The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-05-30
PROFIT IN FARMING.
Men Becoming Rich on Fruits
and Vegetables.
THE GREAT NEED or the STATE
sssssses . ~ EsusA h Five Acre
Fssas-A ssrswhsrry PsseA q shs
Rass o. u So - Aers.

1herp 10 money IN buyins other Land
tnan town lots In Washington. and par
ficuiaSiy In The Puget sound coansry.
There - not only pressing necessity for
vegetables and fruits, but those Who engage
m their cultivation are insured . coufor:s-
BE independence. There l. sent ont Of this
cssy 70 California for many months in the
year. 81 GO week for the smaller fruits
and vegetables. every dollar Of which orgR
10 b retained here and distributed amonx
thriving little orchards and markes gar
oens IN the valleys OF the Sound country.
Every steamer arriving from San Fran
cisco brings great csrE0es OF produce.
reaching - various estimates. from 100
tons to 80 tons each Eve days. There is
no discrimination against state products.
on the contrary they all bring better prices
than the imported articles.
1so or thres carloads OF chickens are
brought IN from the East every week into
Seattle alone; cheese, butter and eggs are
imported in immense quantities. But these
may cal for production on . comparatively
large scale. condition by no means essen
tias in the cultivation Of vegetables and
fruits. A hve-acre farm is large enough to
and II Is rs much as one man can attend 60.
There are many farmers making living
on one AID cne-halE acres in the White
River valley and the country back Of the
lakes, and one man whose land is between
Lake Union and Squsk Lake is said to
have cleared this season 1915 on sne-quar-
ter OF an acre planted in strawberries
Mr.. Haley, of Ealcy, Glenn & Co., SAYS
- al ri x.fxxFxs
the tables Of Seattle with fruit and vege
tables and will be until the end of June.
when portion will come in from parts OF
this state He was asked II commercially
tie imports we're better than the home sup
ply.
NO. indeed the state OF washin gton is
unequaled for its small fruits. and its ap-
pies and pears are better than any others
grown on the Pacific coast. We have the
finest cherries in the world. and our prunes
and berries are plentiful and luscious.
Peaches and aprico;s. although well
favored, seem to be too moist and do not
bear packing and transportation well.
They turn black"
Mr.. ]. Green. who is not only . buyer of
produce. but has . ranch OF bis own, ID
quite satisfied with the return the sod Of
Nobody" he says. ''can beat US on
small fruits, We have finer and larger ber-
ries than any Western state, our potatoes
bring 10 TO Is per cent. more than even
those OF Oregon. prunes are very prolific
and all small vegetables are abundant and
delicious with the least amount of care.
Strawberry culture is very profitable
With . little irrigation two crops can be
49,
per cent. more than those Of California
The flavor is far better sustained through
out. know of . patch, two years old,
only one-quarser Of an acre, on Salmon
bay, which yielded 1876 this season.
know this 70 be true. but it is not an iso-
lated case. All farmers supplying the mar
kes are making money.
Mr.. Lee, OF Batiin. Lee & Co., estimates
that sixty tons of vegetables are brought
! iuRo Seattle by every steamer, vet every
thing offered by local farmers is snapped
up at advanced prices. I suppose that
scattered over Seattle and vicinity there
must be 100 to 10 tons shipped here every
| week.
We are buying Strawberries in Port
land. and in the cherry season we receive
| frsm there 900 pounds dav. We alone
can form an idea OF the amount Of money
sent out OF the state for fruits and vegeta-
hles. All home products insure higher prices
You do not ask about eggs. but even they
are 10 cents dozen more than the i'm
por;ed-a very large percentage. Lettuce,
radishes. onions. spinach. celery-all
should lie raised in quantities enough for
our own consumption. I have been ham
ftn1 q nall ill.,
from here. of celery that Is as %ne as can
be raised anywhere. IL is dwarf. and is
not so much Of q table ornament as the
fesihered variety, bat it is very escuent.
The sam. man Is successfully growing
some eighteen inch. self bleaching celery.
''one disadvantage in dealing with our
farmers Is that they DO not put their goods
up in attractive style. Their fruit boxes
are rough boards. often merely Slated, so
that when opened the upper layer OF fruit
looks dry and uninvitiny"
Mr.. L. Mayer subssantiased all state
msnts as 10 the adapsah,lity of soil and
climate 60 fruit and vegetable growing
.It may he that some OF them Will al
ways be little later than the California
season: but we have a great demand for
peas, beans. cabbage. for apples and for
other varieties which can he Just as well
grcwn & home aud Of which we import
immense quantities II farmers are careful
to select the south side Of slope
and use any Judgment in selecting soil.
they can compete successfully with any
place. In the East farmers are complaint
ing of hard times. don't know q man
engaged in raising fruit or vegetables who IS
not getting rich. One great advantage Is
| the low freight rates. All around the
Sound IL can he put at 81 ton. which cuts
very listle figure in the prices"
Without at;emp ting TO give exact figures.
the total quantity imported is about ole
hundred and nfty tons PER week. II of this.
| the more expe nssve Vegetables are pot a,
an AVERAGE of cents pound, that would
make Slsa ten or $500 week. rosa-
/ toes. onions. etc. Il pat at an average OF )
cents 3 pound. would foot Up sSonn 50
/ tha, $ii co a week Is sent abroad Tor fully
SIX ~. nshs in the year. alter which time
l.. -. kx.s H.