The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1906-12-27
Wonderful Little Valleys.
Irrigated Tracts in the Great Northwest
where Yields are Fabulous.


WAsHINGToN, d. c., Dec. II, 1906.
The orchards and vineyards OF the
Great Southwest have been portrayed
as the place where lands reach their
highest cultural development and most
astounding value. As against the east
ern farm, worth one hundred and fly
or two hundred dollars an acre, choice
orange land in Southern California is
valued at one thousand and even fifteen
hundred dollars az acre. And this does
not seem SO highly unreasonable when
it is remembered that oranges, figs, al
monds, Malaga grapes, pomegranates
and other tropical products cannot be
grown everywhere.
Yet there are orchards In the Great
Northwest, which are esteemed as
highly and yield as golden a stream
from peaches, apricots, berries and
other common fruits, as has ever been
claimed for the orange. Take the YAK
ina Valley, or the Wenatchee Valley,
or dozen other mountain valleys IN
Washington, or some of the finely de-
veloped fruit regions of Montana or
Colorado. There you can find men
growing wealthy on returns from ten
and even tive-acre orchards. Perhaps
the valley of the Wenatchee in central
Washington affords one of the best ex-
amples of the fruit possibilities OF the
orthWest-situated in the midst OF
that region which Daniel Webster des-
cribed as eft only for the abode OF wild
beasts and wilder men," The wonder
ful development of this valley has been
brought about entirely by private lrrl-
CATION development, yet the Govern,
ment irrigation engineers consider 1t
an almost ideal irrigation community.
FED BY THE MOUNTAIN SHOWS.
In the first place there is a splendid
water supply. To the west are the
cleaning snow-ields of the Cascade
Mountains. whose glacial streams feed
the sWift-running Wenatchee River,
which as it emerges from the Valley be-
comes tributary of the great Colum-
bleak winds by surrounding hills, so
that fruit trees have never been known
to be damaged by cold. There are no
great farms ON the Wenatchee The
entire Valley is not so large as some of
the vast bonanza farms of the west,
but every acre is made to produce its
utmost, and land values reach $1,000,
$1,000, and $1,000 per acre, not based on
the value of houses and Improvements
but upon the productive capacity OF the
soil. Apples, peaches, aprlccts, berries,
cantaloupes, prunes, pears and all the
large and small fruits yield profit OF
from $500 to $500 an acre. Why then
should not land, five acres of which
will net one thousand to twenty-five
hundred dollars, be worth five thousand
or seven thousand five hundred dollrs?
The interest is liberal is it not?
There seems to be something very
superior in the fruit raised in the north
west. 1t finds ready market in such
far points as Boston and brings price
which more than warrents the heavy
express charges. Washington apples
have brought $500 box, of less than
bushel, at the Hub. Nor are the
citizens of Wenatchee, or many other
prosperous fruit sections of the North
West, tied down to a wilderness life in
order TO secure themselves large in
comes. Wenatchee, for instance is the
initial point of navigation on the Co.
lumbia.
WHERE RAIL AND WATER MEET.
Here the Great Northern Railroad
meets the SteambOatS-Where rail and
river meet. 1t is but a few hours to
dCODld anu NttLllt, NHllt tllG lUCdi tu-
ventages are in themselves very great
The orchards and farms are SO sinai!
that the entire Valley resembles a
great suburb. 1t is but calling dis
tance from one house to another. Each
has telephone. running water the
rural free delivery, and electric lights
are being installed. The roads are like
streets, and schools and churches are d
close intervals.
No more highly developed communl-
ties can be found in the world than the
irrigated fruit communities of this coun-
try. Social conditions reach a higher
plane than in any other class of settle
ment. The owner OF five Or ten acres
of orchard enjoys practically all the
advantages and improvements of the
larger centers, coupled with breathing
and growing space for the family. and |
an occupation such as it was intended
that man should engage in. The water
for irrigating the valley is drawn from
the Wenatchee river, through soE,e
thirty miles Of ditch of the Wenatclee
Canal Company. This company is now
projecting an extension to cross tie
Columbia rivera great 100000 CON-
bined bridge and viaduct to carry water
for irrigating eight thousand additional
acres.
RECLAMATION SERVICE FRIENDLY TO
PRIVATE ENTERPRISE.
In commenting upon the fact that
the National Government is not an
tagonizlng legitimate private irrigation
development, but that, on the other
hand, the Reclamation Service is favor
able to it and even willing to assist,
Engineer Arthur p. Davis who in Chief
Engineer Newell's absence was found
in charge of the Bureau at Washington,
mentioned the case of the Wenatchee
Valley as somewhat exceptional.
"Many small companies" he said,
''have accomplished much good in
Transforming the great American Des-
ert into profitable and habitable farms.
A very valuable object lesson of an
instance where private influence has
stepped in and reclaimed land which
was formerly waste may be found in
the Wenatchee Valley. This is not a
community consisting of hundreds of
thousands of acres; it is a comparative
ly small area, but every bit of it is
Extensively cultivated, wrestling from
Mother Earth every particle OF plant
life which the land can be made to give
up. The Wenatchee Valley land, before
the irrigation company stepped in, had,
| might say, no value. 1t was but the /;
home of few wild animals, with little
l.. y,J,,