The Miracle Crop of the Duwamish Valley
In 1876, a local farmer touted the 'Hulless Oat' as an agricultural revolution for the Seattle region, promising heavier yields and sweeter grain than traditional varieties.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
To Farmers: Don’t delay, the way is plain. The undersigned, having been awarded by several of the Middle Western States, is the originator of the Hulless Oat. This agricultural wonder has been compared with the old-fashioned varieties and is indeed a marvel. It yields as many bushels to the acre as other varieties, but with one-half the quantity of seed. The grain is heavier than the old variety, and the straw is of a different formation, being larger at the ground and tapering gradually to the head, making it stronger at the base. It is sweeter, making better feed for livestock. These oats are two weeks earlier than the common variety, making them less liable to rust. One pound of Hulless Oats will make as much flour as three pounds of the common oat. I am prepared to furnish a limited quantity to farmers on the Sound at reasonable rates. All orders left with Mr. Carr, at the Seattle Post Office, will be promptly filled. Parties desiring to inspect the quality of the oats before purchasing can apply to Mr. Carr, my agent. —John T. Jordan, Duwamish River.
“This agricultural wonder has been compared with the old-fashioned varieties and is indeed a marvel.”
Long before Seattle became a tech hub, its economic foundation was rooted in agricultural innovation and the fertile soil of the Duwamish River Valley. Today, the industrial and urban development of that same basin makes such claims of 'agricultural wonder' feel like a glimpse into a lost, pastoral version of the city.
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