Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1898-01-08
AMERICAN HOLLAND.
olkgs M THE STATE or WASHING
TON. TO PROTECT THE LAND.
The Horses Wear Mud Shoes When Plow.
ing ard the Soil is Tremendously Rich
Tide Gates Along the Sea Shore.

The Horses Wear Mud SHOES Wnen F'ows
Ing ard the Soil is Tremendously Rich
Tide Gates Along the Sea Shore.
In this great western country. where
tnere Is so much wild land. where mil
lions Of acres OF soil have never felt
the touch OF the ploughman's share
or the keen edge OF the woodman's AK,
IL does not seem that IL would be nee
essary to reclaim land from the sea
TO obtain acres for civilization But
that has been done. and in Skagit
County, almost in the very northwest
err corner OF the state, can be found
scores of the finest ranches in the
world, lying behind bikes built TO keep
out the sea and the overfiows OF the
Skagit river. the largest stream that
empties into the sound
This is the veritable Holland CT
Washington. In Skagit county are
situated the famous Swinomish fats,
the Beaver marsh. the Olympic marsh
and the Samish fats. all surrounded by
bikes ranging in height from TO -
feet. There are tide gates along the
sea shore which act automatically, and
which drain the land so perfectly that
crops are raised on land below the sea
level with safety. And such crops.
For ages the big river has been
bringing down the hills the richest
sediment. and there is really no bottom
to the soil. II a farmer in the East
plows a little too deep he turns up
clay or rocks: II the Beaver marsh
rancher holds his pillow handle too high
he simply digs up more OF the rich
loan that raises every year without
fail such crops that the old ranchers
OF other sections cannot believe the
stories. One hundred and twenty-five
| bushels Of oats 10 the acre. a ton and
a half OF hops or FIVE tons of hay. are
common yields while all sorts OF root
crops give equally large results.
In order 20 plow his land. which. OF
course. is solf and spongy. the ranch
ers often put "tuley' shoes on their
horses. the shoes consisting Of wide
wooden blocks. 10 prevent the animals
from sinking into the loan.
There are at present eight dilIinl
districts in the county. and neari,
every ranch OF any size is in one OF
another Of these districts. Fully 1Ol
miles OF bikes are in use in the county
and many OF them are used also al
roads. Very picturesque are these EN-
bankments in many places. as the.
wind around through the trees. Whel
the Skagit is having a freshet the PEG
pie turn out 10 watch their bikes. an
by repairing them. save their land
from inundation. Sometimes a yer.
high tide viii go over a dixie and cove
n number Of ranches with salt water
II the water does not stand too Ions
this does no particular damage.
As there Is nothing but sand an
black loan 20 construct the bikes 81
no permanent work has ever been don
and cannot be until the river is so In
proved that IL has = reasonably straigh
channel to the sea. Five or six fork
or mouths discharge the water int
the sound. and the delta thus formed
excellent farming land. II the waite
should be confined 10 one channel thol
sands Of acres Of land would be r.
claimed and the danger Of overflo
. reduced TO a minimum. BY this in
= provement a magnificent navigable RI
er, teeming with fish and flown
through a wealth Of timber and mine
al land. would be opened up and woul
, | provide employment for counties
numbers OF people.
IL any resident OF Washington h;
never seen the verdant fields OF II
Skagit flats. let him go up and take
look at them. IL will pay him IL
> wants TO know all about the resource
of his state. II he cannot afford
2 take that trip. and wants TO see son
J OF the products OF those diked field
g let him go down among the commi
{ sion houses in Seattle and look at q
hay and oats which are brought fro
that favored region in steamboat load
g The only failure Of crop ever know
}, there is when the dikes break and 4
Il growing grains are ruined with watC
y Seattle Post-Intelligencer.