The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-05-25
YAKIMA'S GREAT FAME.
Il Is Spreading 10 The -Four Quarters Of
the Globe Fruit Growers Paradise.
Ten Acres Of Yakima's Productive
Soil Enough TO Give the Work.
ting Settler n Comfor
table support.

The Northern Pacific has Just issued
four page paper for circulation in the east,
devoted to fruit raising in Washington.
Besides number of illustrations Of va
kima orchards the following the conser-
vative account Of this section is con-
tanned in the descriptive matter:
1.-THE Yakima is large river which
heads in the eternal SHOWS Of the Cas-
cade mountains and flows in south
eastern direction to the Columbia. Its
first considerable expanse of valley land
is known as the Kittitas basin, with
Ellensburgh, a town of $500 inhabitants
as market. The stream descends rapidly
and fifty miles below the town Of Ellens-
burgh emerges from a series OF canyons
into broad and beautiful valley where
irrigation is practiced to considerable
extent and where the climate is peculiarly
well adapted for fruit growing, by reason
OF the warmth of its summer days and
nights and the long sunny season. This
region is known as the Yakima valley
and is now attracting a great deal Of at
tention by reason of the number Of inn
portant canal enterprises, which are
bringing large tracts Of hitherto desert
land into cultivation. North Yakima Is
the chief town Of this region and has q
population OF 5000. 1t is pleasant
place. The cool streams Of water which
run in every street between the roadway
and sidewalk make the gardens and
dooryards beautiful with fruits and
flowers. All the adjacent country is
irrigated
The cities OF Tacoma and Seattle are
distant only eight hours by rail and their
markets are therefore accessible at very
moderate transportation cfarges to the
grower of fruit. All Of the Yakima valley
from the town Of Yakima down to the
river, distance Of about 100 miles, is a
superior fruit country. In its natural
condition it is sage brush desert. The
soil is Of surprising depth and richness
and when water is brought upon it its
productive power is enormous. -Four or
five crops OF alfalfa are raised from the
same ground every season. Hops give
enormous yields, and the hop louise,
which is such pest in most Of the hop
growing regions in the United States and
Europe, has never troubled the growers.
The insect is found on the vines. but it is
killed by the hot weather before ii can do
any damage. This region can be strongly
recommended to settlers who wish TO en-
gage in fruit growing. Land under ditch
with water rights cost as high as $50 per
acre, but twenty acres are enough for
fruit farm, allowing sufficient area for
forage crops for cows and horses. Even
on ten acres family can live very well
when once their peach, prune and apple
trees are in bearing. A fruit grower who
has been established fer several years in
this region reports that in 1892 be sold
from 800 trees over 5000 boxes Of fruit,
which gave him net profit over all ex-
penses OF picking, boxing and shipping Of
81 500. This settler came into the Yaki-
ma valley in 1882 with only $3.50 in cap
ital and he now has a place which he
would not sell for less than $4,000 spot
cash. He irrigates his orchard three or
four times year, cultivating the ground
thoroughly to kill down the weeds. A
noticeable thing about the orchards in
this region is their very handsome, clean
and regular growth. Almost any tree
out OF large orchard might be selected
for an illustration in nufseryman's cat
alogue-so perfect is its form and 80
heavy is its load Of fruit.
The expense of grubbing sage-brush
land and preparing it for an irrigated or
chard, including the digging of the small
lateral bitches which carry the water
supply, can be estimated at about $50 per
acre the cost of trees and of planting
with peaches, prunes and apples is esti-
mated at about $l2 for the Young trees
and IS or $40 for the labor. Land under
ditch with perpetual water right costs
from $40 to $50 an acre, and there is an
nual charge of from 81 to 81 an acre fol
the water, to meet the expenses of keep
ing up the main line canals. A settler
can Therefore estimate that ten acres oil
orchard, planted with young trees, sup
piled with water and irrigating bitches,
will cost him not far from 1000. II hs
has ten acres more for alfalfa and otbel
crops he will have all the land he car
possibly manage, and can depend, q.
soon as his trees have three years. growth
upon gross income of from $1,000 tt
= 5000 year.