The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-06-15
YAKIMA'S BRIGHT OUTLOOK.
P. A. OFarrell, The Journalist, Writtsan
Interesting Letter on This Section.


Tacoma Ledger: Yakima county has
assumed all the trappings and parapher-
MALTA Of glorious and prosperous sum
ner. To-day drove through its orchards
and gardens, and saw with astonish-
u.ent the wonderful development OF even
the past year. was shown over Fred R.
Reeds ranch by Frank Wheeler, and
must confess l never saw finer peach
rees nor better cared-fof vines than on
his hishly-cultivated farm. He has
about thirty acres already in fruit, but
next year he will have about forty. Mr.
Wheeler told me that he had no doubt
but $40 900 worth Of produce would be
| sold off this ranch this season. Allowing
$4,000 to pay for cost OF production, il can
he seen that highly-cultivated forty
acre tract like that OF Mr.. Reels will net
| 1000 year. And the Reed ranch is but
type of 100 ranches in the Yakima val
ley. l recently made trip through the
valley with Cyrus Walker, the million
aire lumberman of Seattle. The wonder
ful possibilities of the valley charmed
him, and he has just purchased ranch
Of $50 acres eleven miles from here, which
he intends to transform into an ideal
home for himself and his family to win
ter in.
Zone NAV lead an ideal life In this
state" said Fred r. Reed, home to-day,
in the enjoyment OF the glorious summer
Of the Sound country, and the nIagnifi.
rent fall and winter and spring Of this
lovely region. A little while ago / used
to be deemed crank on the Yakima
country, and my prophecies OF Yakima's
future we're received with an incredulous
smile. But to-day Yakima's growth and
prosperity IS the marvel of the state, and
tell you that southern California is not
in it in soil, climate or in fruitfulness
with Yakima"
And as / drove through this beautiful
country so recently transformed from q
sage. brush desert into a country dotten
with highly-cultivated farms, could no
but feel the truth Of my friends state
ment. A. X. Hiscock has magnificent
ranch of l20 acres devoted entirely to hop
raising. This year he has seventy acres
in hops and next year he will have ninety.
OFF his ranch Mr.. Hiscock expects to net
$4,000 year, and he can do this If his
hops fall to II cents a pound. Mr.
Scudder has sixty acres in hops this year
and Jack Bradford has hop field Of
thirty acres under the artesian wells, of
which he will market $4,000 the coming
fall Every garden and fruit ranch in
the valley gives golden promise for the
saason, and every acre under cultivation
will give bountiful harvest for the labor
and toll expended on it during the year.
Yakima people worry but little over the
financial situation and money stringency.
they are the producers of wealth and
know that they can mar ket for gold every
pound they raise, and they are all bright
and happy.
| wish that some scheme could be
worked up for big, cheap excursions to
Yakima from the Sound country and
Portland. Five acres OF highly-cultivattd
| md in this valley will support an entire
family and give it employment, too. But
the people west of the Cascade range
know nothing about it. Mind, there are
tens OF thousands of acres lying ready for
cultivation now, but no willing hands
are here to run the water over the desert
a nd transform it into fruitful pasture and
fruit gardens. Under Mr.. Schulze's
canal are g, 900 acres OF such land ready
for the cultivator. There is no such gar
den, orchard and hop land on earth. All
that is needed is more cultivators, and
the newspapers and chambers Of COM
merce and other kindred institutions
should plan to procure those cultivators.
This is why say there ought to be many
cheap excursions in the early summer 10
Yakima. Folks would the see with their
own eyes that the Evergreen state has
possibilities as fruit and hop producer
which no state, save California alone
perhaps possesses.
1t is not my part, either as journalist
or citizen deeply interested in the pros
perity of my own glorious state, to create
anything in the nature of an ephemeral
boom for this lovely region. l merely
want to turn the thoughts of home seek
ers to this valley, and feel that in direct
ing the industrious to it l am doing them
a service. If any words of mine should
, guide others hither 1 have little doubt
but that 10 the years to come they will
thank me for it, and it will always be 6