Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-01-05

are OF the the most valuable, but an
idea of the best it contains may be
gained from the fact that on one
quarter section in the Soiduck valley
an experienced timber cruiser estimat-
ed the understandable timber to amount
To fourteen million feet. An average
timber claim would produce five or
six million feet OF lumber, but even
!, this does not include the spruce, hem
'fluck, cottonwood. maple and other
kinds of timber more or less valuable
neither would it include the small or
very knotty trees ordinarily used in
other places. Much OF this timber
land, especially where it has clay or
shot-clay soil, is highly fertile for
farming purposes after removing the
timber. TO clear and put it in cult
walton? Well, the immigrant who
comes expecting tn accomplish this
task without the expenditure of inf
mite toll, will soon be disillusioned bv
contact with real thing" Yet very
many have hewn out homes from the
wilderness, and their perseverance and
industry have always been rewarded
by farms that are marvels Of lasting
richness. Just now the development
OF Jefferson and Clallam counties is
being seriously retarded by the unjust
and totally unwarranted extent of
government forestry reserve. Its
modification and material reduction
in area is being urgently asked for by
our delegation in Congress, with
fair prospect of success; and, when
Uncle Sans little park shall have
thus been reduced in size by few
hundred thousand acres, there will be
room for more settlers. The fair aver
age value of good timber lands on
this peninsula may be estimated from
the fact that one sale recently made
aggregating 10000 acres, realized
$l2.5O per acre. Our river bottom
land, salt marshes and swamp lands
generally, have for many years been
popularity supposed to be the most
valuable for agricultural purposes, but
later experiences have shown that our
very best lands for all.round cultiva-
ton are the benches or table lands,
wherever they contain enough clay to
give strength 10 the soil.
IMPROVED LANDS.
No fixed rate of value for improved
farm lands near Olympia can be given.
Wherever such can be purchased at
fair prices (and the opportunities in
this line are limited) the price NAV
vary from $500 to 5000 per acre, ac-
cording to locality, quality of soil and |
state of cultivation.
FRUIT RAISING.
Western Washington is particularly
adapted to the production of all the |
harder varieties of fruit, including
apples, pears, plums, cherries, prunes,
and every variety OF smaller fruits.
Good winter apples are perhaps most
profitable. (They are retailing to-day
at $3.50 per box.) The humid atmos-
phere favors propagation of fruit pests |
and spraying is needed oftener than in
dryer climate, but this extra labor |
and expense is more than compensated
by the increased yield of fruit. Cherry
trees in Olympia can be seen to-day in |
some of our oldest orchards, that in
any ordinary year will produce ! 500 |
pounds of merchantable fruit to the
tree. Failure of crops is practically
unknown.
DAIRYING.
Perhaps in no line are there as great
opportunities in the Puget Sound basin
as in dairying, and this saying a great
deal. The establishing of creameries
in recent years, and offering induce
ments to farmers to market their sur
plus cream, has greatly stimulated
production in this line; and still that
the supply falls far short OF the de.
mand is shown by the fact that large
quantities of Iowa creamery butter
may be seen for sale in nearly every
grocery store in the country. The
writer knows of several dairy farms in
Clallam county, varying from 100 to
2OO acres each in extent, that are to-
day bringing their owners from ST. 200
| to 81 800 per annum each in cash rem
tals-and the tenants are making
money besides. These farms are
stocked, however, with carefully Sc
lected COWS (75 to 100 in each CASEY
and are supplied with teams and farm
machinery. They are cited as sam
pies, proving that good dairy farm
we'll managed. is better than n gold
mine. And the Importance of this is
seen also in the fact that dairy farm
does not become impoverished by con.
slant cropping, but increases steadily
in fertility.
| TRUCK FARMING.
The production OF garden truck
near our towns and cities has hereto
fore been left largely to the thrifty
Chinaman, who peddles his wares on
our streets. AS population increases,
and demand multiplies, there is room
for any number of experienced truck
farmers who understand the value of
making little things count"
How about churches
Olympia is well supplied with
churches. The Methodist, being the
pioneer organization, is probably en-
titled To he named first. Then follow
the Presbyterian and United Presby-
terrain, the Baptist, the Seventh Day
Adventists, the Congregational, the
Episcopalian and the Catholic socie.
ties, all OF whom have comfortable
church buildings, and the Unitarians
and United Brotherhood, who meet in
rented halls. The spiritualists like
wise maintain some kind of an organ
ization, but their creed seems to have
passed the zenith of popularity.
Will it make any difference for man to hail
rom the south and be a Democrat. not because
he has lent helping hand to the South, but be-
cause he loves the Jeffersonian principle of
Equal rights to all aud special privileges TO
none"
Not in the least. In fact we need
just such men as you to redeem this
land from misrule, and there is no dis
position in Western character to pro-
scribe anybody for opinions sake.
What inducements can you offer to a man of
sober aud industrious habits and not a ST. John
man:
Fair pay for honest work.
How Is your country politicallys