Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-08-25

largely under the chaperonage OF
Captain T. M. Richards, one OF the
leading citizens and planters of this
section, and asked him to-day for a
statement of the operations and in
tentions OF the colony. After con.
sulting with Mr.. Sakai and Mr.. Jsujii,
the leaders OF the colony, he said:
"The fifteen members Of the colon y
are agricultural students desirous of
studying in practical way our meth
ods of farming aud the capabilities Of
our soil, their specialties being gar
dening and fruit growing. They are
all young educated men, and decline
to work out for day wages, preferring
to use all their time in study of Amer.
ican ways Of doing things, and find
them immensely apt students.
"a colony already having been es.
tablished in Texas, Mr.. Sakai came to
Florida to investigate in December
1903, and after visiting other parts oi
the State, came here with a letter OF
introduction from Mr.. ]. E. Ingraham,
third Vice President, in charge OF the
land department OF the Florida Eas,
Coast Railway. After pretty ther-
ough examination of the large areas ol
prairie lands along the Hillsboro river,
just west OF here, he decided that it,
was about what he was looking for
and arranged at once with the Florida
East Coast Railway Company, through
Mr.. Ingraham, for as much land as
he would want.
"They propose to plant extensively
the crops which have proven a success
with US, meanwhile experimenting
with plants and seeds brought from
Japan, but with the exception of rice
and later on perhaps, tea, my COM
mand of their language is too limited
to allow me to name the others, though
l see some of it growing.
"Ten OF them came from the ad-
joining provinces of Tsjino, Tango and
Tamba, and two from Harima, all on
the north side of Japan, near Kyoto,
and the others from Zumo, $50 miles
farther west, all on Nippon. Their
experience is based on agricultural
college study with field practice and
they belong to the educated classes in
Japan. Since they have been here,
about one month, they have cleared
up some fifteen or twenty acres OF
muck and prairie land, made seed beds
and all the many preparations for a
vegetable farm of from thirty to forty
acres. They have also prepared good
living rooms, including especially bath
arrangements, kitchen and storehouse
for supplies, stables, etc. They are
we'll pleased, and have no doubt Of the
success of the farming that they came
here to try.
"They have contracted for consid.
erable body of land, but am not at
liberty at this time to give particulars
of their negotiations in this direction.
Il am advised by Mr.. Sakai that
the extent OF Japanese immigration
will depend on the report made by this
contingent from year to year, and il
reasonably successful will amount to
hundreds, perhaps Thousands, in the
course OF time, but there will no rusb
a. only limited number OF students
will come each year, accompanied OF
followed by those skilled and exper.
fenced.
"The colony here will build houses
after the present crop is over, one 10,
each family, aud will then bring theil
wives and children. These houses will
not be temporary shacks but neat and
substantial homes, and provided with
lights, water and all modern farmhouse
conveniences."