The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-10-21
THE wENATCHEE VALLEY.


Brandy and Wine.
Ellensburg Register.
During the late capital campaign we
heard much of Yakima fruits, tobacco.
hops. watermelons. ETC., bat the people OF
Eilensburg. believing that those produc-
tons were not what was actually necessary
to the proper choice of location for the seat
OF government. said very little regarding
the possibilities of kittitas county in that
line. Our harp being tuned to a different
KEY. 1t is now proper TO let the world
know that within the borders of our county
are favored localities where semi-tropical
fruits may be grown IN ali the luxurience
OF more southern chimes and in such pro-
fusion as to put Yakima to blush.
We refer 10 the Wenatchee and Mission
creek settlements along the Columbia in
the eastern part OF the county. There are
thousands of acres of peach lands on what
is known as the Wenatchee flat, where sue
cessfnl fruit culture has been practically
demonstrated. Phillip Miller alone owns
hundreds OF acres OF the best fruit lands in
the world, part of which has been sown to
alfalfa and part set out in peaches and
grapes. While his yield OF grapes this
year has been enormous he has devoted
his time more especially to peach-growing,
his crop this year reaching over GOO
bushels, two-thirds of which were sold in
the trees at . cents q pound. The
remainder he is converting into peach
brandy, nine large tanks holding 223 bush
els each being used as fomenting tubs.
still, which he purchased in the east,
passed through Eilensburgh last week en-
route to his orchards, and a practical
brandy distiller has been engaged to con-
duct the business. He anticipates making
from 900 to 2,00o gallons of the best peach
brandy each year ereafter. from which be
will derive . very comfortable income. His
grapes are manufactured into wine and raj
sins, for which be finds a ready sale.
Dutch John, living several miles west of
him and near the river, has one of the
finest vineyards in the Northwest, his
grapes yielding enormously and selling
rapidly at cents per pound on the ground.
John manufactures large quantities OF
wine of the very best quality. A Mr.
Alien, residing within stones throw of
the lordly Columbia, some distance above
Dutch Johns has a nursery of which any
man or any country might be proud. Every
variety OF ornamental trees and shrubs
are to be found in luxuriant growth. but
what excites the wonder of the visitor
most is number of chestnut trees in full
bearing, the familiar .burrs" taking one
back to childhood days in the Middle East,
while in an adjoining row are CaIiforr ia fig
trees three years old, loaded down with
that delicious fruit, seemingly as plump
and fine as though grown under San Diego's
fervent sun.
Every farm has melons by the wagon
load of most delicious favor and devoid of
the tendency TO produce cholera morbus,
so common in those grown in cooler re-
gions. What the people of the Wenatchee
country need most is q large irrigating
canal to bring under cultivation these fer
tile acres. the scarcity OF water having de-
layed the development OF the country
heretofore. After the ditch they
want rail communication with the
outside world, and with a market COM
pleteiy surrounding them a ready sale at
their very doors is insured. and every
owner of forty acres OF ground will become
independent, SO far as this worlds goods
are concerned. The mountains surround
ing the valleys are rich in coal and mineral.
the development of which viii make the
east end OF ki:titas source of wealth sec
ond TO no other part OF the great state of
Washington