The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1890-01-02


my estimate is based simply upon the
grade line The estimated cost Is 500, 900
for the canal 9S miles long. Storage res
ervors can be built at the cost Of slOO! 900
which will double the capacity Of the
canal. In order to successfully irrigate
the whole tract oil 2OO,OOO acres Of land
lower line OF canal should be built at
some iuture time after the settlements
viii justify Il, to be taken from Yakima
river nve miles above Union Gap and
extended around Mckee valley and thence
parallel with the Old sunnyside line, q
distance Of about 10 miles, which with
proper system OF storage reservoirs would
cost 100000, approximately, making in
all the total estimate oi cost-N ,OOO,OOO.
These estimates are based upon cana
twenty feet wide on the bottom, thirty
ieet wide on top and capable Of carrying
four feet oil water for one-halt the length
Of each canal, and fourteen feet wide on
the bottom and twenty'four feet wide on
top and capable oil carrying three feet oi
water for the lower half Of each canal.
By reference TO the general map here
with the locality Of the lands In Central
Warrington which 1t = proposed TO I'M
gate viii be found. The surface or con-
tour OF the ground Is rolling and broken
by occasional ravines.
The soil is a sandy ioam' having i'd
origin In the sediments Of q great inland
lake varying In depth rom nve 70 nity'
and resting upon bed Of basaitlC
rock NO bouiders or gravel channels
on found on the tract. The basaltic rock
comes TO the surface ct rare intervals
out does not reduce maieriaily the
amount OF available agricultural iand,
The slope Is generally TO the south and
tne surface Is covered win q atnick growth
OIL sage orush' varying In height trom two
70 hve ieet.
The productions ot the Yakima valley
are very much the same as those ol
FRESNO county, California omltung, OF
course the oranges The cereals all dc
Well' but the character Of the products,
such as fruits, hops tobacco and alfalfa
are such as viii make the lands too high
priced 70 be used Tor the production Of
cereals have made a close examlna'
ton Of the products Of the basin, with
view TO hnding out what kind OF fruits
vines and plants are best adapted to the
soil and climate. find that the staples
are grapes, apples, pears, peaches, plums,
prunes' sorghum melons, tobacco hops
alfalfa or lueerne, sweet potatoes, pea
nuts and all the small fruits. Wheat
produces with irrigation about thirty-tive
Dushels per acres, oats fitty bushels,
barley torty bushels, rye thirty-hye
bushels. saw eleven different kinds o.
shade trees growing In one yard: tht
butternut, walnut, maple, mountain oak
ash' weeping willow and cypress growing
side by side. Those who are said to b
experts In grape culture claim that the
iinest varieties Of wine grapes are grown
here. The tobacco raised from Havana
seed upon the Mckee farm near Yakims
and there made into cigars, Is said T.
possess a flavor not excelled in this cOun'
try. The Yakima basin must at no dis
tant day become famous for Its produc'
tons OF many Of the fruits, vines and
plants mentioned above.
questioned many Of the farmers living
under the line Of the canal as well q
others living at q distance (but where
similar conditions exist as to the price
they place upon their irrigated lands,
they ranged from fifty to one hundred
and nifty dollars per acre. reminded
some Of them that this seemed high, but
was informed that Whare land produced
i've crops Of alfalfa, 100 pounds OF hops
which brought eight cents per pound,
nine hundred pounds Of tobacco per acre
and where all the products were OF that
hind that nFiUU nnllah mora mar naNA