Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1906-12-21
DAIRY AND FINE STOCK
MEETING AT KERBY
Attendance Larger Than at Any
Previous Meetings. Registered
Stock Being Bought.


Schulmerich, of Hillsboro, and
Charles Meserve returned Sunday
from Kerby, where they had on the
previous day held a farmers insti-
tute, dairying and fine stock being the
features of agricultural work taken
up
Dr. James Withycombe was to have
been one of the speakers at this in
stitute but at the close Of the institute
in Grants Pass he had to go direct to
Corvallis as important work demanded
his presence at the Agricultural
College.
The attendance was very large for
that sparcely settled Valley, there
being fully 75 farmers present as well
as many of their wives. Sucker creek
and Deer creek. the two principal
dairy sections of Illinois Valley we're
we'll represented and there were
farmers at the institute who had come
as far as Is miles The first farmers
institute held in Illinois Valley was
two years ago and then there were
but score of farmers in attendance.
A second was held last Winter and
though a big storm was on and the
streams SO high that many of them
could not be forded, yet there was
nearly double the attendance of
farmers over the previous year. And
the encouraging feature is that the
attendance last Saturday was double
that of last year.
In the pioneer days Illinois Valley
was noted for its rich gold mines, the
famous Sailor Diggings and the
Sucker creek and Althouse being
among the richest mines on the Pa
cific Coast The placers becoming
largely worked out the population OF
the Valley greatly decreased and
Waldo, which had become a thriving
town of more than 800 population,
built at Sailor Diggings, went down
to mere stage station with small
store, hotel and stable. Kerby, once
thriving town and county seat of
Josephine county felt the loss of trade
and became almost dead town.
The few remaining settlers in the
Valley took up stock raising, few
continuing mining in small way.
The continued low price of beef for
the last few years and the prospect
that the beef trust would continue to
hold the price down caused the cattle
men of Illinois Valley to turn their
attention to dairying. With the
splendid natural advantages of the
Valley supplemented by the work of the
farmers institutes where DR.. Witty
combe and other experts in dairying
gave the farmers instructions in how
to make the milk COW more profitable
than the beef animal, dairying has
had big growth in the last two years
in the Illinois Valley. The farmers
have begun to breed up their herds
and they now have many high grade
and registered cows mostly Jerseys.
The most approved methods OF hand.
ling the milk are being adopted and
there are between 30 and 40 separators
in the the Valley and the number
will be almost doubled this coming
year.
Last June a creamery was put in
on Sucker creek by George Mathew
son and Carl johnson, two farmers of
that section. Owing TO series OF
reasons it was not well patronized.
but the outlook is encouraging for
the organization of a cooperative
creamery company that will take over
this creamery and secure to it the pat
ronage Of all the dairymen of the
Valley. AS there are not COWS enough
in the Valley to warrant two cream
cries it is likely that the presen
creamery VIII be removed to kerby sc
as to be more centrally located. This
matter is under consideration and il
the business men of Kerby offer suffi.
cient inducements it is probable that
the farmers Of Sucker creek wonid
consent to continue their patro1age e
tbs creamery IL it was removed t.
Kerby. 90 FHs--
:: In addition to dairyin the farmer,
Of Illinois Valley are taking up rails,
ing draft horses and last year com
pany was formed and the purchas,
made Of a fine Percheron stallion a
a cost Of s43O0, Several Of the farmer
have brought mi registered; hogs,
representing all tie STANDARD. breed
and number of the herds Of catfl