The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1895-03-21
WASHINGTON.
It's Advantages, Resources, Climate,
Minerals and Products.
FAMOUS SAN JUAN ISLANDS
Their Prospects, Possibilities OF the fruhs
Industry. Opportunities for small
Fruit Growing.


and l25th meridians of longitude ives.
from Greenwich. Its greatest width
north and south is 240 miles, and its
greatest length east and west is 800
miles, and its area in round numbers is
10000 square miles or about 100000
acres of land.
The Cascade range of mountains
divide the state into two unequal and
entirely dissimilar sections, which are
known as Western Washington and
Eastern Washington. The former con-
tains 10000 square miles and the latter
$4,000. 1t is estimated that 100000
acres are timbered; 10, 900, 900 acres grain
producing; 100000 acres rich al
luvian, or river bottom, productive OF
hops, hay and all kinds of fruit and
vegetables; and 100000 acres mineral
bearing and mountainous, in great part
timbered.
All fruits and products ofthe temper
ate zone thrive in this state, except,
that the raising of grapes, melons, corn
and sweet potatoes are more profitable
east of the mountains than on the west
side, owing to the greater heat in Sum-
mer. Peaches do we'll in both sections
near large bodies of water.
But the browning advantage of West
ern Washington is its great commercial
inlet known as Puget Sound, "The
Mediterranean of the Pacific;" the
finest body of water of its character in
America or in the world, with its mag
nificent harbors, it's beautiful islands,
it's 1913 miles of shore line within our
borders, with perfect shelter and con-
venient anchorage everywhere. West
ern Washington with all its advan tages
is one Of the most desirable places of
residence in the world, and why? Be-
cause it has the most delightful climate
in the world, and because it has the
most varied and pleasing scenery in
respect both of sublimity and beauty;
and because it has the most varied and
abundant resources of natural wealth,
and it is yet a new country where land
is plentiful and cheap; and because it
has an almost perfect immunity from
the calamities that aff1ict other localities.
There are no hurricanes, tOrnadOes or
cyclones; no earthquakes, no severe
hailstorms; but little thunder and light
ming; no destructive floods or tidal
waves; no pestilence nor plaques or
famine; failure of crops is unknown; no
drouth nor grasshoppers nor crickets;
there are no venOmOus snakes, cent?
pedes, scorpions, tarantulas or danger
Gus wild beasts.
The waters are from the mountains,
pure, cold, sparkling and abundant.
Besides the salt water arms of the sea
and bays, there are everywhere innu-
merable fresh water lakes, ponds and
rivers. The waters TEEN with endless
variety of fish, oysters, CLAIMS, crabs,
ETC., and the forest and prairies with
wild fruits, game of various kinds, as
deer, elk, grouse, pheasant, quail and
woodcOck.
| By the assessors returns the popula-
ton was in round numbers $4,000 in
1880; 80, 900 in 1888; 10000 in 1886; $40,
456 in 1890 and at the present date is
not less than 100000.
The climate of the Puget Sound region
| is one of "etherial mildness." The
average temperature for the summer
months is $50; Autumn 500; Spring So;
and Winter Al; for the entire year $50.
In summer the thermometer rarely
goes above 800, in fact never goes above
800 for more than a few days in any one
year. In winter it seldom falls more
than eighteen degrees below the freez-
ing point. The summer months are
practically free from rain. Destructive
storms of any kind are unknown. Roses
and scores of flowers bloom i'll open
gardens all winter long, snow and ice
are too slight and rare to afford re-
liable supply for summer use.
The business of hop raising in this
state has lately assumed such all i'm
portance that it is worthy of special
mention. The climate and soil in the
bottom lands and valleys of this state
seem peculiarly adapted to the cultiva-
ton of hops, and more attention seems
to be paid to the cultivation of this
plant in the vicinity of Puget Sound
than elsewhere in the state, where it
thrives in rich alluvial, sandy bottoms.
Within the past few years an increasing
interest has been manifested in the
business of hop raising and the yards
have been multiplied and extended.
1t is believed that the Duamish, the
White River and the Puyallup valleys
could easily produce as many hops as
are now raised in the United States, if
labor could be obtained to pick them.
The quality of our hops rates second
only to the New York State hops which
have heretofore been rated as a stand
ard of quality. In some respects ours
are better than the New York State
hops, because of freedom from disease,
cleaner picking and more uniform color.
The soil best adapted to the raising of
hops is the alluvial deposits, found in
the river bottom land adjacent to Puget
Sound, and in the rich valleys of the
islands comprising the Archipelago De
Haro; yet good results have been OBJ
tanned on the table lands in other local
tiles. The first hops were planted in