Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1882-09-02
ORCAS ISLAND.
a Section Comparatively Unknown -
Its Soil. Shirpiug Facilities, Etc.
ORCAs ISLAND, August 10, 1882.

it is only necessary for those seeking
home to know the advantages our island
offers to appreciate them. and that those
who go away back inland while good
farming land goes a.beggipg on the sea
coast, exemplify the old saying "to go
farther and fare worse" send you a few
items regarding the advantages our island
offers to settlers.
Orcas Island, one of the largest of the
San Juan group, lying midway in the
cham of islands extending from the main.
land to the Straits OF Fuca, and on what
must soon be the principal line of travel
in the Northwest, is probably the least
known of any of the islands OF the archi-
pelago This is owing in part to its rug
ged and mountainous appearance as seen
from the sea, and in part to the careless
ness of its inhabitants in not making its
advantages known, for of what value are
fertile lands and splendid climate if they
are unknown?
While our island presents rugged
front, TO frighten away the tinlid, it offers
every inducement to those who penetrate
marsh and alder lands. while the fact that
ewing to the shape OF the island nearly
every farmer can ship his produce from
his own door, should make even inferior
land more valuable than the best where a
long journey lies between the farmer and n
shipping point. Our lands may be di-
vided into four classes-fern. marsh, alder
and fir uplands. First in poltancc, as
in quantity, comes the Tern lands. These
occupy the sloping hillsides and the roll
ing lands between the hills and the sea,
and are composed OF from one to three
feet of dark or brownish sandy loam,
underlaid by deep subsoil of strong
cl, y, and are in reality uneXcclled for all
agricultural purposes, being warm, rich,
and lasting, and when properly drained
make the finest fruit lands iD the world.
Although producing grain abundantly,
they are not well adapted to its extensive
culture, owing to their generally lying in
patches of from twelve to forty acres; but
while untitled for extensive grain raising,
they seem especially adapted to diversified
farming, and that is the farming winch
paws the best. Our island has earned "a
high name on both sides ot the line for
the size and excellence of its fruits and
vegetables, which are wholly the product
of these fern lands, our apples, pums,
pears, prunes and cherries, ranking the
highest i'm the market, while such small
fruits AS Strawberries, raspberries, black
berries, gooseberries, currants, etc, grow
with luxuriance never saw eqnalled.
This branch OF agriculture must in the
near future he very profitable IN this scc-
ton, snd even now gives the best of re-
suits, while good orchard, once in bear
ing, is an income for life.
Our marsh lands seem specially adapt
ted to dairying purposes, and are OF an
extent war; anting that industry being
carried ON quite extensively. Those occu>
pied at present are chiefly devoted to hay
and grain, but ! am confident that with
improved stock they will give far better
results in dairying. The alder bottoms
occupy hut limited extent. and are gen.
orally composed OF rich. dark loan, but
not so warm as the fern lands. The fir
uplands receive no attention at present.
being passed by for the more easily cleared
and easily titled lands, but the stiff, strong
clay forming these lands will yield more
clover per acre than any ether ON the
coast, and when once mellowed by cult
yation will make orchard lands OF the
best. This class Of land has not received
the attention it deserves, owing in part to
the size of the timber growing ON it: but
these majestic frs aIe easier cleared oil Con
account Uf tileir resinous nature) than the
smaller hard woods of the East. and this
land must ere long be valuable. Altos
gether the extent and quality OF unOccu>
ped lands, the facilities tor shipping, the
nearness to market, the salubrIty OF the
climate, and the pure springs of water
found on every hand, make this all that
cauld be desired by those seeking home
on the sunset coast, and am much SUR
prised that fertile acre remains unoccu>
pied. 'iDl