, 1883-08-16
The Prom5s, gs Washington Territory

Ia y,plyiae 10 an observer. who
ha- written letter -omewhat depre-
eating Washington territory III an
agricultural sense, the OregoHid"
makes some sensible comments:
Washington territory, As this oh
server saw II. was nothing but one
vast wilderness Of timber though
III fact timber does not cover one
third of IL, area. Western Wash
ington. indeed. IS mostly covered
with timber, and III the Puget Sound
country there Is not As much land tit
for agriculture as the stranger de
sircs or expects TO see. But there is
far more than Is seen by one who
makes the trip up and down the
Sound. stopping at the principal
points merely, and perhaps attempt
ing Il survey OF the country fur three
or four miles only. III the vicinity of
each. There Is little good land
about the Sound not covered with
timber OF undcrwoods, and much Of
the land would be hard to clear.
Again, large tracts on both sides of
the Sound are strcwn with rock
or gravel; but along every one of
the numerous streams, large or small,
that flow from all directions into this
great estuary, there are tracts Of eX-
cellent land. some Of them OF con
siderable size. Where the land is
fertile. its fertility Is unequalIed.
Many places within few miles Of
the Sound can yet be found where
good land not very difficult to clear,
may be obtained. But it is only |
truth to say that the Puget Sound |
region Is not as Il whole an agrlcul- |
trlral country 1t Will be many years
before one acre in ten is brought |
under cultivation, and large part
of it never will be. The people of
that section have nothing to gam by
overstating the agricultural condi-
tions of their country But when 1t
is said that the seasons are 50 short |
that wheat Will not mature there, the
statement is absurd 1t may be true.
indeed. of the tide iiats on the lower
Sound, where the land is alWays
moist and the growth OF straw SO
rank that wheat never ripens: but
the sweeping statement that grain,
excepting oats, will not mature az
Puget Sound" should be made to
other persons than those who have
sown and harvested wheat, rye and
barley in that country during more
than twenty-five years.
But as the Puget Sound country is
not the whole of Washington terri
tory, neither is it the whole of west
"rn Washington. In area it Is not
only about one-half the western part
of the territory. The sections of
country drained by the Cowlitz and
Chehalis rivers are extensive and val
liable, contain much farming land
and are settling up very rapidly.
Besides, there is good land on innu-
merable small streams which enter
the lower Columbia river OF the
Pacific ocean. Within twenty-five
years there will be a heavy agricul-
tural population in western Wash
ington.
We have said that the Puget
Sonnd region would never be a great
agricultural country Yet the con
ditions are such that they who en-
gage in agricultural pursuits there
will realize excellent profts-profits
all the better from the fact that the
productive area is of limited extent. |
There will be other industries which
will support agriculture and make it
highly profitable. Where coal, iron
and timber abound, where all of them
are easy of access, and where une-
qualed facilities for shipping bring
them directly into the currents of
commerce, there great industries will
surely be developed. These indus
tries will in time stimulate agricul-
tural production to the utmost. !
Then it will be shown how mistaken
they are who imagine that it will not
be profitable to clear such lands at
Puget Sound as may have a good
soil. Thirty years ago, before there
was any inducements to clear these
lands beyond that of supporting the
family from the products of the soil, !
men began upon this Wilderness of
timber" and they and their descend
ants have Jared well from that day to
this. VIII not the work go on when
there is every inducement to profit |
in it which the steady demand Of a
market can afford?