The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1899-10-05
THE PROMISED LAND.
Graphic Letter Of Nova Seotian Descriptive Of
the hatcher Valley.

the Eastern Chronicle OF his recent visit
to relatives in the Natchez. By the
kindness of his brother, Dan Sinclair,
THE HERALD is enabled TO publish the
highly interesting narrative:
DEAR CHRoNICLE-In the United States
the man with the hoe has not vet got
tired of feeding and providing for the
gun. At public meetings any reference
to the success of the American arms
calls forth the widest enthusiasm, and
the country everywhere echoes with the
hurrahs of the populace greeting the
soldiers returning from the Philippines.
The most cordial feeling tor Great
Britain is everywhere manifest. At one
meeting that | attended the cheers for
the queen were even more hearty and
enthusiastic than the cheers for Presi-
dent Mckinley.
The Natchez valley is situated in
Washington state among the foothills of
the Cascade mountains on their eastern
side. 1t is very fertile agricultural
district. Hay is king here, and the
other staples are hops and fruit. Nearly
twenty years ago some half dozen
families from Goshen, in Guysboro
county, settled in this valley, and by
their industry and thrift have turned
one OF the most beautiful and productive
settlements for its size on the Pacific
coast. This astonishing result has been
brought about by irrigation. The Natchez
river, fed by the SHOWS. OF the Cascades,
has been tapped by bitches conducted
along the higher levels, and from these
innumerable smaller bitches and cross
bitches have been cut, spreading verdure
and fertility wherever its waters 20.
Above the water line the hills are brown
and dusty like great ash heaps, with no
trees or grass or living thing of any kind
to be seen, excepting sage brush, while
Immediately below are hay fields pro-
ducing six and seven tons to the acre,
large hop yards with their forests of
poles we'll covered with uxuriant
growth, orchards loaded with luscious
apples, pears, prunes and peaches, and
comfortable homes nesting among
groves of beautiful shade trees. The
soil on these slopes resembles the ashes
of an extinct volaano. but when well
watered its fertility seems inexhaustibe.
There is almost no rainfall during the
long growing season beginning in March,
but the NatChez farmer has the adyant-
age Of almost constant sunshine, and
with never failing river to draw from
he furnishes the rain himself. 81 lar he
has no call to use any fertilizer, \ field
Was shown me from which the owner
has cut thirty SIX crops OF hay without
any cultivation or the use of any
manure, and II is apparently as good as
ever Alfalfa hay is perhaps the most
profitable crop aud is grown in large
quantities. 1t natures in about five
weeks, thus giving the farmer three
crops on the same land each season.
Alfalfa in the stack is worth about s. per
ton. The ordinary farmer raises from
400 to 500 tons, and few farmers in the
lower valley OF the Natchez 60 as high as
1000 tons. Each farmer has his hop
yard When prices are good this bust.
ness Is very profitable. In an average
year the yield is as high as $50 per acre
after paying all expenses. When the
hop season comes round thousands OF
hop pickers, including the unemployed
of the lar e towns on the Coast, and the
Indians and squaws from the neighbor-
Ing reservations, flock into these valleys
and usually spend over a month in har-
vesting the crop. For picking the hops
they are pald Il certain rate per box.
They camp on the ground, and are Il very
gay and picturesque crowd, and the
young folks among them often end up
hard day work by jolly dance in the
mop mouse. Each farmer has kiln in
which his hops nre dried and baled ready
for shipment to the English market.
Each well-to do farmer has dozen or
two of horses and from 100 to 800 head
Of cattle. The latter are pastured on the
range during the summer season and re-
quire to be fed only about three months
in the winter. The price OF beef is
usually good-a fat steer being worth
about $50. Another branch OF farming
j. sheep raising, which 50 far Is said to
have proved very profitable in this
locality. One breeder Ia The vicinity is
sad o have herd numbering at present