The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-01

There are throughout the world certain
spots seemingly designed to be the gardens
Of the various continents. For years Cal
ifornia has been known as the garden Of
america; the profusion, beauty and per-
lection of all semi-tropical and tropical
fruits and flowers grown there giving good
eridence that that state claims no more
than her right. But within certain lirnita-
lions, there are fruits which belong 70
the temperate zone which California can
not grow to perfection Of favor at any
rate. Oregon has long claimed TO grow
such fruits in their greatest perfection;
but there is one drawback the Oregonians
have never been willing to recognize, still
less 20 admit: that state Is rock-bound
state into which the warm and tempering
waters Of the Japan current never come,
as they do into Western Washington,
where, entering through the grand cham
nels called the Straits Of Juan de Fuca and
the Gulf Of Georgia, they penetrate by
sounds, by canals, by reaches, natural
harbors and vast bays, CULTS and channels
far into the body of land lying west of the
Cascade range and east of the Olympic
range, so that hundreds and thou
sands Of square miles Of agricultural
lands are helped to produce in ample
abundance, by the warmer, less varying
climate and the kindly influences of that
benehcent current. Lying in that vast
waterway where the waters of the Gulf of
Georgia and the Straits Of Juan de Fuca
mite, in what is called the Archipelago de
Haro, is an island which, not only favored
by climate. has also grand natural advan-
fages for fruit and vegetable culture, sur
passing any other part Of Western WASH
ington. Situate partly in the cretaceous
and partly in the lower silurian epochs, il
has q soil rich in lime and phosphstes,
made in great part by the gradual erosion
or decretion of the mountain slopes. Or
cas- island, named by the Spaniards, is the
most favored of all the islands in the arch
ipelago, or even Of those lying outside to
the west, east and south. Mountains rise
on all sides, sheltering and warming by re-
fected heat the valleys and rolling lands
between them. The sides of these mount
aims will some day be terraced and the
grape be cultivated: and on higher slopes
the peach and apple will find soil and ex-
posure which will produce the richest re-
suits. In every part Of the island streams
and natural springs abound-plentiful
for irrigation of the whole of the
5000 acres of bottom and valley lands.
The soil, which varies from rich, black
clay loans TO red and brown sand loans.
is everywhere underlaid at a depth of
from eighteen inches to four feet with a
good clay subsoil Some loans contain
more lime than others, some more phos-
pilates, some contain gravel and some
boulders. The prune and the pear find
their natural homes in the clay md heavy
black loans, and the gravel and boulder
lands produce those superb apples and
peaches for which the island is famous. A
well drained clay subsoil, other things be-
ing equal, will always produce finer re-
suits than any other kind. The richness
of the soil above is never leached and
wasted, as in those lands where the sub
soil is of sand or gravel. Draining is very
easily accomplished, as the lands are all
rolling, and while so many bitches are not
required, those that are properly put In
do more and better work than where the
land is level. Most of the draining has
been, SO far, done with cedar, or carefully
constructed rock work, but tile will prob
ably, in the near future, take the place of
this rougher method.
There has been steady advancement in
prices of lands for the past three years.
Today uncleared ten and twenty-acre
tracts bring anywhere from $50 to 500 per
acre, according to location. and cleared
and cultivated lands from $50 TO $500 per
acre, the higher prices being obtained in
the village, at the head of East sound.
Long time is given in most cases for bal
ance of payments. Orcas has another
natural advantage in addition to soil, eli
mate and location. 1t is cut up into several
peninsulas by long arms or sounds. East
sound, several miles long. nearly cuts the
island into two parts. The western por-
ton is again nearly cut into two parts by
West sound, and the peninsula west OF
that sound is again almost divided by
Deer harbor. The large amount of shore
line formed by these inlets enables every
settler TO find near shipping point. and
so 10 save long haul, with its mischiev-
Gus effects on tender fruits. Wharyes are
dotted about the shores of the island, and
rs time goes on more will be erected. There
are four steamers plying between the main-
land and the island, the mail steamer
Evangel, from Port Townsend, calling
every day going or coming; the Fairhayen
steamer Dispatch. calling every day; the
day, with the Mary Perley a weekly visitor.
The Bellingham Bay & British Columbia
railroad will soon place the Black Diamond
on the route running to Victoria from
Sehome. in connection with Canadian
Pacihc trains.
The fruits raised for market are apnles
sprieots, cherries, pears, peaches, prunes.
plums, strawberries. blackberries, and
other small fruits. The principal vegeta-
hles raised are caulihower, celery, cabbage
tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, and pota-
toes. Grapes OF certain kinds, and cante-
loupe melons bsye also been successfully
raised. Green corn is also paying crop.
Ii is well-known fact amongst fruit
growers that the late varieties of apples
pay much better than early ones. hut
many like to grow some early and fall
varieties for market and they pay remark
ably well az net price Of IS cents ner
hushel. The Red Astrachan, which in
some localities becomes striped apple. is
good annual and early variety. Rut
Williams Early Favorite, very dark
crimson and juicy apple, is probably the
best variety grown. Later the world wide
famous Gravenstein takes the hrst rank as
an early fall variety. Il is a ine golden
apple with red stripes in the sun, very
juicy, with a mud. subdued flavor, of a
large, medium size. Ii brings IS cents 10
81 a hushel, net. The e0-ounce apple is
the next variety of any great value ltis
= large, boldly striped apple Of second-rste
qualities, but as il yields enormous crops
every year, il is much cultivated About