The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1910-05-21

of land can be made to produce
uniformly bounteous crops. Pri-
vate enterprise is now engaged
in surveys on Silver Creek and
plans are under way for the
watering Of 10000 acres in that
district in the near future.
South and west of Harney and
Bitten River valleys are areas Of
Government land which may be
taken under the 320-acre dry
land homestead act. In plats
prepared by the Burns CONNER
cial Club are shown 80 townships
of this land in Harvey County
that are open to entry, and there
are 40 more townships in the
vicinity that are unsurveyed.
Of this 1000. 900 acres, approx
imately one-half is tillable land,
while the balance is good bunch
grass grazing land, Burns resi-
dents say this land will produce
25 bushels of wheat to the acre.
In the dry farming districts the
soil is not quite SO well adapted
to the conservation of moisture
as that of Sherman, Gillian and
Morrow counties, according to
tests made at the Oregon Expert
ment Station at Corvallis, having
more sand in the composition,
but the average annual precipita-
tion is probably a little greater.
For four years ending December
81, 1907, the annual rainfall in
Harvey County was 12.4 inches.
The county, like other sections
of Eastern Oregon suffered a
partial drouth in 1908 and the
early part of 1909, but this year
the rainfall has been unusually
heavy. The average rainfall is
considered ample for dry farming
where proper methods of cultiva-
ton are followed.
In the northern part of Eastern
Oregon ten inches is declared to
be sufficient to produce annual
crops when rotation and scientific
moisture conservation are adopt
ed. There is apparently no rea-
son why the table lands of Har-
ney county should not deliver as
good results with more than IL
inches of rainfall annually.
Descending Buck Mountain the
first view of the Burns country
is obtained. Silver Valley is
spread out below with but here
and there a comparatively small
cultivated area. Here lies 160.-
900 acres of the 500. 900 that can
be irrigated in the Burns country
and down the valley it is a gentle
fall to the seeming illimitable
Valley. AS William
Hanley says, 1T is a big country
and won't run out"
Burns is now town of perhaps
1900 population. Entering it the
first thing that strikes the atten-
ton is the number of windmills.
Apparently nearly every home
draws water from wells operated
by mills and as a matter of fact
there are more than 100 in the
town.
Burns is now developing in a
substantial way. Thirty thou
sand dollars of $50. 900 that will
De expended on a new stone |
aotel building has been subscrib-
I'd. This year the Masons will |
erect a $50, 900 stone temple, and
large mercantile establishment
o be of stone is also under con-
construction.
Burns is the trading center of
III the great stock country de-
'cribed. When development
zones it will not only be in the
'ubdividing of the big ranches
'ut in the sale and cultivation of
he land in the Willamette Valley
md Cascade Mountain road grant.
r Harvey County this company
WINS 247, 938 acres. Burns with
is present start will probably
emain the trading and distribut-
ng center and there is ample
round for believing that it will
,ecome a great and substantial