East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-07-02

Hyman H. Cohen, market editor of
the Portland Journal, was in Pen
dleton this morning for few hours
He has been detailed by the Journal
to make a tour of eastern Oregon
grain counties to compile impartial
statistics on the wheat crop situation
throughout the inland empire. He
left on the noon train for Walla
Walla.
Mr.. Cohen says that Notwithstanding
the dry spring. good yields will be
harvested in practically every, sec
tion which he has visited OF course
there are some sections where there
are many field in which the grain is
too short to be reached by the har-
vesting machinery.
In speaking of the ConSpn coun-
try he says:
This section of Gillian county will
harvest about 10000 bushels of
wheat this year as compared with
about half that number of bushels
year ago.
1T would be unwise to estimate
the exact average but present condi-
tions point to yields as high as 40
bushels, although this is an extreme
figure and some fields will not run
more than six bushels. This latter,
| too, is an extreme.
Had it not been for the poor show
ing in the northern part of the coun-
ty, Gillian would put out at least
,, II 1-2 bushels to the acre planted.
Mustard and other weeds have
taken entire sections. Fields thus af-
flicted have been abandoned for the
season.
"Qne lesson taught this year is that
this section needs fall sowing. Nine
ty per cent of the wheat acreage of
this section this year was sown in
the fall months and the average yield
of grain so sown is much higher than
spring planting.
"In the Mayville belt the county's
best showing in wheat production is
made. Some few fields of that dis
trict will go as high as 40 bushels to
the acre and 25 to 80 bushel pros
poets are frequently met with"
Around Arlington the Journals
staff correspondent did not find con-
ditions so favorable and he says that
portion of the county will have little
wheat to sell the coming season.
Adverse climatic conditions for
two seasons have forced some grain
growers to purchase enough wheat
and hay to feed their poultry and
| livestock. 1t is no uncommon sight
to see some of the ranchers of north
ern Gillian buy so cents or Sis worth
of wheat because there is no wheat
in the hands of producers, and slim
prospects are the portion of the COM
| ing crop.
'In some instances the grain of
northern Gillian will run from to
12 bushels an acre, but a larger por-
tion will run closer to the lower fig.
ure than the higher. Many fields
will not be cut because even with the
tempting prices offering for the grain,
some of it is 50 scattering and OF such
low growth that it cannot be cut.
Arlington TO Bicl<lcton.
"The best portion Of northern Gill
liam is on Shutters flat but even
there the prospects are not allurlng.
"The wheat from this city to
Bickleton, in Klickitat county, has
Jared somewhat better than this por-
ton of Gillian, but much the best
results were shown from fall plant
ing.
"Some of the fall sown wheat in
that section will run from 10 to 20
bushels per acre, but spring grain will
scarcely range more than to 10
bushels.
Northern Gillian has received no
rain since March 2, and previous to
that time the fall has been far be-
low the normal"
In Sherman county however he
found the crop conditions as COM
pared with those in former years
the inland empire yet visited, He is
seeing Umatila county wheat today
and will probably have still brighter
prospects to report from this section
1.-THE crop year of 1907 has so fal
been the banner year of Sherman
county, but the year Of 1909 will un-
doubtedly meet if not surpass 1907
in the number of bushels of wheat
marketed and financial returns,
says Mr.. Cohen.
"There is but one difference be-
tween the crop this year and the cror
Of 1901 in that the larger amount OF
wheat in 1907 was harvested in and
near Wasco, while this year the larg-
est amount will be from near Grass
Valley. Frosts have nipped several
fields of grain slightly but the heads
do not show much more damage than
just the tip end.
Rapid Growth Shown.
"Fields that a month ago were
conceded to be too short for machin-
cry to cut have made rapid growth
because of the rains and are filling
out the head nicely. The larger part
of the acreage Of this county will
with a continuance of cool growing
weather even without more rainfall,
age. In fields that were generally
spotted with what is nown as little
mustard, the wheat has overtaken
and chicken the growth so that it has
djsappeared"