Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1874-11-07
PACIFIC COAST RESOURCES.

DR.. Atkinson, in Portland, and pub
lished in the BuNti,, presents some OF
the important resources of the Coast i'll
so concise form that we make copious
extracts for the benefit of those seeking
such information. We suggest that
subscribers mail this number Of the
STANDARD to their friends in the East.
The law of the Coast, says the Doc
tor, is health. Sickness is the excep-
ton; malarias are local and unfrequent.
The resources of this climate are thus
the pure, equable and moist air cur
rents that breathe constantly upon us
from the ocean. In these two respects
the conditions af Western Europe and
America are parallel. The three noun
tain ranges act as refrigcrators cooling
the air, depositipg the vapors and caus-
ing the clouds to overhans the coast
and valleys west of the Cascades in
Winter, giving abundant rain while
SHOWS cover the interior. This invis-
ible ocean of vapor that floats over us is
perpetual assurance Of vegetable and
animal existence. Compared with the
Atlantic Coast we escape the extremes
of the East and the malarias of the
West. Our grasses, grains, forests,
orchards and vineyards are similar to
those across the Atlantic. The citizens
of Bayonne, Brest or Havre feels at
home in Northern California or South
ern Oregon. The English, Irish or
Scotch, Holland or German husband
man is glad to find himself breathing
the same mild air and working with the
same comfort here as in his fatherland.
Said an English farmer, whose we'll
cleared fields and well-flled barns,
though in the woods, showed the hand
of toll, II have farmed in Wisconsin
and fed stock during long, cold Winters;
I know how rich and easily titled the
praries are; but like this country. 1t
reminds me of my home in England" "
We know something of the mineral
wealth of California and Nevada, Utah,
Oregon and Idaho. Can they supply
food also at cheap rates? In Califor-
MIA, in 1870, 16,676,7O2 bushels Of
wheat and II $40 ,442 bushels Of other
cereals were raised. They had $780,
247 OF population. which gave 20 BUSH
els of wheat and 81 bushels of other
grains per person. Oregon, with a
population of 80, 1923, in 1870 raised g.
$40 TAG bushels Of wheat, or rs bushels
per person and 2,317,31S bushels of
other cereals, Or 25 bushels per person
averaging so bushels per person.
The estimated wheat crop in California
last year was 40 bushels per person.
The soil of both States has been fairly
tested for cereals during twenty-five
years and more, with results surprising
even the Valley of the Mississippi in
these respects.
The Doctor noted the fact that there
had been seventeen harvests in Oregon
without failure. This certainty Of an
annual crop, he claimed, adds i'm
mensely to The value of any country.
The question of food controls the race.
1t is found that the high table lands
and hills of Eastern Oregon and Wash
ington, and even the sage-brush plains,
are wheat lands that grow better every
year by culture. The volcanic materi-
ais, like those around Mount Etna,
spread over a belt of country 500 miles
long and 600 wide, between the Rocky
Mountains and the Cascades, now the
pastures Of focks and herds, promise to
furnish the most permanent wheat
lands of our continent. Sicily was the
granary of Rome 1000 years ago, even
before Egypt was conquered and made
tributary of food to the Imperial
City. Sicily, to-day, from the same
volcanic soils, exports wheat to Eng
land. Its annual product was, in 1855,
$4,000, 900 English quarters, or $685.
333 bushels. A volcanic alkali is min
gled with the soil of our vast interior
many feet in depth. and generations of
culture will improve and not exhaust
the soil and will increase the produc-
tions. For six successive years of
blowing and planting the same piece of
high bench land, without irrigation. my
crop of corn grew better every year"
said Rev. E. Fisher of Wasco County
two weeks ago, A gentleman from