The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1920-06-24
MORROW GROWERS SURE
Of GOOD WHEAT YIELD
High Prices Expected to Combine
With Bumper Crop TO Swell Pock-
cts OF Farmers.

(By Robert Lee Ringer in the Rose
Festival edition of Portland Evening
Telegram.)
Wheat growers Of Morrow county
are in very confident mood. The
high prices of last season made them
fairly prosperous in spite of light
yield on account OF a dry season, but
this year they are figuring that both
big yield and high prices will ring
the bell together for them and they
are making preparations accordingly
Late SHOWS gave plenty of time to get
ready. Some big outfits are in the
field already on the lighter soils north
OF Lexington and as soon as the fields
dry little to the south thousands of
acres will be sown, clear up to the
foot hills of the Blue Mountains.
Very little planting was done last
fall. While Morrow county is strong
for winter wheat, as a usual thing
most Of 1t is planted in the latter end
of the winter rather than in the late
fall. But last year was so dry that
the ground was not fit for the or
dinary fall work until very late and
then 1t froze up soon after that, so
that the farmers had to go into win
ter quarters early.
With very little preparation made
for the 1920 crop, the growers have
kept an anxious eye to the weather
at all times and after a careful study
OF It they are practically unanimous
in expecting a big yield this year
First there was heavy fall of snow
in December. There was very little
frost in the ground at the time and
the moisture worked down deep A.
fairly open winter followed and the
tillers of the soil rounded up their
stock preparatory to rushing the crop
into the ground about the middle of
February.
Grounding Tricked
The grounding had double-crossed
them, however, and instead of spring
weather, frosty nights followed with
alternate freezing and thawing that
began to work all the moisture out of
the ground and might have been dis
astrous. But on the night of March
| 1t began TO snow. Eight inches fell
in the upper regions of Rhea and Will
low creeks, four inches at Heppner,
two inches at lone and rain at IIepp-
ner Junction. 1t was four days be-
fore the fields we're bare around
Heppner and every bit of moisture
went into the ground as fast as 1t !
melted The result Is that the
ground is in perfect condition. The
season is little late and the weather
ought to warm up early and give the
crop a quick start, which will be a
big boost to keeping the moisture in
the ground.
Considerable property, especially
wheat lands. have changed hands in
Morrow county since last harvest, but
it is too early to determine yet wheth-
er 1t is the forerunner of boom in
practically the only remaining cheap
wheat lands in the country. Prices
have gone so high in Sherman, Wasco
and Umatilla counties and in the
Walla Walla and Palouse sections,
that many of the old time wheat
growers from those fields are pick
ing up cheaper acreage in Morrow
and Gillian counties.
Their advent is most welcome in
that section for two reasons First,
the growers there have always in
sisted there was no proper reason for
the big difference in the valuations
OF their lands as compared with other
recognized sections. Second. and
more important, it will result in a
better grade of farming by bringing
in some of the blood that has de-
yeloped and made the reputation of
other sections.
Cultivation Only Need
Dozens of men have demonstrated
in the last few years that proper cul-
tivation is all that is needed to make
crops as sure in Morrow county with
less than fifteen inches of rainfall as
they are around Weston with over
twenty inches. Scores of good farm
ers have made good for themselves
and bought out their neighbors vino
failed, only to make the newly ac-
Quired land as productive as their
original holdings. The secret Is good
farming practice, timely plowing,
proper blowing and proper summer
following. 1t will pobably be only
a short time before other crops will
be tried In the summer fallow and
the present generation may live to
see diversified farming carried on in
Morrow county.
Possibly before that day comes the
John Day irrigation project will be
fact. If so, some Of the other coun-
ties will have to be looking to their
laurels In all lines of production, for
under that project lie 10000 acres
of sandy upland that will raise any
thing from cantaloupes to wheat, If
given the water. 1t will be an OK
pensive development, at the best, and
at the present time no man can set
the date for it. Both the federal gov
ernment and the state have spent
lot of money on it already, but the
best figure set so far is about $15,-
100000 or cost Of $125 per acre.