Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-03-18
LETTERS FROM FARMERS
Words of Praise for the State From
Those Who Till Its Soil.


Those Who Till Its Soil.
The Northern Pacific Railroad COM
pany has issued a bulletin containing a
very interesting series of letters from
the farmers of the state of Washington,
which can but prove of the great bene-
fit to the state in the practical induce
ments set forth i'm the letters to the
farmers residing i'm the East. The bull
letin gives considerable space to the
farming and orchard Industries of
Whatcom county, which shows up to
great advantage over some of the other
sections of the state. The following
letters from three well-known What
com county farmers will be read with
considerable interest;
A COMMENTED CALIFoRNIA MAN
WEST FERNDALE, Dec. s, 1872 came
here from California in 1888, and bought
forty acres Of land at SIS per acre, on
which there was not piece of brush cut.
II was covered by dense growth of alder
and cedar timber. / have had IL all
cleared, underdrained, fenced and put in
high state of cultivation. | have ten
acres In orchard, balance in meadow and
pillow land. The cost of clearing, fencing
and draining, including purchase money.
here. Oats average 70 bushels per acre.
and sell at an average Of As cents per
bushel; wheat about 80 bushels per acre:
potatoes about 300 bushels per acre, and
sell at about SIS per ton, or 45 cents per
bushel. | have raised 600 bushels of DO
tatoes on one acre. Hay yields 214 TO
tons per acre, and brings about Sl5 per
ton. Last year | sold from my forty acre
tract Is tous ofhay for S225; potatoes, 10
tons, $3.50; oats, tons, sl25, wheat. sl20;
garden truck, about $50; fat hogs, s2OO;
chickens, SEQ. | keep 30 sheep, their wool
average 81 pounds per head, sold for Is
cents per pound, s35; keep 1 cows which
average p pounds OF butter per month
each, ll2 pounds, at p cents per
pound. SIS per month for say eight
months, amounts to Spa. Butter is
now, Dec. 5, selling at 65 cents for a two
pound roll, and before spring, usually
brings about 40 cents a pound. W. also
had COO boxes OF apples, at 81 per box,
500 making a total income of 81 .759 from
forty acres of land, which was a dense
forest in 1883. When my present orchard
is In full bearing | count on an income OF
at least 5000 from fruit alone. | expect
by next spring TO have set out ten acres
more, making twenty acres OF fruit on my
fOi ty-acre tract. We generally raise po
tatOes, sweet corn and yankee corn be-
tween our trees till they get 10 bearing,
then we seed to grass, and cultivate and
mulch around the trees. We pillow up the
orchard every two or three years and
seed down again. In short, we get In this
climate about as good a crop in the or
chard, besides the fruit. as anywhere else
on the farm. ! set trees thirty feet apart
each way. Apples are selling here now
for SIPS per bushel, and an acre OF or
chard ten years old will yield at least 600
bushels. An acre Of apple or cherry or
chard is worth at least 81 900 per acre. IL
taxes "A great deal Of time and labor to get
an orchard In full bearing, but is the best
Investment know OF in the farming line.
There are good opportunities here for
working men. Wages on farms will
average S25 per month with board. Wild
land can be- bought at from SIS to $50 per
acre, partly improved land for from $40 to
SlOO per acre, according to location. The
climate is agreeable and healthful, the
winters being mild, the mercury hardly
ever going to zero, and then only for two
or three weeks at a time. Water cannot
be eXcelled anywhere. We have good
schools, in fact, the educational facilities
in this state cannot be beat In any state
in the Union. Ferndale. a town on the
NOOksack river, with population OF 400,
has a Baptist, Methodist, Congregational
and Catholic church, and two good
chou houses. We have nayigable rivers
and rail connections with all parts of the
country. w. j. MAIIOY
Pleasant View Ranch"