The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-08-31
WASHINGTON rEsRIroRY.


following which will be found worthy
of nerusal asneciaIIv nv those Win
..,
n"'e h'o""s contemplating '""'s'"'
tion to this territory:
Unless some unanticipated disaste,
interferes with the plans Of Mr.. Viii
lard and his associates, q year from
| to-day the State of Minnesota and the
Territory of Washington will be united
by completion of the main line Of the
Northern Pacific railway. In view 0t
that soon to be intimate union, knOwl-
edge of the climate, soil, natural pro-
ducts and chief indust rial resources of
the Territory will probably be inter-
esting and may lie useful tO readers of
the Dispatch. We have ut hand con-
siderable information about the Terri
tory, contained in q speech delivered
In the House of Congress, by Hon.
Thos. H. Brents, Delegate from Wash
| ington, on y bill enabling the people
of Washington Territory and the
northern part of idaho to frame u
| State constitution for their admission,
as a state into the federal Union. Mr..
Brsnts limited himself to his own Ter.
ritory, and his statements, therefore,
may not apply to northern Idaho.
The area of the Territory is SO, ,994
square miles, or about five-sixths that
| Of Minnesuta. 1t Ia divided by the
Cascade mountains into two unequal
sections. The mountainous regions
are covered with fine timber aud un-
derlaid with valuable minerals. The
lands are hest adapted to pasture and
agriculture are about tthree-fourths the
total area-and of these about 2S,5OO
square miles are classed as timbered,
1920 square miles as bunch grass
prairie and 7,14O square miles IA alIl-
vial bottom lands. Over half the tim
bered lands and nearly all the bottom
lands are west Of the Cascade range,
while the bunch grass prairies are
in the eastern part 0f the Territory.
| There are no barren lands In the Ter
ritory, and none requiring irrigation
to produce agricultural crops. The
climatic conditions are all favorable,
as IL shown by vital statisffcs and crop
returns. The death rate is Only 1905
per Thousand or l.52 less than Minne-
sofa.
In the western part of the Territory
there are two seasons, the wet aud the
dry, the former generally lasting from
November to March or April, during
which time rains are frequent. The
rainfall 10 greatest along the seacoast
and increase toward the north. At
Cape Flattery, the northwest corner Of
the Territory, 1870 inches of rain has
sometimes fallen in v single year,
while inland the annual rainfall is
fifty to sixty inches. Snow aud Ice
are seldom seen, grass grows green the
whole year round, while fow-
ers bloom In midwinter. At Olympia
the mean temperature Of january, In
1850, SO degrees aud 8 minutes; 1851, 80
degrees and = minutes, and 1852, IS de-
grees; while the mean temperature Of
July was 81 degrees und 5 minutes in
1880, and 80 degrees and minutes In
1881. Last of the Cascade range there
is less rain aud the extremes of tenn
perature are somewhat greater. The
| cultivated crops include wheat, oats,
| rye, barley, fax, corn, sorghum, to-
bacco, hops, tinintliy, alfalfa, clover,
apples, peaches, plums, prunes, pears,
apricots nectarines, Quinces cherries,
grapes, potatoes, sweet. potatoes, to-
| Inutoes. beets, turnips. parsuips, car
rots, cabbage, beans, peas, melons,
etc, all of which yield largely and
with unfailinR certainty. According
| to ofIicIal statistics the average Of 1879.
In Wilmington. Of wheat. corn. hons.
| potatoes, etc., was each larger than IN
any other part nf the United States.
| The total wheat crnp III this season il
estimated at 5000. .O(jO bushels.
| The timber II the Tertiary 10 une-
ouaIed snywhere elre In the world.
| Fir. cedar. nine. hen,Is,ck . Ia rch. xpruce.
I.-~---l /. - - - A. H.,