Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1914-04-03

Spokane, Washington, where wifc's
two sisters live, one ten miles east
and the other ten miles west of this
large and enterprising metropolis
of eastern Washington.
On the way we passed through
Helena. Montana's capital city, and
such important western towns as
Missoula, and Occur d'Alene. The
train arrived in the dusk Of the
evening and we were greeted by ia
milar faces some of which we had not
seen for years.
We were soon happy on the way
to the country, over the level roads
of the valley, the horse having six
passengers in all to draw, but be-
ing accustomed to hauling "spuds"
to the Spokane market, he took it
cheerfully, and we were soon at
home.
Spokane is nestled down in a long
This lake bed is quite fertile if
plentifully watered by irrigation.
The soil is largely made up Of gray
el and in the vicinity of town there
are great piles of "scab rock" a
very dark and hard stone. The
hills and rock that rise several hum
dred feet above the town on the
south, have been made into love-
ly scenatic park where such western
animals as elk, deer, bear and
moose, are kept for public exhibit
ton. Along this elevation are
some elegant ZONES. The river
makes pretty fall Of 20 feet over
the rocks at the lowest point of the
city level. but its waters are being
turned from it's channel and natural
beauty, into commercial profit, sup
plying light for the city, power for
the street and interurban cars, and
local manufactures.
Any thing which promises better
things for the city meets with pop
uar favor. We were present as an
auditor at a banquet rendered Sec
rotary of the Navy Daniels by the
Chamber of Commerce, and noted
that when ne proposed to make an
areoplane naval base at Spokane,
the announcement was received
with great applause.
Around Spokane very little alfal-
ia is grown, because Of the expense
of water with which it must be ir-
rigated. Wheat is grown without ir-
rieation and sufficiently near the
city market, is cut when but half
ripe, and in the sheaf is fed, or
sold for ebay at $500 per ton in
the harvest season. Farther out
the great wheat fields are cut and
! threshed~ by" the same machine,
drawn by an engine or by herd
filed it is tied and dropped off to
lay until they can gather it up,
and rick them up in great heaps
unprotected, for they know it will
not rain. Some machines scatter
the straw along in a winrow, or
put it in little heaps. Later to be
gathered up. The west wastes
nothing, for it has nothing to waste.
saw no timothy or clover fields,
| or blue grass pasture. Blue grass
| is only used for lawn purposes in
the cities, and needs a good drench-
ing from the hose every day to
thrive we'll.
Summer following" was a novel;
ty, and in Iowa would be deemed a |
NUISANCE, but in the northwest til
becomes necessity, as the land
must have rest from continued
granting, and since there can be no
corn grown to rest with, it is left !
idle a year.
While this rests the land, not so |
with the farmer and his horses. In
the early spring this idle ground is
broken and disked and narrowed,
and during the entire season he
keeps it "fallowed' so that it may
be in condition for fall seeding.
I saw them in clouds of dust,
with clods and clatter, pacing back
and forth over. the moistureless,
CRASHES fields, Summer following"
one part of the farm while the other
half is growing its crops. Next
year, or the second season at most
he will rest his other field while he
crops this.
With western wheat the housewife
cannot make eastern bread, for it
is neither moist or light, unless a
least 10 per cent of eastern wheat
is ground up with it. The bread
like the soil which produces it IS
dry and hard and requires an apol-
ogy.
The timber here is almost all