The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1908-07-03
OUTLOOK FOR THE
CEREAL CROPS
Conservative Estimate of Loss
and Gain From a Con-
Servative Source.
Winter Wheat Generally Shows Up
Well Spring Wheat Crop Will
Be Below That of Last Year.

| IL not quite a7 tiHtterlng as III was dur
ing the early spring months, which 4 t
that time promised as big a crop a. wfs
harvested last year, still the yield, gem
orally speaking, will be large The
farmer has to gamble with weather con
| ditions from spring almost to harvest
time
Y. B. Mcdowell, who is almost con
| tinualIy on the 60 throughout the IN
land Empire engaged in adjusting in
surance, says that from Davenport west
and Ritzville west extending to the
Snake river, including the region around
kahlotus, winter wheat will be 30 per
| cent below average, and spring wheat 80
per cent below average. This is in the
region known as the Big Bend. In the
western part of Walla WalIa county the
crop will be very short, in the eastern
part the average will prevail.
In a report sent out by well known
and reliable grain man of COlfax, by re-
quest, telling of the condition OF the
crops in Whitman county at this time,
The Gazette is permitted to excerpt
literally from it. 1t is conservative in
tone and will probably be found as cor
rect as anything sent out
Referring to yours Of the both ult.
regarding weather conditions, would say
that it will be impossible at this time to
tell what the actual damage will be in
this section OF the country mort b Of the
Snake river. have gotten in touch
with most OF the agents throughout this
territory, and have obtained their ideas
as to the local condition. They are able
to give US only the condition as it ap
pears at the present time, but with any
kind of good rain the condition would
change a great deal for the better.
'At Pullman the fall and winter wheat
is considered fairly good, or al average
Of previous years. The fall wheat has
not been hurt by drouth or hot winds,
and the farmers in that vicinity expect a
yield of any way 30 bushels to the acre.
The spring wheat il short, and should
they have no rain in that district, it will
not yield more than u or lG bushels
per acre. The crop Of oats, while short
in some places, is turning out farly well,
and will possibly make yield of 30
bushels to the acre, yet in other sections
in and about Pullman, the late sown
oats barely cover the ground, so in all
probability this will make a very short
crop.
"At Guy the conditions are virtually
the same. They consider there that
their spring wheat is damaged at this
time about 20 per cent.
"In the Ia Crosse district the fall
wheat will be somewhat shriveed, but
they expect it to yield about 20 to 30
bushels per acre. Spring wheat is dam
aged about 80 per cent. Most Of it has
headed out at d height of about 10 to
- inches, which will make it almost i'm
possible to cut, and there are many
fields in that district that will not be
touched at all by header
"In the Washtucna district it is con
sidered that the crop is about 50 per
cent less than that of last year.
great deal Of the spring wheat will not
be cut, and farmers say that the fields
that they are intending to harvest at
this time will not yield more than s to
10 bushels.
"The best reports we have at this time
fxD n,I
dale district. The fall varieties of whe t
are not hurt to any extent vet, but il ID
continues dry for any length of time, no
doubt the wheat will be shrveled con
siderable. The spring wheat in that
district will not make more than two
thirds OF crop, as the greater portion
of it is short and thin on the ground.
There was very little barley sown in that
district last season, and what there is
only about covers the ground, and there
are very small chances of it making a
crop without a good downpOur OF rain.
10 the EndicOtt district, fall wheat is
standing the hot weather fairly well,
especially the Fife variety. The Turkey
Red seems to be cut about 10 bushels to
the acre. The spring sown Blue Stem is
cut to the extent of about - per cent,
but in case We should get any rain it will
greatly improve the conditions in that
district The section of the country
east OF Colfax and along the o r. & n.
towards Spokane is in only fairly good
dried out, and the fall grain will make an
average OF possibly % bushels. while the
spring grain will go 10 to IS bushels.
The oats crop is short, but seems to be