The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-09-16
STOCK INCREASE
VERY NOTICEABLE
WITHYCOMBE'S ADVICE FOLLOWED
OrChardlStS Become Real farmerS--lnique
Rigs for Harvest Found on Farms
Throughout the Valley


Of Hood River men, m0tored To Park
dale, whittier he had been called TO ad-
wise the Upper Valley orcharidsts as to
contemplated purchases of dairy cows.
over the entire % miles distance of
country roads not half dozen milch
cows were seen. Today the animals
are numbered by the hundreds.
This meeting of Upper Valley ranch
ers mentioned, at which DR.. Witty
combe delivered an address urging
them to adopt methods of limited di-
versified farming along with their pre-
dominant industry of Orcharding, was
the initial step toward profitable side
line for the fruit growers of the Upper
Hood River Valley, as well as the
ranch owners of the Lower Valley.
Governor Withycombe, or DR.. Witty
combe, as his friends the state over
we're accustomed to call him then. is
never more enthusiastic than when dis
cussing farm life. And cows with him
form favorite topic.
Gentlemen" he said to the Assem-.
bled fruit growers, 81 love a COW.
can find only one flaw with this beauti-
ful valley of yours. As rode here to-
day | gloried in the magnifcence OF
your scenery. and was truly amazed
that did not see more cows peacefully
grazing in your meadows in the midst
of your great orchards. y
In the course of his talk DR.. Witty
cOmbe told the orchardists that every
one of them should at least own a COW
for the production of butter and milk
for home use. And today the rancher
who does not possess a family milcher
is the exception rather than the rule.
The COW owner was the exception when
Governor WithycOmbe was here.
Great changes have been made in
ranch life in the Hood River valley
during the past three years. Three
years ago the total number of pigs,
sheep, cows and horses was less than
500. TO be exact, the county tax as
sessor's statistics four years ago
showed but 81 cows in the community
of 5000 population. The number OF
swine was even less.
Three years ago apple growers met
for the purpose of discussing apple cul'
ture. Livestock was rare ly mentioned.
Inc llLol IdIl "he
held in September, 1912. A half dozen
chickens and rabbit constituted the live
exhibits. Next Saturday, while scores
of pigs and chickens will be shown by
the pupils of the Hood River county
schools, the live stock fair of the
adults will overshadow the contests
participated in in the Industrial schoo
fair.
The first sllo in the valley was bull
little over a year ago by Howard
| Pealer, a West Side rancher. To-day
these ranch structures may be counted
in the twenties. During the past tive
weeks the following orchardists and
ranchers have constructed huge silos
}. p. Thomson, W. A. Sunday and c.
+. Johannsen.
Because the region was less devel.
oped in orchards, the greatest advance
ment along lines of general farming
have been noted in the Upper Valley.
A type of the model orchard and dairy
farm may be.found in the place of Mr..
Johannsen, who has just completed a
36XS0 foot dairy barn. The enormous
loft has space for S5 tons of loose hay.
HI has built twin silOs, of 65 tons
each. These latter constructions aiC
the ranchers in utilizing their late
crops of alfalfa and cover crops. The
feed material, which cannot be cureC
in the late season. may be put into the
silo even though it be cloudy weather.
MIR. Johanusen's s barn will aCcommO
date 80 cows. He has basement 20S
36, which is equipped for separating
room, and large root cellar, in which
to store his carrots and rutabagas fol
winter feed.
With the advance of diversified farm
ing many unique methods of handling
crops may be noted throughout the val
ley. In the Pine Grove district II. s
GaIIigan has been grinding feed for his
herd of purebred swine with his auto
mobile. On his barn floor he has
marked the eaxct location for the rear
wheels of his machine, a Studebaker
The car is backed up to the point. A
rear wheel is lacked up from the floor
belt slipped on it, and the cal
cranked Then the hum of the feeC
mill may be heard for hours.
81 can grind six tons of feed day,
says Mr.. Galligan, who for severa
years has been producing corn enough
for his herds of animals. Mr.. Cali
gan, too, has been making successful
experiments with barley this season
In a five acre young orchard he ha!
grown between the trees 300 bushels o.
this grain This East Side rancher hal
corn that equals the mangnifcent field'
of Iowa. The maize was planted il
clover sod land. 1t is eight feet high
ana the stalks are loaded with two ant
three we'll filled ears.
al am going to continue the culture
of corn," says Mr.. Galligan. g
planted my field on May 20. 1t is nov
mature in a period of four months
time. This demonstrates to me tina
corn may be made one of our most pop
ular crops. ."
Dethman Bros, on their East Sid'
ranch. are operating feed mill will
the engine taken from an old autOmo
bile.
Corn fields are to be found over th
entire district this season. Three year
ago the patches, the culture havini
been inaugurated by Billy Sunday Of
his Odell country home place, wer
very scattered.
Until this summer so per cent of tn
children of Hood River valley ha
never seen a threshing machine a
work. Because of the increased acre
age of grains, Lage Bros, East Sid
ranchers, brought to the shop of Howell
Bros. an old .hresher that had beeI
out of commission for more than
decade. Before the days of orchard
the thresher had been used to harves
the grain crops of Hood River vale
pioneers. This year the record crop 0
grain for the community was threshe
"a little more than 5000 bushels
Excursions were made by families fror
this city to see the old thresher, horse
power driven, at work in the fields.