The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-13
THE VALLEY OF THE SKAG|1.
ONE OF THE RICHEST AGRICJL-
TURAL SECTIONS On EARTH
Smau Farms Becoming the Rule.
With Divers nea Farming. Prov
ing That = Good Living Can He
Made From 20 Acres Of Land.
Special Correspondence.

OH. cife farm snaG HaS lately changed
ownership is to be made into the homes OF
seven new families in the spring. These are
! OF the mast thrifty class OF people in IN.
state.
This is the manifest destiny of large
portion OF this special region. and IL is safe
10 say thar there exists no more thriving
section in the state of Washington than
the valley or the Skagit
1t requires no great and wealthy rail-
way corporation 10 advertise It's resources
or 10 boom its settlement. Nature seems
to have provided conditions here that
were denied 10 some other or the like rich
valleys OF the state, viz: Shipping ard
transportation facilities to the best mar
kets al the least cost. and natural irrigs-
tio8 Of its lands. The Fronts from the
cultivation of its soil belong TO the thrifty
settlers. rather than 10 those providing for
it, transportation facilities or It's Irritating
water supply. Hence TO a great extent Its
present and assured future prosperity.
No other section, either. probably mas
approached It's large yields of the cereals
and fruit from a given area. - far as
knewn. The wonderful capabilities Of
small farm of ten or twenty acres here for
furnishing a pleasant home and main
tenance of family are hardly dreamed az
by those who are on the ordinary ridge
lands, in other portions of the state.
In the Olympia Marah Dtstrirt.
The farmers in the Olympia marsh and
adjoining sections are gradually changing
their system OF farming from the old prac-
tice OF growing almost exclusively hay and
oats for market 10 a more profitable gen
erai mixed hnshandry. More stock. ~
cattle and hogs. is kept. The growing Of
roots. such az carrots. mangoids and fuT-
nips. is common. Perhaps no part or tina
state is the equal OF portions of this conn
~ for profitable stock and milk produc-
ton. The fields in this district will gice
a yield of 10 tons of hay per acre. the
growth of two and one-half months. while
they can be pastured the balance of the
nine and one-half months Of the year. re-
turning. II is safe to say. more cattle feed
in the grass form than perhaps any other
section in the United States can boast Of.
Forty tons of carrots per acre are grown
upon the alluviai and beaver dam iands
here. and that with very small outlay az
hand labor. most OF the cultivation on
such soil is done with the smootf.ilg har-
row or it's counterpart. the ''weeder. run
by horse power. The same great crops OF
mangolds and turnips are grown.
The carrots and turnlps can be fed riSht
from the ground where grown. requiring
no expense in the way of harvesting and
storing the roots, climate conditions
being similar TO those in England. The
same practice In this particular followed
there is feasible here. The expense OF
labor is thus largely eliminated Stock
growing here In the next few years and
during the great influx OF gold seekers TO
this northwest coast, will he certainly
very profitable.
With the immense stacks OF oasslraw.
heretofore largely burned in the field. and
hhe root crops so cheaply produced, and
with our mild, open winters allowing
stock to feed in the fields the greater por-
ton of the time, conditions are more ia
vorshle for this stock growing industry
almost than could be wished for. The cost
of producing is reduced TO a minimum and
Is becoming To he recognized. None
CT the timber ridge lands OF the state can
AZ all compete with the section west OF
Avon and Burlington on the Skagit river
In the raising of stock. milk production.
or In the growing of certain other special
crops.
The single Tax.
There is no scourge or pest so destruct-
i've TO thrift and 10 the agricultural inter-
ests If our state. perhaps. as the loud
voiced holders Of some of the more or less
common Socialistic sentiments now so ont
spoken in our towns and cities. These
would conflscate the farm lands. and make
the owners thereof tenants on their OWL
holdings: this for the benefit Of the pao-
profit thereby. Those holding these views
generally favor every form of taxation
and extravagal1t general public expeudi-
ture, not commonly being taxpayers them
selves. the object aimed AT being the tax
ing OF all real estate 10 its fnll rental val
ue. Protesting enmfy 10 laHdiordisn. the
single taxer would abolish private owner
ship Of real estate and cause all men to
become both landlords and tenants. And
as the most expeditions means 20 this end
they would kindly transfer titles 10 real
estate and The values invested therein, 10
tbs mselves. and all without money and
without price.
II seems most astounding that such po-
lisical and economic doctrine could find
followers or a Judgment In the minds of
many that would seem TO be not lacking
tn common intelligence or honesty. II
tha contention that private property may
be rightly forcihy wrexted from the own
ers thereof and confiseated "for the ben
eft Of the people" or To eonduce 10 tho
greatest good Of the greatest number"
then The precspt. Thou shalt not steal"
has become obsolete and of no effect: and
the highway Tohber becomes respectable
member 81 society and one deserving we'll
Of mis- country The old and longtime
istiug code of morals. recognizing the dis
t'uction between mine" and chine" must
be east 10 the winds to be succeeded by
me prevalent H4HifUBfBL OF tHs eiFFEf
crowd politicians of the present day.
loud mounted as they are in certain quar-
iers in our own state.
Wherever the English common law has
gore. no property right has ever been
held so sacred as that pertaining 10 real
estate and for the soundest reasons that
uo other would 50 insure It's widest cult
Walton aud Improvement. or prevent Es
waste.
~ ANYTHING can be more thoroughly de-
strIctive az thrift and right dealing on the
part Of the individual and general good
morals in a community at large. than the
ogsen continual discussion and advocacy Of
such soeiaistlc and communists SENT
rnents 50 commonly publicly advocated %
late in our own state. IL ought tn be made
apparent so that the same could be
summed and avoided. For the continued
agftaf3on and advocacy OF the proposition
that the people who may have hardly
the where withal 70 ser,ire food and cloth
inr should come into possession "a tn
their eirthright Of farms, TO tease "at fun
rental value" and 70 railroad ard express.
ga. Egh. and water bonds and stocks, etc.
etc means she despoilIng OF tho present
holders Of wealth. pure and simple. "a the
result 81 any such transfer. Il can mean
nothing else
can this state afford 20 ~ classed WITH
regions where property rights and inter
ests are nor respected The whole single
tax movement sseals 20 he generated ard
kept ug principally aa attempt 80 gain
capital on tae part af political sdvensur~
erx and the fhrtftless Of our towns and
cities To live 80 from. BY taxing away ths