Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-07-02
Hay and hops; hops and hay.

Never before has the great william
ette valley, the granary and storehouse
of the Pacific Northwest, promised
largeu productions of these two Will
lamette valley staples. The oldest in
habitant, the chief clerk Of the wealth
er bureau, the goose bone, and old
Rain-in-the-Face, from the Warm
Springs agency-all these best weather
Hnognosticators agree that the summer
now is here and the gentle rains will
pattev no more on the shingles till the
bleak November comes.
This insures enormous yields of hops
and hay.
| Glover and some Of the other earlier
grasses are ready for cutting and a
considerable quantity has already been
moved The two or three damp days
last week caught some of this on the
ground in an uncured state, but the
damage done to it was insignificant.
The remainder of the hay crop, the
great bulk of it, is now ready for the
moving machine and there is no prob.
ability that anything will occur to
prevent the yield from being the larg-
est that the valley has ever known.
1t is the same with the hop crop. AS
has already been stated in these col
umns, the hop acreage is large this
year, Notwithstanding low prices pre-
vailed last season. Such a large
amount of capital is invested in the
hop industry in the country tributary
to Salem that one or two bad years in
ppices will not lessen the acreage. The
hop yards, almost without exception,
look remarkably well. The late and wet
spring seemed to be just what the doc
tor ordered for the rapid growth of
hops, and the warm weather and glad
sunshine put in an appearance just in
time to prevent the lice from coming
and to give new impetus TO the growth
of the vines. In all the valley country
where hops do best, the growers are
busy in their yards. Most Of the fields
will have to have one more cultivation
and another training. Tho dry weather
began just in the right time to favor
this. In nearly all the yards, the
growers have been cleaning up their
grounds and the work of harvesting
the crop will be done easier and quick
er this fall than usual
Indications point to the flattering
prophecy that this year will be ban
nor one in wheat raising in the william
cite valley. The acreage is large and
so far the prospects are good. The
wet weather went out of business in
time to prevent the aphis from max.
ing a visit to the wheat fields and
there has been no rust reported yet
1t is not likely that there will be any,
as the warm weather and sunshine will
begin to get in their work.
Cherries and Logan berries are now
in their zenith. The early varieties of
cherries and the st.awbi-ries are prac-
tically all gone, but the Logan berries
and raspberries are now at their best
and the crop is large. The Royal
Anne cherry--ightly named-was new.
er better in quality, but in most locali
ties the yield was small. The local de
mand for this splendid variety is good
and people are finding it difficult to
obtain enough of them to can for home
use. A considerable quantity, however,
is being brought in to the Salem Mu-
tual Cannery and the prices that pre-
vail are good. There need never be
any doubt that cherry growing in the
Willamette valley will pay.
The demand for small fruits and
berries this year and the steady prices
that were given by the cannery and |
the dealers will stimulate the farmers
to go into this hanch of agriculture
more extensively in the future. i,
In the Liberty neighborhood the
prune crop promises well. The trees
are loaded and the fruit is of fair size
and it is apparent that the dryers will |
be taxed to their full capacity.
At the Riverside farm, seven miles
north of this city, the hops are looking
well and the yield promises to be fully
as good as last year. The vines have
been trimmed and the cultivating is
over with.
Oats and wheat are growing fine and
the yield promises to be large unless
unfoi seen circumstances retard the
growth Of the plants.
From the Spring valley neighbOr
hood. seven miles from Salem. comes
the same glowing report Of heavy