Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-12-17
as Seen By an
ObSeyv0,1t Outsidey

the mountains toward the Willamette.
however, IN the most fertile sections
VI Ihe county the land is low and
ieVel' and except for the production of
nops tne land needs ditching or tiling.
IN sections the gray loan soil predom-
mates and no real success in agricul-
ture can be had until this class of land
can be drained The expense will
llkely range between $50 and $50 per
acre, but the land will carry it easily
under improved methods of cropping
which will naturally follow drainage.
Much of the low land of the William
ette Valley has been soured by the
heavy winter rains and the flooding by
spring freshets. The natural lime in
the soil has been washed out and
new supply must be given, either by
application of agricultural lime or by
carrying the water from the land, CIV
ing opportunity for air to restore the
missing elements in the soil. Little
effort has been made in Polk county
to drain form lands.
Much of the best land in Polk
county was settled under the old dona- ,
t1on land claim act, which allowed !
man and his wife to acquire title to .
$40 acres of public land. AS values
rose the more thrifty farmers began :,
to buy all the land that Joined the old :.
homesteads, and some of them sue
ceeded to marked degree. In Polk I
county are to be found many beautiful I
large farms, with excellent buildings, 4
and all modern conveniences. These
places are usually given to stock rails
ing - to blooded stock raising 4;
For the county is famous for Jersey "
cattle, high grade horses and Angora ~
goats.
The large holdings which interfere u
with development and hence have be- 91
come community liability are those w
accumulations of land which show the ed
of the land-hog. And the fir
of the land-hog are tumble
lown buildings, poorly cultivated
ields, much idle land, no blooded M
tock, few children and waning COM ~
nunity spirit. Poor crops and low Sc
,rices are no more certain elements ne
n retarding real development than is bu
he land hog. no
Thousands of acres of good land in I'M
'olk county is covered with oak trees, fo
rown since the settlers drove the In
ians from the country. This is the
ed hill land, famous for the color and
uality of fruit produced on it. Clear Wis
lg this oak land is heart-breaking =,
)b, hence progress is slow. Much D.
the land has excellent air drainage
nd is adapted to prune and pear cul-
Ire. But it is held at high prices, Is
nd when the expense of celaring is lev
lken into account men are not an
ous to undertake the task of subdu- We
g the land and then waiting for
'une or other trees to mature. Lu,
On the other hand there is plenty of Wis
nd now poorly farmed which could
, given thorough cultivation, with ra
oft to the farmer and the commun- II
7 were it not for the steadfastness A. l
th which large holdings of land are 'he
ing held by pioneer families. wei
Citizens of Dallas expect to reach pre-
lewater direct by rail within few eve
ars. They hope for the completion
the Salem. Falls City & Western N
ilroad from the summit of the coast Dor
,untains down the Siletz river to the III,
cific ocean as soon as conditions 30
tile, following peace in Europe. VI
The extension of the road westward
uld open great belt of timber and
,ate markets for the products of N
Tx county farms. The road was ders
ened from Salem TO Black ROCK a ly a
years aso. DALLAS now mas car the
all the year through. o II =
DALLAS business men are supporting VI
movement for better roads in a and
ctical way and farmers are willing AL
pay for construction and repair the {
TX. Everybody, it seems, wants the nroS,
"A stood uon u s;ru,,,N T hahiud % 1ohn Tai i prop
ntv iudee IN bis camnaipn for from
d roads on the plan of a dollar in said
:. in til