The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1895-09-12
IN YAKIMA COUNTY.
Prospects are Gloomy In Far OFT
Washington.

To THE EDITORIALS have been IN
Yakima county for six months l Will
try and give you little idea OF what
I have learned of the county during
the time l have been here. l am To-
Gated four miles west of Yakima City
or North Yakima, town OF about
1000 inhabitants, and with all the
modern improvements, except posi-
bly street cars. The county is made
up of mountains and valleys, the val
leys being separated by ridge OF
mountains. OF the many valleys l
think Selah valley is as good as any
of them, even though it is new. The
Northern Pacific railroad runs through
the valley northeast and southwest.
We are on the east side of the Cascade
range, 100 miles from Tacoma.
The valleys of this State are very
rich and have plenty of water. They
will produce almost anything that
person wants. There are numerous
bitches acting as water supply. This
year the rivers are very low on account
of the little snow on the mountains.
Fruit, hops and potatoes are the prin-
cipal crop. Hops do we'll here as what
is known as hop lice do not bother
them. The raising of them has not
paid this year because the market is
only eight cents per pound without any
prospect of being higher, and it costs
eight cents per pound to raise, pick
and bale them. Although this is the
greatest place to raise potatoes 1 have
eyer seen, and some of the potatoes
weigh from one to six pounds, the
raising of them did not pay last year
nor this. 1 bought some last spring
for Is cents per sack of about eighty
pounds. They are now selling at Sc
per ton f. O. b. cars. Tacoma and Sc
attic are the market towns. The sacks
cost from four to six cents apiece, and
inasmuch as the shipper has to pay
for them it is easily seen that there is
no money in handling that product.
Apples are now one cent a pound,
peaches Il cents per pound, plums
and apricots sell at one cent. 1t does
not pay to ship prunes unless they are
dried.
Stock raising would pay here if
rightly managed. They are raising
any amount of Alfalfa and they can
raise excellent corn here. Hay is
worth from SIS to $ per ton loaded on
the cars and it costs 1915 ton to bale
it. 1t has to be hauled from 8 to II
miles, and shipping costs about SIS
per ton. The freight is what takes
the profit. The Northern Pacific is
the worst cut-throat of a road that
there is on the continent. 1t charges
80 cents a hundred for transporting
freight $50 miles.
Winter apples are about the only
fruit that pays here. They can be
kept without drying and find good
price in the spring. Last spring they
were five cents per pound.
The land around here is laid out in
1O-acre lots. One lot is all that one
man wants for raising fruit. Up the
valley there are large farms and plen.
ty of orchard land worth $50 per acre
wild and $55 when the sage brush is
removed. If an orchard is set out il
is necessary to put solid fence al
around it as the rabbits are very thick
and they will kill the young trees il
they get an opportunity. Fencing
costs from 10 to so cents per rod
Lumber for building is selling at from
IS to $40 per thousand feet.
A large number of peach, pear anC
prune orchards will bear for the frs
time next year, but it will not pay tt
ship the produce unless they are dried
and it is doubtful if it will pay then
Meat sell here at about the same price
as in Redwood. Butter sells at from
Is to 40 cents per pound; COWS a
from $40 to $40 each; horses from S.
to $40. Sheep are cheap and WOO
sold this summer at cents per pound
Men looking for work should not com,
out here as there are from one to 81,
men daily passing my place in search
of work. There is neither work no
money here and there is nothing t.
warrant prediction of better times
During the last two months it ha
been from SO to los degrees in tn
shade every afternoon about fv
o'clock. A.BAsT1AN.