The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1898-08-25
A GOOD WORD FOR YVK|MA
4 Recent Visitor in This Valley
Writes About it in Homo Paper.
OUR METHOD or FEEDING HOGS
With q Pitehfork Causes Surprise-Sheep Mes
Commended % Phiiosoehers-Produetivs
ness Under irrigatios UNSURPASSED.
-AhaIfa Crops Are Enormous.
OUR METHOD OF FEEDING HOGS

Prof. j. H. Lewis. of Minnesota, who
recently visited with Judge Preble, Of
North Yakima. has written some nice
things about this country which were
published in his home paper. the Hast
ings Democrat, from which We clip 40
follows:
90 Myself and family are
we'll and have enjoyed our trip. have
made thorough study OF the resources
Of this country and the conditions Of life
here. doubt II there is a spot of as
equal area - Washington on the globe
that has 30 great variety in it, resources
and in climate 40 this state has. The
professions are over.flled here - else
where, but mechanics, gardeners. hosti.
culturists, farmers stock raisers and
miners can and here anything they look
for, but laborers are scarce and poor In
quality. People don't work here any
harder than they do in the south; Min
nesots merchant, laborer. farmer, me.
chanic or professional man does twice -
much work rs the same class does here.
Railroad employees, however. are an ex-
ception to the above rule.
THE conditions here are such that the
people are not constrained to work 30
hard as they do In Minnesota in order to
provide for their wants. Yakima county
has large delegation of Minnesota peo-
pie who can bear evidence to this, and
we should be glad to welcome Prof.
Lewis as an addition to their numbers
some day.-ED.l
"rhe productiveness of this Yakima
desert under irrigation surpssses any.
thing you can imagine. Hay land here
in Alfalfa yields seven to nine tons to the
acre and sells on the ranch where raised
at $3.50 to $3.50 per ton. No trouble to
cure and store the same, and it is never
housed, as it never rains, and is never
cloudy. 1t seems odd to an eastern man
to see them feed hogs with a pitchfork.
Hogs grow and thrive on alfalfa whether
it is dry or green. Farmers never feed
their horses particle of grain. Alfalfa
does the business for them, and l have
never seen them driven nor ridden harder.
Fruit grows and rates by the ton. 1t is
impossible to gather and market the fruit
with the labor facilities and market that
they have here as fast as it ripens. /
have spent two weeks on fruit ranch
on which grow in greatest abundance all
kinds of peaches, grapes and apples
nectarines, apricots, peach plums and
other varieties Of plums; tons and tons
of pears, cherries, and all kinds of ber-
ries; but the saddest thing about it is the
railroad charges, for freight or express
when shipped in less than car load lots
is more than the fruit sells for in St. Paul.
1t can be shipped profitably only in car
load lots, heGce the few shippers take
advantage of small ranchers and pay
little more than the cost of picking and
packing. The sheep men have discov-
cred the philosophy of life. They drive
their flocks into the mountains in sum-
mer, take their families with them, pitch
their camps at some of the many mineral
springs, where they enjoy the best and
most delightful climate, scenery, and per.
feet health. In winter they drive them
down into the valleys, buy the right OF
pasturage from ranchers on the alfalfa
stubble and buy the hay in stack, mar.
ket their mutton. and in the spring shear
their f1ocks. In this way, without own.
ing foot Of land, some have many thou
sands Of sheep; and they tell me that the
sheep men make more money than any