East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-03-18
BIG DEMONSTRATION
. TRAIN COSTS $4,000
o. II. ~ n. AND o. A. c. ARE
UNDERTAKING BIG AFFAIR

Great or Small Will BE Carried-
Chief Aim of Movement to Secure
Utilization of the Lands-Much In
tcrcst Is Shown.
The announcement that the Off
cials of the Oregon Railroad & Navi-
cation company is spending upwards
of $4,000 in sending its demonstra-
tion train through eastern oregon next
week, is causing the farmers of this
section TO sit up and take notice.
Many of them are about to come to
the conclusion that the railroad build
ers and the farming experts from the
oregon agricultural college are not
mere dreamers. When the first DEM
onstration train arrived in Pendleton,
two years ago, it was given slight at
tention, but predictions are being
made that the frost which attended
that occasion will not be present next
Friday afternoon. Everything of in
terest tofarmers great or small will
be carried and exhibited. The wheat
farmer. the dairyman, the orchardist
and the poultryman will all find
things of interest
The estimate of $4,000 includes
the cost of operation, earning capacity
of equipment and motive power that
will be used, advertising expenses, eX-
penses of the oregon agricultural COL
lege and experiment station in sending
13 experts with the train and in pro-
-. 1,A
many other miscellaneous expenses
that accrue in such enterprises.
That this sum will be expended
wisely is the conviction of r. b. MIL
Ter. traffic manager of the road,
Judging from results achieved by the
other and lesser trains operated.
Use Idle Lands, Its Aim.
The chief object of the farming
demonstration movement is to en-
courage the utilization of the 1,000.-
600 or more acres of eastern oregon
grain land tributary to the o. r. & N,
system that are idle every year. I'm
der the present method of farming
half the land every year and letting
the other half lie fallow, 1t is main
tanned by the expert agriculturists
that the true crop-producing value OF
the land is not attained. "a crop
every year on every acre of land" is
the slogan of the company and the
agricultural college.
Plan Is Influential.
one year ago this month the o. Z.
& n. made a free distribution of corn
and field peas from the demonstration
train sent over the Washington divi-
sion with the cooperation of the
state college of Washington. Prizes
were offered for the best results in
the growing of corn by boys of IS
years of age and younger.
Respecting the results of the work
undertaken in Washington last year,
Mr.. Miller has just received the fol-
lowing letter from r. w. Thatcher,
director of the agricultural expert
ment station at Pullman:
Dear Mr.. Miller: 1 will say that
Judging from the inquiries and letters
which l have received in the last two
months, very general interest in the
growing of corn in eastern Washing
ton has been aroused and | am conf
dent that there will be thousands OF
acres planted this year. If the season
should be favorable as normal for
corn growing, the industry will be we'll
esta blished. The work which the o.
r. & N demonstration train did in in
Producing corn and field peas will
have very significant influence on
the nature of the cropping systems
in eastern Washington this year, as
both of these crops are going to be
grown very extensively. We have al
ready sold all of the field pea seed
that we had to spare. All of our seed
corn was disposed of before January
and [ have been referring inquiries
since that time to stocks which were
grown around in different parts of
the state, and I understand that these
are now pretty well sold out.
Official Is Pleased.
THE results shown by Mr.. Thatch-
ers letter are immensely gratifying"