The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1891-04-02
YAKIMA IS THE FAVORITE.
Unbiased Views Regarding the Location
Of the Agricultural College.
The Advantages Of Soil ana Climate
Are HeFessThe Best Interests OF
An SubSeFVed In Selects
ting Yakima.

NS1NSA " Wv eNeNNi 80 Va Wv AAHN ~ $50
Northern Pacific, and is in the midst Of
the great irrigation bitches Of the east
side. She Is in land where almost every
thing can be grown when irrigated and
grown to perfection. For agricultural ex-
Periments II is probably the best point
beyond the Cascades. Whitman county
may dispute this announcement, and the
commissioners may not formally admit
It's correctness, but ii is nevertheless
correct.
Walla Walla Union: It Is the desire Of
the Union to see the agricultural college
located in Yakima county for many
reasons. The college Is intended for the
best interests Of agriculture in the entire
state. It Is not to take the limited area Of
ground that will be cultivated, and raise
as much as possible On that ground, though
incidentally that will be the result Of the
work done, but It is to 70 cultivate that
ground that the farmers Of the state may
learn best how to raise the greatest amount
Of all crops from acircumscribed area. In
other words, the duty Of the college is. to
further production by ascertaining through
experiment the most perfect method Of
cultivating all farm crops on all varieties
Of soil and in finding an agricultural use
for lands now declared desert and aban-
doned to use as a roaming ground for
wandering herds. The latter, in the
opinion of the Union, is its most import
ant duty. Agriculture is not trade, but
science. The most successful farmer is
the scientific farmer. Under former and
present conditions all farmers succeeded
because lands Of good quality were easy
to obtain. But the future will ottell the
same story. The lessons that will be
taught by the work Of the agricultural
college can be exemplilied by glance ut
the possibilities Of agricultural develop
ment in Walla Walla county. This coun-
ty, with its 1896 square miles, has only
about 800 900 acres in cultivation out Of
total Of over 800, 900 acres of area. OF
this acreage at least 100000 acres is by
nature OF character that could be culti-
waited with success. But large part Of
this area is comprised in lands, like the
lower Eureka Flat and the Touchet hills,
composed Of sand and ashes. needing
water to make anything grow, but which
with irrigation could not he excelled in
productiveness by any land, even in this
prolific country. In our opinion, this is
the business Of the college, to teach the
coming generation of farmers how best to
apply science to the reclamation Of what
would otherwise be waste lands. In the
case Of this county, the productive area
could be largely increased, and the pro-
ductivity Of that in cultivation at the
present time could be very nearly doubled.
With other agricultural counties Of the
state this ratio could be made much larger.
But lesson Of this kind can not be taught
II the college is located in Whitman coun-
ty, where the land is Of one grade and the
climate rather rigorous. But with the
college in Yakima county, this important
work Of experimenting on the reclamation
Of land could he prosecuted successfully.
Another lesson that future experiment
must teach is the best method Of destroy
ing fruit pests. 1t is a common express
sion among the orchardists that II the
Goblin moth and other fruit and tree pests
grow in destructiveness as they have with
in the past ten years that future genera
ton will have no way Of raising good
fruit. It is duty Of an agricultural col
lege to, by experiment, ascertain the best
method Of DISCRIMINATING these pests and
Of cultivation Of small and other fruits.
II the college is located in Whitman
county this branch Of agricultural science
can not be investigated, that section,
though wonderfully prolific In wheat, not
producing much Of anything else. It is
not fruit country, and consequently this
most important duty of the college would
be neglected. With the college in Yak
ina, one Of the first fruit countries on the
coast, all the experiments in fruit culture
can be prosecuted with the greatest sue
cess. Besides the cultivation Of hops, to-
bacco, fax and cotton can be conducted
in Yakima county, thereby opening other
channels Of industry for the farming pop
ulation Of the state. The locating COM
mission, II they take into consideration
what the needs Of the state are, will not
hesitate between Yakima and Whitman
counties, the former being in every way
the proper place for this institution.
Seattle Post-TnieIigencrr: The Walla
Walla Union believes that the most i'm
portant work Of the state agricultural col
lege and experiment station, soon to be
established, will be to study the problem
Of turning the dry regions of eastern
Washington into productive fields. With
this idea in view 1t urges that the estab-
lishment be located at Yakima, where
there are special opportunities for study
ing the irrigation problem in all its
phases.
Ellensburgh LOcdli1er: Another at
tempt Is to be made to locate the agricul-
tural college and school Of science in this
state. It has been decided to locate It
east Of the mountains. Several places
have been spoken Of in this connection,
and several others have been named as
not eligible. OF course, il Is desirable to
locate Il in the place that offers the most
advantages 20 as to insure the objects