The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-01-24

Difference :. :. h, oaoeo ss $4,000
This crop has not merely lifted ths
FARMERS out OF poverty, II has paid OF
their mortgages and left them with cum
PORTABLE bank accounts Instances 81 this
kind are numerous throughout the whole
wheat growing belt. The elevators and
warehouses are loaded down. both IN the
interior and al Seattle and Tacoma. ard
the railroads are kept hot with trains.
The n4rbors named are lively with q
constant succession OF " neat ships bound
for foreign ports. and the total exports
IN the part OF the season ending with
January i Were about e,e.n,eso bushels,
against 5.oo10e bushels IN the whole pre-
ceding season, and IL Is estimated that
exports Of the whole season VIII aggre-
gate 10. Or. 90 bushels.
Second In importance 10 wheat among
the grain crops OF the state is oats.
which also makes good showing. The
principal cat section IS the Skagir fats.
in the delta OF the Skagit river. which
have produced 10000 sacks OF 10 pounds
each. or about the same quantity in
1886. while the remainder OF the total pro-
daced, -. GO sacks. against Ioee 600 sacks in
isss. The price showed an even greater
improvement than that Of wheat. having
ranged from ST to SO n ton. as com
pared with so TO sl3 in lsS6. The course
% the market was the same as that OF
meat III TIE Two respective years
large part OF the wheat product is
ground into -four within the state, and
an increasing proportion OF this product
Is exported TO China and Japan. as the
natives OF those countries become edu-
| Gated up TO the use OF wheat flour in
| place or rice as a staple article Of diet.
The demand from this quarter. the in
creasing trade with Central America by
means CT tine steamship line running from
Ia
Quitting trade have all combined TO
bring about an increase IN milling ca
pacity from 800 10 s0o0 barrels daily.
The Centennial MIL Company has erect
ed q g5o-barrel mill az Seattle. the Puget
Sound FIGURING Mil Company has increased
! to l,2oo barrels the capacity Of It's mill at
/ Tacoma. new mills have been erected at
Pullman. Cheney. Pine City. Washougal
and Wallowa. and the capacity Of those
at Walla Walla. Waitsburg. Dayton.
Rockford. Garfield, Pomeroy. Ellensburs
and Tacoma have been increased. The
/ milling capacity Of the state is now not
less than 5000 900 bushels and may reach
| 100000 bushels. The exports of -four
were AZ. sS2 barrels.
| Another agricultural product which has
risen TO Importance after several seasons
of low prices and poor crops is hops. Fer
| several years the yards In Western
Washington had been so infested with
lice that many vines had been uprootei
by their owners and Others had been
rendered worthless. AT the same time
heavy crops abroad had reduced the
price below the cost OF production. Many
growers. however persevered and pro-
tected the crop from Ice by careful
spraying The vermin gave little or no
trouble in the Yakima valley and other
sections of Eastern Washington. Dur
ing the past year the crop was much
IA ha nd .fa IA
cents, leaving the farmer a fair profit.
| The total crop Is closely estimated at 81
GO bales OF go pounds. which would
make the aggregate value ssSo.5So.
Fruit and Vegetables.
Fruit has for several years held a
high place among the products OF the
soil. the climate being particularly IA
vorable to all fruits which grow in the
temperate zone. Apples, plums pears
peaches. prunes and all kinds OF berries
grow in either Eastern or Western WASH
ington. and melons and grapes reach per-
lection in Eastern Washington. The last
season was one of plenty in the fruit and
vegetable crop and the excess caused ex-
tremely low prices. though the evAporators
absorbed large quantities for the Alaska
trade. j. f. Baker. the state horticultural
commissioner. made the following review
OF the year In a recent interview:
II estimate that the fruit growers of
Washington win realize 100000 from
their crops this year. This. think. Is 4
conservative estimate. and If K is any
where near true. a few seconds In thought
will make clear to any one the hcneat
the crop means 10 a state with a popu-
| lation OF $50 600 CT S75. zoo
II estimate that seven-eighths Of the
fruit raised in Washington IS consumed
/ by people outside OF the state. This means
that just that proportion OF the amount
a CA
state In return for the fruit, and that the
money viii so into the pockets of the
| people. The Clarke county prune crop
alone. I estimate. Is worth 81 GO aa
place the state prune crop ac 100000
Clarke county. the Snake river district
Orcas Island and the Walla walla region
| are the principal producers. The apple
crop Of the state IS particularly valu-
/ a,e this season"
Cattle. sheep and Horses.
"he hunchgrass hills OF okanoran
! comfy. tho great plains ot the Big Bend
anc the valleys Of klickitat and KIttitas
have long beer noted as ranges for cat
( tie sheep and horses, the value Of this
| class ot property being placed by the
couny assessors last year at: Cattle.
S.2S2@4 sheep, 1924 50i hogs, si52. rs7:
horses. mules. etc. s2si5 5Is. The sheep
! are slaughtered in the state 70 thu num-
n
| large quantity OF wool much OF which
! Is Manufactured into blankets and cloth
j a. Seasle. A large number Of the cat
/ tie and hogs gre shipped 10 packing
/ houses at Seattle and Tacoma. where
/ they ara dressed for the market. Many
! cattle an also sent 20 Montana 70 feed
fer n season. OF their way TO the Chicago
. market. Horses have for years been a
+ drug on he market in Eastern Washing
ton and ~ many of them have boen run
/ ming Wild on the ranges that ;hav had
+ begun 20 b regarded "a = nuisance by
/ the stcekneH. when the demand fer
( pack animals ~ the Alaska trails uave
! them 4 'alus. and large numbers were
/ skipped 70 DTea aud SkaEuay 10 perish
( or she trails.
Dsirying.
TIE successive failures Of the wheat
+ crop in recent years drove many farmers
/ - datTyinE * a more safe means az I.v4
lne ard fEgt industry has row assurr,ssf
/ n leading plses among the states sources
/ 90 wealth ~te rich grass and mid d.
/ mate cf the Western Washington valleys
( are particuiaTl- adapted 20 tbs Industry.
ae1st II thr5vez afus IN fha Ets+ts,c