of the Portland
Oregonian made trip into the Clear
water country and sends to his paper the
following glowing account Of the pros
poets for the season:
The elements were good to Idaho this
year, and nothing in the way Of a de-
crease in crops OF any kind is apparent.
The wheat belt of this state extends far
enough over towards the Palouse country
to reach that portion which had good
crop, but not far enough to take in that
which suffered from drouth. The Clear.
water valley thus far demonstrated its
right to claim that crops never fail, and
with some new ground, an excellent
yield on the old land, will turn off crop
fully as large as that Of last year. Con-
sidering the acreage involved, the Idaho
fax crop is the most important product
grown anywhere in the three states.
with this crop every year is a record
breaker for Idaho, and the present is no
exception. The rich lands of the Nez.
perez reservation are yielding up larger
returns to the haxgrowers than they will
ever secure from wheat. Not only is
there a large increase in acreage this
year, but the yield per acre is much
greater than that last year.
Over $4,000 acres of the Clearwater
valley are in fax this year, and an aver.
age of IS bushels per acre is being Sc
cured. The price at present is slightly
lower than that of last year, but sales are
readily made at $I.2o per bushel, and
there are indications of an advance. At
this figure it will be seen that the value
OF this product will run well up toward
$1,000, 900 or nearly half as much as will
be realized from the wheat crop ofthe en-.
tire state. But little of this fax crop is
shipped to the Pacific Coast markets,
nearly all of it going to Chicago, that
market governing prices here at Lewis
ton all the time. and the Pacific Coast
buyers when they are in the market pay
on the basis of Chicago prices. The
Northern Pacific through its Spokane
and ralouse branch extending down to
Lewiston, ard with two very important
feeders has full sway IN the Clearwater
valley, and as yet Portland buyers can
operate here only for Puget Sound ship
ments. One of these feeders runs from
the mouth of Potlatch canyon up to
Sites, and another from old Fort LaL wal
to Culdesac, and approximately half Of
the grain crop of Idaho will this year
come out from these branches of the
Northern Pacific. There is considerable
new acreage in grain along these branches
some lands which were used for fax for
the past two years this year being in
wheat while the increased yield in fax is
Oh soil now producing its first crop. On
some of the old lands the wheat yield 10
slightly less than that of last year, but
THIS shortage is fully made up by the in
crease in acreage. From Latah county
portland has pretty good opportunity
10 get wheat, the NJ 'scow branch of the
y. X. & N. taking out considerable,
while some of it fluids its way along Snake
river. Considerable Idaho wheat will be
handled in Portland this season, but
Portland buyers will not secure the full
snare to which their geographical loca-
oon entities them until the completion
OIL the road down Snake river.
The completion Of the Snake river road
RON Riparia to Lewiston will not only
res ut in bringing all Of the Clearwater
wheat out by way Of Riparia, but will un
ao"otedly draw wheat from the top o
Inc hills as far west as Moscow. Haul