The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-03

fars work IN this way he - az WoEA All
tie year round, and - getting money
from his legs Just whom he reeos X most
His tine for plovsng IS net nxsos "a ms
winters are 50 open ne Eay &c i amos
any month In E-stern washington ns
has no clearing 10 DO. nothing out 10 s1sh
I'D TIE sod ard put II his seed
This brings Us 20 another branch OF
agriculture. The famous wheat bats OF
Washington. IN regard 20 Waica atNeh-
ton might be drawn for moment 70 tne
famous wh-ss-producing belt knowR IS
tas Iniand Empire. OF which PAloase ana
tns Big Bend are the principal districts.
Hare thousands % acres or wnea1- mar
vsslous In Yield as TO quality and ouanu-
u. have bean grown on the same land
year after year for over q quarter or
century without any suggestion OF Ter
tlizstton- In tact the fertilizing safes
man and the lightning rod drummer never
waste their tt1le IN the state or Nssnang-
ton. ard the fruit tree pedcler Is Also
rare. the reason for the notable aoseacs
OF the latter being q state law which pro-
vides for the Inspection OF ali fruit trees
coming into the state by tbs board OF
horticulture. This circumvsnts the bogus
tree peddler and prevents the Importation
OF insect pests
Diversity In Farming.
In the Pslouss and Big Bend districts
there are vast stretches OF prairie and
bench lands IN wheat. and from these
great wheat fields thousands or tons OF
fu1l-eodfed grain are shipped every year.
IL did seem some years ago as II there
might be some point in the COMP Amt or
oyer-production so far as these districts
were concerned. Everybody seemed TO
be growing wheat. and nothing but wheat
Then tnsre came a period OF low prices,
and the wheat grower found IL profitable
10 feed his wheat to hogs. Thus began
what IS today a large hog industry. Ba-
con had hitherto been imported, as had
poultry and even vegetables, the great
whest growers not b3thering with such
trifes. and many of them only living on
their farms during seed time and harvest.
The hog industry brought cattle with It
after time, or rather extended the cat
tle-raising business. for not al this vast
territory is suitable for wheat growing.
but makes fine pasture, exactly fitted for
stock raising. Win general farming came
the natural conclusion that large holdings
OF thousand acres or 50 were unproat-
able, and the price of wheat stiH being
low down, some farmers decided 10 spill,
them APP into small farms. The result
was the planting OF many fine orchards,
and X seemed as IL the great wheat fields
would in time disappear. Then last fail
came the famine IN British India, and
the wheat growers were made happy.
Now ii is confidently asserted that moro
acreage viii be put into wheat this sea-
son than has ever been known in this
state. Last year thu state produced
about 9,eO0.o 900 bushels.
Not much corn is grown In this state,
except for home consumption, and 1t
grows best in the Okanogan and Methow
valleys. along Lake Chelan and the
lower Columbia. all the valleys tributary
TO the Columbia and in the Yakima irri-
gated lands. Much of this land is in
elLded IN the arid regions, however. which
VIII DO treated OF later on. Barley is
grown to some extent In the wheat belt.
and also some rye and oats, but the most
famous locality for oats is on the other
side of the mountains. In Skagit county.
Nearly 10000 acres have been reclaimed
from the desert by water, but less than
50.oo0 have been reclaimed from the water
These are the famous Skagit flats. long
stretches OF salt marsh that have been
reclaimed from the Sound by bikes aggre-
eating 100 miles in length. Here are pro-
dueed the finest oats in the world. one
bushel Of which VIII probably outweigh
two bushels OF ordinary oats. These cat
raisers also had an extremely profitable
harvest last season, and like the wheat
growers OF the state. are feeling exceed
ingly juhilant as well they may, with
Hay is also grown on the La Conner
fats in large quantities, and last year hay
was a great crop all over the state. The
crops OF grain also were good, while vege-
tables and fruits were not so good. Both
were affected By the continued cold rains
of the spring, so unusual in this climate.
Hay got up to $3.50, esteemed here a good
price for the fail, but the New York
dairymen would enjoy buying such hay
oh rsrira hax
cipally under irrigation, has grawn 10 be
a marked feature in the market. and $li
a ton, with three crops a year and plenty
OF aftermath, viii not strike the Eastern
farmer as doing very poorly.
Fruit and Vegetables.
In fruit and vegetables the state pro-
duces everything that can be grown in
a temperate zone. and ii is astonishing to
Fasteners to find that so far north
grapes are grown In great abundance and
are turned into wine near the vineyards,
just as they are in Southern California,
and the product is excellent. Fruit grows
well In every part OF the state, the only
difference in the two sections being in
the raising Of corn ana tomatoes. In
Western Washington corn Is raised in
gardens, and also tomatoes, bur the sun
is not strong enough TO ripen either 10
perfection. AS to tomatoes, however they
houses.
Potatoes are a great staple. and for
these and garden truck. as IL is called,
the banner county OF Western Washing
ton is Skagit. But the potatoes that have
the call in the market are tpe Yakima
tubers. These are really famous. They
ara larger and sOunder than any potatoes
grown and IN local markets are good Ter
about 81 a ton more than other potatoes
AEhf4Hv island ts alSp A large pTo9g.rer IF
fine potatoes.
Turning the Tables.
During the time when every one was
engaged In booming real estate 10 the ex-
cluslon Of almost every ether business
and that Is only few years sgo-ths san
Francisco steamers used to come here
laden with vegetables Now we arc send
ing eabnage and cauiiflower 10 San Fran
eisco. and we are also strange as il may
seem. sending fruits taere. Clarke county
mas become famous every where for lis
prunes and It's success has led fruit
growers and farmers 20 20 into this cui-
trre very largely X was not a good year
for prunes. but this year. With
favorable weather and the larger
number OF orchards coming into
bearing. the prane crop Is bound 10
he immense. Cr8noerIies are also a crop
that oyeF-ruus local consumption and
fEere are So many desirable spots all over
Jhe state for TINS cuiture ana they grow
here SO large and 50 pro'incahy that
Washington aranoerfies viii IN a couple
of years or 50 be a featuTe Of Eastern
markets about Thanksgiving time.
one farmer ~ WallA Waua county viii
plant go acres 20 apples alone this spring.
il IS only recently that the supe Tor merits
Of WashinEtou apples have struck public
attention. Taelr principal poiuis are tae.r