The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-14

Her peaches are considered By the counoiseur1
of the West superior in flavor to those Of Cali
fornia- Her melons are celebrated from Spokane
to the Straits Her vineyards are yet in their
Infancy, but are most promising. Her tobacco 10
of undoubted excellence Her hops have been
preferred by the European market to any grown
on the Coast Her cotton, raised experimentaliy
In limited quantities, has brought to her farm
en- Handsome offers and Inducements from the
largest brokers Of New YORK 70 eagage in the
cultivation OF that staple. Her roots from beets
to potatoes are unrivaled Her vines from
grapes and peanuts to tomatoes are uneQualed
elsewhere In the state.
While these are facts which are In the knowl-
edge Of many and can Be verified by ell Who
choose to make careful and candid inquiry, one
crest drawback hamper the egriculturist
OF this otherwise wonderfully favored
and must depend On irrigation for
the production of even one blade of grass. But
herein lies her strongest, her unanswerable
claim for the agricultural college. There are
many such colleges throuehous the country,
which are located under ordinary farming con-
ditiona From these scientific methods appli-
cable to ordinary farming can at all times be
learned. But there 10 no such school anywhere
in the arid irrigating belt. Such college To-
Gated in Yakima county would benefit not only
that county, but all similar districts in our own
and In sister states. 1t would acquire aQationai
and eventually an European reputation. It
would draw students from Idaho. Montana,
Utah. Colorado and California. 1t would teach
the methods by which millions of acres OF
the most productive land on this continent
could be made the support of hundreds OF
thousands of farmers 1t would do more than
any other one thing to build up, and that rapid
~, the population OF our state, and increase her
wealth. 1t would create wealth in the purest
sense Of the expression. It would be clear gain.
kuco~
phrase) II would teach the methods by which
s'the desert is made to blossom as the rose, and
By which much can be produced from nothing.
And this cannot be achieved by private enter
prise; the contract ID too large. In Mckee,
Yakima county. the largest and most successful
private experimental farm in the state is
located. While its results have been extensive
and most useful, they have, relatively to the
magnitude of the problem, left almost I'M
touched the thousand questions Of scientific
farming under irrigation.
The only two known methods OF irri-
CATION are BY diyer:ing water from natural
streams and by artesian wells. The inst method
10 divided into three sub methods-canals which
distribute the water by srayitation, wheels
which raise the water from the natural stream
level below the land to be watered, and irriga-
ton pumps which convey the water to even
higher levels. All these methods are now in
operation IN Yakima, and an artesian well Is
under contract and already down seyera: hun
dred feet. These experiments aud methods are
in use, taken altogether, In no other county in
the state, and so far as data at hand indicate, In
no other county in the United States.
And, since the institution TO be located con-
templates scientific education which shall 60
into the ground, not alone Tor what it win give
to the tiler OF the soil, bat e. we'll Tor the base
and precious metals, for coal and for building and
precious stone, it is proper to call attention to
<h<,f e.
boundary the summit OF the Cascade range Of
mountains-a range which has yielded its stores
of wealth to all countries for ages It has, too,
several spurs from the main range which have
been shown, by even ordinary unscieutifC
prospecting, to abound in iron, gold, silver and
copper. There have recently been discovered
large deposits OF onyx, jasper and moss-agate, in
the county, between the Yakima and Columbia
rivers. There are, too, exhaustless deposits of
mineral nre-proof paint, and the best known
clay for making tire- brick in the world. Opera
tions looking to the teaching OF science as it
bears up6n the developing Of the earths mineral
stores can, 40 will be seen by the foregoing
statement, be conducted in Yakima with far
greater advantage than in any other county
in the state coming within the range of POSSIBLE
ity, considering all requirements OF the institu-
ton. In fact, the counties possible az competi-
tors from an agricultural standpoint cannot lay
claim to these mineral requisites for q scientific
education.
To summarize:
First-Less Is known of irrigation farming
than of farming under ordinary conditions.
Second-The products raised under irrigation
In warm districts are higher class, more valua-
bic and greater in quantity than under ordinary
farming conditions
Third-It follows on this that greater pse-
duction Of wealth per acre results, and that q
given amount Of land will support greater
number Of people.
Fourth-There il no such institution in an
arid irrgating district hence the utility of this
school would be of not only state but national
scope, and its reputation correspondingly wide
spread.
Fifth-Yakima more than any other county
possesses the required conditions OF soil and
climate, Is In close business connection with the
Sound, is most central and accessible, and is the
pioneer in irrigation experiments.
Sixth-lt Is the only county in this or any
state having in operation all approved methods
OF irrigation.
seventh All requisites for a scientific educa-
ton exist in the mineral deposits OF Yakima
county.