East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-05-14

Umatilla county has a soil and a
rainfall that justifies a family upon
every 100 acres OF the land now used
only for wheat.
Annual crops may be raised with
ease II the right methods are but used
and the present system OF summer
following is a monstrous and economic
waste.
In the course OF time the supply OF
nitrogen In the soil will become de-
pleted II wheat raising Is adhered to
and the farmers OF the county vii be
forced to take up diversified farming
as they did In western Oregon.
This Is the substance OF the things
that we're told the people OF this city
and the surrounding country by DR..
James withycombe and his associates
from the oregon Agricultural college
faculty. Similar things are being told
the farmers OF eastern Oregon at all
the points where the o. r. & N. dem
onstration train stops.
Effect OF Advice Unknown.
What the effect OF the advice Will
be future years must tell. but accord
ing to the men who were here yester-
day the change from wheat raising 10
diversified farming win occur In time
as surely as the earth moves In It's
orbit.
The demonstration train reached
here shortly after4 o'clock last even
ing and the meeting was deferred un-
I'll after the other evening passenger
trains had pulled out. The crowd
then gathered around the rear end OF
the private car In which the party
was travelling and r. B. Miller, gen.
eral freight agent, opened the meet
ing with a few remarks at the con-
clusion of which ne introduced DIR.
Withycombe, director Of the state ex-
pertinent station.
DR.. James Withyconibc.
In the glowing talk DR.. Wfthycombe
paid a high tribute TO the prosperity
of Umatilla county and OF Pendleton
and praised the people for the pro-
gress that they have made. But con-
tinuing he declared that for the most
part they were in almost utter ignor-
ance OF the true possibilities OF this
section and declared that II the coun-
ty was settled with the population that
II can sustain, Pendleton would grow
to a city of $4,000 people.
Taking UP the problem OF wheat
raising DR.. Withycombe held that
with every succeeding wheat crop the
supply OF nitrogen in the Umatilla
county soil was being made less and
that in time II cannot but become ex-
hausted.
When that time comes, as IT did
some years ago in the Willamette val
lev. the farmers of this section viii
have to turn their attention to dry
farming methods and when they do
,they will make more money than they
no now and their lands will greatly
increase In value.
Prof. Scuddcr's Talk.
A the conclusion of DR.. Witty
conbe address he introduced Prof
n u. ,Scudder, agronomist at the ag"
ricultural college, was introduced
His talk was along a similar strain
To that of DR.. Withycombe, but he
went more into detail regarding dry
farming methods and quoted statistics
that showed he was well informed
concerning the character of the SOIL
in this county and likewise regarding
amount OF rainfall.
According to the speaker the precip-
itaton in this county is sufficient, II
properly conserved, that four times the
present crops could be raised. As to
the conservation of moisture he de-
cleared that a very satisfactory meth
cd has been worked out and 1t con-
sists in providing soil blanket"
He declared that the waste Is through |