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 noted¹ for the richness of its soil, which is decomposed² lava³, and its wonderful climate. This delightful⁴ 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 cultivation⁶ that all he needs to do is to plow⁷ 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 ranch⁵ is allowed to lie fallow, but an Illinois farmer would rotate crops instead. The fallow fields, however, are kept perfectly⁸ 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 ranches⁹ of from a thousand to fifteen hundred acres.

 

For cutting the grain the old-fashioned header is used, also the ordinary reaper¹⁰ and binder¹¹, but the combined harvester and thresher is the king of reapers¹². It is drawn¹³ by from twenty-five to thirty mules¹⁴, 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.

 

The price of land runs from thirty dollars to sixty dollars per acre. Comfortable homes and green orchards¹⁵ dot the landscape. The orchards, however, must be irrigated¹⁶. The Blue mountains supply plenty of water for this purpose.

 

At the experiment stations established[226] throughout the semi-arid regions of the west, investigation¹⁷ of the excessive alkali in the soil is being carried on.

 

In many regions of California and Utah large tracts¹⁸ of irrigated land are practically non-productive because of the presence of an excess of alkali. Investigation has proven that this is due to excessive irrigation. When water is applied¹⁹ to the soil it brings to the surface when it rises, the salts.

 

In seeking a remedy for this evil the experiment stations have demonstrated that in most instances crops do not require nearly so much water as is usually applied to them. Working along practical lines in the solution of this, to the West, great problem, the stations hope eventually to show just what quantity of water a given crop in a given locality requires.

 

The establishment of this truth will save much land now under ditch and extend the area of irrigation by demonstrating that more land can be supplied with water from the available supply.

 

In Montana, Idaho, Washington and the semi-arid districts of other states experiments are being carried on in the line of forage²⁰ plants.[227] In these states success has been quite satisfactory with the cow pea, which is usually planted with oats. Red clover flourishes as well here as in the East.

 

Success in farming depends upon a thorough knowledge of soil, climate and rainfall. The farmers are coming to depend upon the experiment stations for much of this knowledge.

 

Agriculture was early practiced in this valley, the Walla Walla region proper being part of the old Oregon country. The Hudson Bay Company established posts at the junction²¹ of the Walla Walla and Columbia rivers, at Fort Vancouver on the Columbia river and at Fort Colville in the Colville valley, north of the present city of Spokane. With these people agriculture and the fur trade went hand in hand. In 1828 seven hundred bushels of wheat were raised at Fort Vancouver and in 1829 seventy acres were under cultivation at Fort Colville.

 

1 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

2 decomposed   

已分解的，已腐烂的

参考例句：

• A liquid is decomposed when an electric current passes through it. 当电流通过时，液体就分解。
• Water can be resolved [decomposed] into hydrogen and oxygen. 水可分解为氢和氧。

3 lava   

n.熔岩，火山岩

参考例句：

• The lava flowed down the sides of the volcano.熔岩沿火山坡面涌流而下。
• His anger spilled out like lava.他的愤怒像火山爆发似的迸发出来。

4 delightful   

adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的

参考例句：

• We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
• Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。

5 ranch   

n.大牧场，大农场

参考例句：

• He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。

6 cultivation   

n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成

参考例句：

• The cultivation in good taste is our main objective.培养高雅情趣是我们的主要目标。
• The land is not fertile enough to repay cultivation.这块土地不够肥沃，不值得耕种。

7 plow   

n.犁，耕地，犁过的地；v.犁，费力地前进[英]plough

参考例句：

• At this time of the year farmers plow their fields.每年这个时候农民们都在耕地。
• We will plow the field soon after the last frost.最后一场霜过后，我们将马上耕田。

8 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

9 ranches   

大农场， （兼种果树，养鸡等的）大牧场( ranch的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They hauled feedlot manure from the ranches to fertilize their fields. 他们从牧场的饲养场拖走肥料去肥田。
• Many abandoned ranches are purchased or leased by other poultrymen. 许多被放弃的牧场会由其他家禽监主收买或租用。

10 reaper   

n.收割者，收割机

参考例句：

• The painting is organized about a young reaper enjoying his noonday rest.这幅画的画面设计成一个年轻的割禾人在午间休息。
• A rabbit got caught in the blades of the reaper.一只兔子被卷到收割机的刀刃中去了。

11 binder   

n.包扎物，包扎工具；[法]临时契约；粘合剂；装订工

参考例句：

• The cloth flower snaps on with a special binder.这布花是用一种特殊的粘合剂固定住的。
• Purified water was used as liquid binder.纯净水作为液体粘合剂。

12 reapers   

n.收割者，收获者( reaper的名词复数 )；收割机

参考例句：

• Ripe white wheat reapers reap ripe white wheat right. 成熟的白色小麦收割者最懂得收获成熟的白色小麦。 来自互联网
• A pair of reapers help fend off the attack. 几个收割者辅助攻击这些小狗。 来自互联网

13 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

14 mules   

骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者

参考例句：

• The cart was pulled by two mules. 两匹骡子拉这辆大车。
• She wore tight trousers and high-heeled mules. 她穿紧身裤和拖鞋式高跟鞋。

15 orchards   

（通常指围起来的）果园( orchard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They turned the hills into orchards and plains into granaries. 他们把山坡变成了果园，把平地变成了粮仓。
• Some of the new planted apple orchards have also begun to bear. 有些新开的苹果园也开始结苹果了。

16 irrigated   

[医]冲洗的

参考例句：

• They irrigated their crops with water from this river. 他们用这条小河里的水浇庄稼。
• A crop can be sown, weeded, irrigated, and fertilized uniformly. 一种作物可以均匀一致地进行播种，除草，灌溉和施肥。

17 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

18 tracts   

大片土地( tract的名词复数 )； 地带； （体内的）道； （尤指宣扬宗教、伦理或政治的）短文

参考例句：

• vast tracts of forest 大片大片的森林
• There are tracts of desert in Australia. 澳大利亚有大片沙漠。

19 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

20 forage   

n.(牛马的)饲料，粮草；v.搜寻，翻寻

参考例句：

• They were forced to forage for clothing and fuel.他们不得不去寻找衣服和燃料。
• Now the nutritive value of the forage is reduced.此时牧草的营养价值也下降了。

21 junction   

n.连接，接合；交叉点，接合处，枢纽站

参考例句：

• There's a bridge at the junction of the two rivers.两河的汇合处有座桥。
• You must give way when you come to this junction.你到了这个路口必须让路。