The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1909-12-29
OLD KENTUCKY
THE BEST OF ALL
Farmers Should be Sat-
isfied Here.
VAST PROPORTIONS OF WEST
/. Many Disadvantages There
Which Are Not EncOun-
tered Here.

Hepner, Oregon, Dec. Exhibitors
Herald:--I have been thinking fol
kome time that i would write you
something of the Northwest which
perhaps might be of interest to some
of the farmer readers of The Herald
shall speak mostly Of Oregon, as
have seen more of this State than any
of the Northwest. 1t is said that Or
egon has the largest territory with
out a railroad of any State in the
Union. From the termination OF one
OF our branch lines freight is hauled
by wagon farther than any other plac
In the United States. think the dis
lance is three hundred miles or more
Both the Hill and Hartman lines are
building roads into the interior of the
State.
To get some general idea OF the vast
size of this State, we will compare
II with the State of Kentucky. Or
egon has total area of 94,56O square
miles and Kentucky an area of 49,
600 square miles. Oregon is more
than two and one-third times the size
Of Kentucky. The census of 1900
shows Kentucky's population to be
2,147,174, and oregon's at that time
413.53G. l think she claims 6OO,OOO
now. but even at this figure you can
see the vast difference in the popuia-
ton. Any one who has not traV-
eled through the far West cannot real
lie how sparsely settled this coun-
Try is. There are 100000 people
CT wded together in some of the New
E.:gIand States, ON an area equal 10
what 600 1000 are living on here. Two
hundred and fifty-five thousand Of
this 600, 900 population are in the city
of Portland.
In this great State most any con-
dit;ons may be found, ranging FROM
the ideal climate and rich soil OF some
of the little villages which have the
appearance of an Eden, t. the san
DIV deserts where neither animal or
vegetable life exists, which is apt TO
bring TO your mind, on a July day.
thoughts of the internal regions. All
kinds of land may be found from the
well improved fruit farm which Is
valued AT 81 80 an acre, to land that
is hardly worth one dollar per one
thousand acres. The greatest diff
Guilty in central and eastern Oregon
Is the scarcity of water, for 1t rains
but very little east of the Cascade
Range during the summer season.
There are some places where the rain
fall is only three or four inches u
year. Nost of the soil is very rich &;
all that is lacking is the rainfall.
Stock raising and wheat growing
are the chief pursuits in the CEN
trail and eastern parts of the State
Here we find great herds of cattle
and sheep-often as many as 5.OOO
head in one herd. In some of the
valleys especially in the Willamette
we find diversified farming, but no
corn is produced on account of light
rainfall and cold nights.
I shall now try to give you some
idea Of : ain growing and farm life in
eastern Oregon. When the season
is good the grain yield is vast, but
this is The only crop the farmer has,
SO when it fails, he has nothing
else to depend on.
The railroad company am with
here has one feeder here As miles long
which .lms through great wheat
belt.
Three years ago there were 1000
car loads of wheat shipped off this
shcrt line. The last two years have
been almost failures for the grain GRO
in Oregon on account of the drouth.
One man told me he sowed 1000 acres
last year and reaped only 800 sacks.
They sow in both fall and spring here.
ard harvest from July to September.
rhey do not bind and shock as we do
In Kentucky, but run either header
or combine. If combine, the grain
is cut and threshed all in one opera
ton. 1t takes from thirty To- forty
five horses to draw one Of these large
combines.
Now / shall try to give you a slight
idea of how great many farmers
have to live out here. Mr. Kentucky
Farmer. how would you like to live 25
or 30 miles from any townY This