Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1907-10-15
NOTES BY THE WAY
MIL Creek Country Rapidly Gaining
Prominence as Poultry Raising
District.

Between Buell. and Ballston, in the
Harmony district and it's immediate
vicinity, one finds section of country
that can be classed neither with the
rugged hill land west of the former
place, nor the low level plains about
the latter.
Dairying was formerly the principal
industry in this place, but within the
past year poultry raising has come
more and more into favor, and it is
gradually taking precedence on all
the farms Immediately about the Har-
mony school house. Poultry raising
on large scale was begun on farms
across the line in Yamhill county, and
from thence it has spread southwest
into Polk. AS one passes back from
Sheridan toward Buell. this industry
is gradually regarded Of less and less
Importance by the farmers, and stock
raising and dairying seem to be con-
sidered of the greater value.
Chiefest among the dairymen and
stock raisers along this route, is
William Ridgeway, a man we'll known
throughout the Willamette valley as a
shrewd, progressive, and business-li like
farmer. The cream from his 20 COWS
has stood, this year, at an average Of
so in the testing department Of the
Hazelwood creamery, where he sends
all Of his dairy products. Ia addition
to this branch of farming, Mr.: Ridge
way maintains herd of 100 swine,
poland China, Berkshire and Chester
white), 161 goats and 81 sheep. The
only poultry he raises to any great
extent is the turkey. OF these he has
a flock of AZ big bronze birds of
the best breed.
His brothers, John and Charles
Ridgeway, farm together, raising fine
horses, hogs and sheep. They are
milking 16 cows at present and send
ing all their cream to the Hazelwood.
@. Blair, John McCollum and Hugh
Guttry all raise more or less fine live
stock, but none of them are employed
in dairy farming.
Near Harmony, S. L. r. Maine, a
native of Pennsylvania, is just starting
in the dairy business with herd of 12
COWS. Aside from these he has also a
small herd of full-blooded Poland |
China hogs. Mr.. Maine says that his
present stock is barely a beginning,
and that he will increase his herds as
rapidly as possible.
Farther on and near the county line,
lies the farm home of w. A. MCLEAN,
who seems to be the connecting link,
as it were, between the dairymen and |
poultry raisers. He miIks six COWS
and is sending their cream to the
Hazelwood, which is the most con-
venient market for this neighborhood.
In the poultry line he has two flocks,
100 White and 100 Brown Leghorns.
Most of the other farmers in this
vicinity have forsaken dairy farming
and are now raising poultry
exclusively.
D. W. James has a flock OF 300
white leghorns, and his neighbors,
J. W. and Van Dickey, both have
flocks of the same breed, having about
800 chickens in each flock. William
Eads, whose farm lies between those
Of Mr.. James and Mr.. MCLEAN, has
at present 140 chickens and about a
score Of fine geese.
The poultry raising industry in this
although not more than
a year old, is advancing by leaps and
bounds, and is encroaching more and
more each month upon the domains
of the stockraiser. The country is in
deed admirably adapted to this busi-
ness, and from present indications it
seems that the neighborhood about
Harmony is destined to become one of
the largest poultry raising centers in
Polk County.
DEAN COLLINS.