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

But <5a- .aas.e arguments as % oyer-pTc-
6uctiveness were sally. ansolutely silly. -
SHOWN in tas fact that the farmer gsner-
ally 10 today prosperous. The exports OF
farm produce IN the month OF October
last reached the renar kabls figure CT ILL.,
80. 1e1-an aggregate never reached IN any
previous October, and only once excee1ed
in ehs commercial history OF the country.
OF this total the agriculture Of the United
States contributed nearly sse.ooo.esa.
But this was only the surplus product,
and Il IL unusual 10 send out OF the eoua-
try more than ons-thsrd OF the wheat
crop. The 1900. 600 persons engaged IN sg-
r4calture not only feed 70. oos.e0o a. home
but answer calls from other countries te
tbs extent OF $50. oea. Against such
figures the complaints Of cvsr-pro6ucEion
are nonsense.
So much for agriculture In general. and
now IN regard 20 the pursuit cf rural
profit and consequent happiness In Wash
tngton. In the firss place there IS ina
lend. 40 costly among the older and more
settled states. Washington has plenty OF
land: what she needs Is farmers. and
manufacturers whose employees VIII con-
sIrne a part OF the farmers product. No
wonder New England IS Jealous Of the
virgin farms OF this never America Even
81 the Mere matter OF territory Washing
ton is as large as all New England, with
little Delaware thrown In: more than
three-fourlhs as large as the great states
OF New York and Pennsylvania combined;
equal IN size TO both Illinois and Indiana
Farms Awaiting Farmers.
Il may be that the jealousy OF these
older states Will lead 10 a modification OF
the homestead act. making government
lands dsarer TO ths.settier. Meantime, as
will be sean in detail la other columns,
this state has about Is.eyo.aeo acres open
TO settlement under the homestead and
other acts; also some two and a half
million acres granted TO the state under
the enabling act which are for sale at low
figures: and double that number OF acres
Of railroad land TO which settlers are
earnestly invited.
1t must not De supposed. however, from
these enormous figures that this seven
year-old state Is enc vast wilderness
dotted with lonely log cabins and towns
at wide distances apart that are Gases
marking the resting places OF westward
civilization. Nearly one-half OF the total
al .0oo. coo acres comprised in the states
boundaries are already occupied, and by
a population whose intelligence is far
ahead of that of the older states in that
IL IS one OF the younger generation OF
Americans. with all that this implies in
the way OF education, energy and we'll
directed enterprise. X is a noticeaele
eign-boFn in the state, and those that are
foreign-born have come here from other
sta ties. where they had settled as farmers,
but left for the better conditions that pre-
vail in this state. The Scandinavian pop
ulation OF the state now numbers $1,000
a most industrious class OF people who are
also Wen educated and have their
churches and social and other clubs, and
newspapers In their own language. These
latter. however are more for circulation
among the friends in the home countries.
as the Scandinavians learn English and
teach it to their children and speedily
become Ia every way loyal and enthusi-
astic Americans. The year before last a
number OF Hollanders were brought from
the Mississippi states IN colonies to
WILDLY island, and last year several col
onies came from Holland direct.
But foreign immigration has never been
sought; in fact. until this last year there
has been no attempt 10 induce immigra-
ton, and Washington has 10 rest her
claims to general recognition on the splen-
did showing her resources made at the
Worlds fair at Chicago.
The Immigration Movement.
The immigrat ton movement started and
carried on last year was under state au-
spices. but was q purely voluntary one.
A few agents were sent to the Middle
pie who had been ruined By the devasta-
tons caused by cyclones, whose homes
had been washed away by floods, or
whose crops had been withered by heat,
or blighted by frosts, or whose dear ones
had been suddenly carried away by sun
stroke, that here was land where such
violent extremes and such death-dealing
atmospheric disturbances were entirely
unknown These agents were to many
&c ha fYzfa ali yfa of ma fuh -
was too simple and yet too strange to be
at once believed. But conviction came
afterward, and had not the remarkably
exciting political campaign interfered,
many hundreds OF farmers would have
left those states for one which offers SO
many advantages TO the agTiculturlst, not
the least OF which Is a certain guarantee
that every year ne may reap his own crop
instead OF it's being reaped for him occa-
sionally by the destructive elements. AS
q result OF these missionary efforts how
ever. II IA expected that many farmers
from the Middle states and also from the
Atlantic states. viii seek homes here
this spring.
The Dairy Interest.
Perhaps TO none do the advantages OF
this state and its climate appeal with
more practical force than 70 the dairy
men OF New York and New Jersey In
New York state dairy farming is probably
more advanced than In any other locality
RI the world, and as much capital per
acre. is invested In q. Such nen are not
slow 10 perceive how vastly superior a To-
cation this state would be for tltlr bust
ness. Some OF the best bUttermakers OF
New York state came here last spring as
representatives Of their class and made a
study OF the prevailing conditions Of
Washington. and one Jf the ars. points 70
=ta "a 4 a of