Newspaper Page Text
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THE RANCH.
A Weekly Newspaper
For Everybody Who Wants It
Phice —$1.00 it year in advance.
Worth —Two gold dollars.
Monthly Edition. 50c. a yean
Conducted by E. H. 1-iniiv.
Managing Editor, W. W.COBBBTT.
Published by the
YAKIMA PUBWHINJ COMPANY.
KDITOKIAL OF KICKS!
NOIITH YAKIMA. WASHINGTON.
BUSINESS OFFICES!
North Yakiina. Yukima:Avenue.
.Seattle, Room 7, H luck ley Block.
Taconw, 1118 Puciilc Avenue.
RANCH SMALL TALK.
A box of good winter apples pays
for The Ranch for a year.
Two sacks of potatoes or less pay
for The Ranch for a year.
Send us your name and $1, and re
ceive Thr Ranch for a year.
Stretch the noon hour reasonably
these hot periods. Some things are
good alike for man and beast, and rest
is one of them.
Have you got that hop vine started
on its way over the porch? If not,
put in the root now. You will enjoy
its shade and its beauty in the coming
midsummer.
And behold the weeds of the field.
They toil not, but O, how they "spin"
these warm bright days. But the cul
tivator lays them low and they revive
not. Run the cultivator more and the
water less.
The Italian prune is said to be drop
ping to a considerable extent in this
vicinity. The French variety is be
having better and seems to be gaining
ground with orchardists. The Italian
maintains its position very well in the
Sound region.
A hop vine is a phenomenal jumper
anyway; but the biggest leap we have
heard of was over in the Moxee, where
a vine mounted upward 26 inches in
36 hours last week, counting the dark
ness of night, when the measurer
would have noted but slight changes.
The Chicago Inter-Ocean of May 22
contains a well considered and com
prehensive letter about Yakima valley
from the pen of Mr. Nixon, who was a
member of the eastern editorial party
who visited this region a few weeks
ago. Come again, Mr. Inter-Ocean,
when you can stay longer, and in a
season to enjoy a taste of Yakiina's
luscious products.
The sugar people want protection,
which means money in their pockets;
THE RANCH.
so do the iron men, the tin men, the
silk men, the cotton men, and all the
other manufacturers; so do the wool
growers. The "petitions in boots," it is
understood, make a direct demand
for money for the benefit of all the
people. But what is the difference in
principle? All are actually wrong1.
Gov. McGraw has appointed John R.
Reyvis of Spokane, Fred R. Reed of
North Yakima, and W. G. Armstrong
of Seattle, commissioners for the state
to the interstate fair at Tacoma. Now
The Ranch respectfully submits to
the governor the claims of the state
fair to at least equal recognition. Let
there be a state commission to make
special report upon the greatness of
Washington's first state fair.
Flax culture thrives in a moist coun
try. Control of the moisture, as un
der irrigation, produces conditions for
flax the nearest to perfection of any
obtainable. Moisture at the right
times in the right amounts mean the
highest point of success. We trust
that Dr. Van Marter's effort will be
promptly seconded. The Indian labor
is of the very best for flax farming
conditions, especially in preparing the
stems for milling.
It will not pay to become discour
aged about butter making- simply be
cause the price goes down as the mer
cury goes up. In regions not prepared
with cool places for storing butter this
is always the case. Of course, when
production is heaviest and facilities
for keeping are deficient, prices don't
keep pace. Just wait a little until you
get fixed up for storing the product,
and the play will be even. Pack for
winter as soon as you can prepare for
it, and keep out of the hot weather
market.
The Ranch would be very glad for
reports from farmers who secured su
gar beet seed for experiment purposes
regarding- germination and growth of
the plants. These reports made sev
eral times during1 the season would be
read with interest, for the entire com
munity has a desire to see a sug-ar
beet factory established here, provided
that it is demonstrated that it can be
made profitable. This is an important
year in the history of the enterprise,
because upon results will depend the
establishment of a great industry in
the Yakima country.
Gather in the ashes. Every pound of
wood ashes leaching away at the back
door is so much fertility wasted. In
the vicinity of towns it would pay
fruit growers to contract with resi
dents for the removal of the ashes.
Residents would be glad to take the
trouble of keeping the ashes from
waste and protected if the man who
wants them for his garden or orchard
would agree to remove them at stated
periods. The ashes from the wood
burned here are less valuable than
those from the hard wood regions, but
they are worth a good deal, say as 11
to 20.
Secretary Tonneson, of the state
board of horticulture, has taken unto
himself a wife. We saw signs of thin
spring movement last winter, when
Brother Tonneson was so much inter
ested in ways and means of house
building. The bride was Miss Ida B.
Dukes, a teacher in the Tacoma
schools. When General Insect hears
of this he will breathe easier, as one
of his worst foes will have his atten
tion distracted for a while by gentler
duties. We wish the couple health,
wealth and happiness.
The Northwest Pacific Farmer of
May 24 said that the first Oregon
strawberries reached the Portland
market last week. They wholesaled
readily at 20 cents per box, while Cali
fornias brought but 10 cents. Now
that's about the right thing to do —
give the preference to the home mark
et. Of course the Oregon berries were
largest, best and freshest. It's an
"awfully" good country that can beat
Oregon for strawberries. Though
some reports made out that frost had
damaged the crop, there will be an
abundance, and prices for the flush
season will be low.
The alfalfa harvest—that is the first
harvest —is inaug-urated. Dr. Morri
son beg-an on his 120-acre field on Tues
day. The crop is heavy and uniform.
Besides this, the doctor has a 20-acre
patch "on the side." These acres
mean a wonderful weight of flesh
forming material. Let us see: —140
acres at 2 tons per acre means 280 tons;
cut four times, 1,120 tons. That
means a good deal of money at $6
per ton, and much more if fed to
stock and marketed in the form of
meat. The alfalfa stack is one of the
greatest things in Yakima agriculture.
Give it room.
Mr. Pincus enters upon very uncer
tain ground when he ventures to pre
dict the outcome of the hop crop bo
fore half the vines have reached the
tops of the poles. It is mere idle talk.
We remember hearing- this same man
in the month of July last year arguing
that no early prediction concerning- th t
growing- crop was worth a straw.
Wait, said he, until the vine in Eng
land and the eastern states is safe
from the attacks of "fly" and mould.
Many thing's may happen to the hops
in various localities before picking
time, and if nothing happens it is not
likely that first quality hop* will be
valueless. Keep on training- and cul
tivating-, just as though Mr. Pincus'
views had not been made public.
