Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1875-06-19
ALL ABOUT THE TERRITORY.
wHATCoM COUNTY.
SiMIsM, Whatcom County,
June Sth. 1875.

Olympia, w. r.: Madame: am in
receipt of your circular of recent date,
making inquiry about the general char
acter of this locality. In reply I will
state that there are three classes of
lands here, viz: Tide marsh, river bot
tom and high rolling lands.
LIST, There are between 5000 and A.
600 acres of tide marsh, about rs per
cent. of which is fit for cultivation when
enclosed in good substantial dykes, the
remainder being encountered with
sloughs and mud-fats. The soil of
these lands for agriculture is probably
equal to any in the Territory. Small
grain, vegetables, clover and timothy,
grow luxuriantly. The yield of oats
and barley, on Mr.. Miller's farm, aver
aged about 80 bushels per acre, but the
lands were in proper condition for pro-
ducing, as it takes from two to three
years cultivation before the grass roots,
which are turned under, are decomposed
and the salt worked out of the ground.
After such cultivation the soil becomes
very mellow and easy to work Mr..
Miller sowed on ground, similarly i'm
proved, to the extent of four acres in
wheat, and realized 272 bushels in re-
turn in 1874.
These lands are nearly all in the
hands of private parties. Thus far
but very little cultivation has been
done, owing to the inability of our
settlers topurchase the necessary teams
and farming implements, required for
the successful farming of them. Mr..
Miller has sown, in wheat, barley and
oats, about So acres and expects re-
turn of 1000 bushels OF grain the COM
ing Fall. There are between 800 and
and l 900 acres under dykes, and efforts
are being made to break up portion
of them for next year. The cost of
building dykes is about So 80 per rod.
think fruit trees will do we'll on por-
tons of the marsh. 1 have seventy
apple, plum and cherry trees, one half
being set out a year ago, the remainder
the present Spring. They are all doing
we'll.
End, The bottom lands of the Sam
ish river begin at the rear of the tide
marsh, two and one-fourth miles east of
Bellingham Bay, and extend up the river
several miles. They will average as
much as one and half miles in width
for the flst five miles, composed of al
luvial deposits, being very rich and fer
tile, about one-half of which are COW
cred with vine maple, alder, cotton
wood, dogwood, elder and salmon berry
bushes and weeds. The remaining
half is clothed with cedar, vine-maple,
alder and occasionally spruce and hem
lock. The soil of great portion of
these lands are fully equal to any of the
tide-marsh lands. How much farther
up the river these lands extend is not
definitely known. From the summit to
the Skagit river, in south easterly di-
rection, distance of eight or more
miles, is one vast tract of farming lands,
rich in soil, but unfortunately, the snow
waters of the Skagit river, in the Spring
OF the year, slightly overflow them.
The Samish country is really one of
combinations of the Skagit Valley, as
the latter class of lands are but slightly
elevated>above the marsh lands.
Sd, The high, rolling lands are more
or less clothed with millions of feet of
the choicest fir timber. Two logging
camps, started in February last, are
doing we'll, giving constant employment
to great many men, at remunerative
wages, ranging from S45 to $75 per
month and board, and by the time
another year rolls round, the business
will be increased, giving additional OPP
| portunitIes for more fdo0feifs, thefe BE-
ing no excuse for hale, hearty men to be
out of employment. The resources of
this class of land are not second to any
in this locality.
The marsh land, with little or no inn
provements, that are offered for sale,
can be had from So so to Sc, and 81,
per acre. Other locations, being more
slightly, with timber and more or less
fresh water upon them, are held ct from
So, to $40, per acre. There are some
choice tracts, with from three to five
hundred dollars worth of improvements
upon them, Quarter sections), which can
be had from 81 200 to 81 400 q piece,
three-fourths of which are covered with
heavy coat of wild grass; the remain
der, fronting on the North Samish riv-
er, having cedar, birch and alder grow
ing upon them. These have dwelling
houses, small orchards in bearing, and
three or four acres. cleared and under
fence.
The river-bottom lands are principally
all vacant, subject to homestead and
presumption entry, excepting the odd
numbered sections). Of the timber or
rolling lands, but nine quarter sections
have been entered. Population is re-
quired badly, and one reason why this
section of country is behind the Swim
omish and other neighboring localities
in settlement, is on account Of being so
far from the steamboat thoroughfare;
those in quest of land passing from
Laconner to Whatcom, although touch
ing at the Samish Postoffice, get no
view of this locality at all, the distance