The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1899-04-21
Logged-oR Lands for Stock.

H. A. McRae, a Wisconsin man,
who is'investigating the Sound coun-
try looking for location for colony
of forty or fifty families, gave the Ia
coma Ledger the following idea he.
had cleaned on his visit:
ri have been almost everywhere
else" he said yesterday, "and want to
know Il all before-I- make any report.
/ have plan now OF securing land
which has been logged off and semi
clearing it for stock-raising. l have
had lots of advice to buy in some place
like Puyallup valley where I am told
five acres is enough for a. family's
support, but l am inclined t. look
askance at that proposition. Five
acres may raise big. crop, perhaps as
much as forty of'our Eastern land,
but it cannot furnish pasture.
II have been studying Washington's
resources pretty thoroughly and / be-
lieve the possibilities of this logged-off
land have been neglected. It cannot
be Immediately cleared free of stumps
that would be too expensive; but it
it seems to me clover would run riot
between them if it got good start.
With good sized clover pasture even
if it is stumpy, and little we'll titled
land for peas or grain, man ought
to have an ideal hog or stock farm.
III find hogs are not raised here to
any extent, which strikes me as
rather queer. They are one of the
most profitable of farm products. Peas
grew here with wonderful productive
ness and are fully as good as corn for
fattening purposes, while clover does
first rate on the timber land.
"There certainly ought to be more
systematic advertising of this section
in a manner designed especially to
appeal to farmers. The average East
ener with an idea of coming to Wash
ington has no interest in city real
estate, factory locations and harbor
facilities. He wants to know the nat
ure of the soil, the kinds OF fruits and
crops adapted to the soil and climate,
and the amount which will grow on
an acre. He wants to know the mar
kets and the kind of roads. The most
valuable acquisition to tie state is
just the kind of man who finds it the
hardest now to get bit of informa-
ton.
II am surprised to find so little
attempt to attract this class and it is
beyond doubt that it would be success
fnl. In the Southern states, for in
stance Florida, there have been vast
colonization schemes carried out in
the last few years, by means of little
capital and enterprise, with not half
the actual inducements there are here.
In most cases the settlers have been
misled and are much dissatisfied. They
were duped by persistent and clever
advertising.
"Here the truth is enough, and
there is no danger of disappointment.
Even if a settler transplanted from a
fertile and old settled country does feel
a little out of place in the new and
uniformed West, it is approaching his
ideal so fast that before he has had
time to get discouraged it will be just
what he is looking for.
"Here lies the key of the immiera
ton question. This an altogether diff
ferent country from what the average
new conner has ever seen. The meth
DDS of farming are different.
The land is richer, it does not take
so much of it, and his old theories
seem sadly upset when he begins tc
look for farm. If he is weak heart
ed he may be discouraged. You need
more literature preparing and advising
him. You need communities to meet
him and show him around. It is not
fair to expect stranger to spend 8
large part of his little fortune learn.
ing new ways when he could be put
on the road to success with little
effort OF the part of local societies and