The clouds rested on the water and the setting sun lit up the Golden Gate with the glory of the sea as we steamed across the bay and bade adieu to the land of Pomona and her citron groves.
CHAPTER XVIII
WALLA WALLA VALLEY
Walla Walla is so named from its abundant supply of water. Many little streams run over the surface and many more under ground. This valley is noted for the richness of its soil, which is decomposed lava, and its wonderful climate. This delightful climate is shorn of its harshness by the magical breath of the Chinook wind.
The principal crop here is wheat. A Walla Walla ranchman never thinks of planting anything else. The soil is so easy of cultivation that all he needs to do is to plow the ground, sow the wheat and go fishing until it is ready to harvest. Wheat brings him wealth and prosperity.
Every year one-half of a ranch is allowed to lie fallow, but an Illinois farmer would rotate crops instead. The fallow fields, however, are kept perfectly clean and free from weeds.
During the rainy season the soil, which is rich in potash and phosphoric acid, stores up moisture sufficient to mature the wheat. Only three pecks of wheat are sown to the acre, as the grain stools very much.
The average farm contains six hundred acres, but there are many ranches of from a thousand to fifteen hundred acres.
For cutting the grain the old-fashioned header is used, also the ordinary reaper and binder, but the combined harvester and thresher is the king of reapers. It is drawn by from twenty-five to thirty mules, cuts the grain, threshes it, sacks it, and dumps it on the ground ready for shipment.
Wheat averages from twenty to thirty bushels to the acre. Some years the average is much higher. In 1898 wheat went sixty bushels to the acre.