The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1912-08-08
FARMING FOLLOWS THE Ak
N. w. Durham Writes of Visit to
Farms Near Newport
Profit Making On Cleared Lands.
N. w. DURHAM.

y
was Great Northern station agent at
Newport, with practically no knowledge
of agriculture. Today he. owns Silver
Birch Farm, within a scant mile OF the
depot grounds where he once fingered
the telegraph key, and is recognized
authority on intensive farming. Ana
Silver Birch Farm, with more than 2OO
acres. brought from the virgin forest to
the highest degree of intensive produc-
ton, is becoming famous as one OF the
GREAT show farms of the Inland Empire
the Mecca toward which every one
NAV we'll make pilgrimage who seeks
demonstrated knowledge about clearing
logeed-off lands and their profitable
cultivation after the stumps are out and
the blow can run free in furroW.
Mr.. Talmadge discovered this farm
pretty much as a prospector might
stumble upon the outcropping OF rlcn
mine. One dry summer he noticed that
the town cows ranged over that way,
and riding up there in search of his COW
he took note that wherever his horses
hoofs cut away the surface soil the
ground was moist, Notwithstanding the
land lay upon an expansive elevated
bench $50 feet above the town. At that
time the timber had not been touched
and the Northern Pacific offered this
tract of 220 acres at less than So an
acre, "But l did't have the necessary
$50 to make the first payment" said
Mr.. Talmadge the other day. A little
later it was sold to lumber company,
and after the buyers had taken off more
than 1000, 600 feet of saw timber Mr..
Talmadge, who meantime had made
some money out of the townsite, paid
for the logged-off land price that was
several times greater than the original
offer.
KEEPS GRUBBING AWAY.
Seven years ego he made his first
little clearing and friends demonstrated
against his seeming folly. But he had
faith and kept grubbing away. Today
the large tract is planted to orchard, to
berries, to every known product of the
garden, and much of it is in timothy,
clover and alfalfa to provide forage for
large and profitable herds of Jersey
cattle and pure bred Berkshire hogs.
81 have made mistakes, but have
tried to profit by them" said Mr.. Tai
madge. eff I had had the advantage
of an agricultural college training it
would have saved me much. But l had
faith in the knowledge and judgment of
our experts at the state college, and
when an analysis of the soil brought
back the report that it world grow any
thing that could be produced in this
climate, it inspired me with confidence
that nothing could shake. For berry
growing the soil is complete as it comes
from nature. We need no fertilizer at
all. In the garden we have used little
barnyard manure. -
Prof. Elliott, long well-known au-
thority at Washington State College and
Idaha University, has said to Mr.. Tai
maege that the public has only a faint
conception Of the dairy future of the
Pend Oreille and Kootenai valleys. 1t
has been demonstrated that in these
valleys can be luxuriantly grown, with
out irrigation, every grass and forage
plant known to science.
The people of Newport are justly
proud of this beautiful and highly pro-
ductive farm, lying just without their
town limits. But they take even greater
pride, if that were possible, in the
achievements of D. M. Edens. Mr..
Talmadge, they say, had an advantage
in capital, not capital in large way,
but sufficient to employ men in the work
of clearing the ground. Mr.. Edens
started seven years ago, as he told me
proudly the other day, in an old burn,
grown thick to brush, with only two
cayuses, cow and enough provisions
to tide him through the winter. What
he has wrought out in the forest, say
the business men of Newport, can be
duplicated almost anywhere in the coun.
try roundabout by any poor man who
has the grit and industry to work out
his own salvation.
Mr.. Edens had come into town that
morning to buy fine, new double
seated, heavy carriage and brought with
him lot of produce from his farm
From a fourth of an acre he has sole
this year 100 crates of strawberries fol
SITS. A journey out to his place in the
beautiful hills was well worth the time
It is another Silver Birch Farm, though
on smaller scale, but rivaling the
larger place in the snowy beauty of it:
flowers. These Mrs. Edens grows il
wide variety and profusion; and here
too, was wealth of fruit and berries, o.
garden produce and numerous other line.
of intensive farming.