The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1903-09-01
GREAT CLEARWATER VALLEY
Record Crops for the State Grow Here
Grain Yield VIII Tax Railroads Profit in
Big Yields.

| OlR leluS.
The greatest grain crop in the Pacific
northwest is growing this year in ..the
Clearwater country and the fact is at
tracing wide attention. The following
is from the report of an Oregonian staff
correspondent who was sent to cover the
field:
The state of Idaho will this year turn
off the largest wheat crop she has ever
grown. This is a condition of affairs
which is positively refreshing after an
extended cruise through the two big
states of Oregon and Washington, with
their almost uniformly small or mixed
good and bad yields. The rich Clear
water Valley has this year fairly outdcne
all previous performances, and it will tax
the facilities of the Northern Pacific to
the limit to handle all the grain that will
be offering.
"ln my previous letters the fact has
been mentioned that the best yields in
Oregon and Washington were in the ter
ritory reached by the o. r. & N. Co.,
while the poor yields in those states were
nearly all the Northern raci6c.territory.
In the case of Idaho these conditions
have been reversed. although the Port
land road secures such an in6nitesmaily
small share Of the Idaho grain trade that
it is hardly worth mentioning. At the
same time it is interesting to note that
about the only portions of Idaho that do
not show good crop are up where the
Moscow branch Of the Portland road pro-
jects few miles over the state line, and
the enormous yield of other parts of the
state is sufficient to equalize the shortage
in the Palouse and Walla Walla districts
tapped by the Northern Pacific. Where
ever good yields have been reported this
year, they have been exceptionally good,
aud number of phenominal yields have
been recorded, but most Of them have
been on comparatively small patches.
''Up here in Idaho entire quarter sec
tions have been running 40 to so bushels
to the acre, and one reservation farmer
has just finished threshing I6, 900 bushels
of wheat from 900 acres of land. 1t is a
choice article of red chaff, weighs over 60
pounds to the bushel, and will sell for 81
cents per bushel, the product per acre for
the farm thus being over $37. From
smaller area, better than 60 bushels is e.
reported in the vicinity of Sites.
Tributary to Lapwai station are a mum.
Der of farms which have turned off better
than so bushels.
"The Haislet ranch showed an out turn
of 81 bushels of Spring grain to the acre,
the Showalter farm s3 bushels, and all
through this country the outturn is run
ming ahead of the early expectations Of
the farmers. This bumper crop is CON-
ing from the higher attitudes, for some Of |
the low lands are falling behidn the yield |
Of last year. The amount in this condi. |
tion, however, is small, compare lively, |
that'i, is insufficient to prevt mt the crop
of the state as a whole surprising that Of
last year.
mo inconsiderable portion of this in
creased wheat yield is due to the large
amount of land which has this year been
switched over from fax 10 wheat. For
The past two years the Nez Perce fax
Yield has made Idaho famous, and last
year the crop reached record proper.
ions, more than 10000 acres of reserva.
tion lands heino -, Gaw IT, 1oo,:. q. 1
Ihe prlce, however, together with the
improvement in the price Of wheat, in
iuced many of the fax growers to
,hange over and il was wise change,
or this year some OF the lar DIS which at
ast " ar's high prices produced from $40
% $2S per acre in flax are this year turn
ng off from $50 to SIS worth Of wheat,
md the price Of fax Is nearly as cents
per bushel less than it was year ago.
Il Is difficult 10 ascertain the exact
amount of the acreage that was thus
changed over from fax to wheat, but
'ome place it as high as IS. 900 acreas.
This amount. with an average yield Of 20
bushels per acre has aided very materially
N swelling the output of Idaho wheat.
Wheat is not the only cereal which
his lusty young state is growing in
quantities, for she has big
yield of barley aud oats. aud like the
wheat both are showing some phenom-
.nal yields, barley in favored localities
-unning up 10 10 aud rs bushels TO the
lcre, while number of fields of oats
nave turned of from SO TO 100 bushels
per acre.
''The fax crop as prev ously stated will |
pe light on account of the reduced acre.
age, but estimates of at least aso o,ooo
bushels are generally regarded as not too
high. Best ofall for these rural capital
lists, they are getting the same high
prices for their big crops which the |