The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1907-02-01


but when it comes to raising the fancy
high priced apple of surprising appear
ance and perfection, the territory
which will produce them is narrowed
down to an exceedingly small area.
In the state of Washington the valley
of the Columbia river possesses pre-
cisely those qualities of soil, climate
and water supply which produces this
apple of surprising value, and the
same is true of the peach, the apricot,
the pear, and other deciduous fruits.
The very core of the best of these
lands is along the Columbia river IL
the neighborhood of the south central
part of the state The Priest Rapids
of the Columbia river have been eel
ebrated as one of the great cataracts
which occur at intervals along that
mighty stream. Their development
for irrigation and power purposes has
been mooted for many years. 1t had
not assumed a definite shape until
their improvement was initiated by
the Hanford Irrigation e Power Com
pany, which is now installing in place
extensive irrigation and power works
to improve thirty-two thousand acres
of land opposite the White Bluffs OF
the Columbia and a NUMBER of miles
below the Rapids themselves.
Nature seems to have especially
adapted the Priest Rapids for the pur-
poses of power development and IT.
rigation. The great river rushing over
it's rocky bed at this point makes
plunge of twenty or thirty feet in a
short distance It's banks are solid
rock and all the surrounding circum-
l.: ~1,1 20 10
manency in the irrigation and power
works. Commencing a few miles be-
low the Rapids, there opens. out
wide extent of splendid valley lands
teeming with the fertility derived
from decay of the rich basaltic stratum
which underlies them, almost over
burdening them with their store or
potash and nitrogen-those valuable
elements which are required for the
highest perfection Of all plant life. AT
the point where the lands of the Han
ford Irrigation & Power Company are
situated. the Columbia river makes
gigantic letter IS" and these lands
are embraced within the center folds
of this great letter, clinging closely
tn the river which forever is bearing
it's magnificent volume of water, clear
mountains to the sea.
It seems as if nature has still fur
Their blessed this favored region by CIV
ing it a climate extra mild in it's ma
ture. For here flowers bloom in NO
yember and come again with the first
DAYS of March. Spring is early in com
ing the summer days are long and
autumn fingers late, SO much so that
G
and the plough furroW can be turned
every month in the year 1t is such
conditions as these that create the
most favorable conditions for raising
fruit of the very highest perfection
and quality. The genial warmth OF
the climate, the warm rays OF the
sun. the splendid quality OF the SOL
these are the factors which create
here the conditions which will pro-
duce the finest fruits that can be
grown upon the Pacific coast
These are the lands of the quality
of those other irrigated sections OF
the state which have risen to great
values and. laid on an added worth or
one hundred dollars per acre for every
twelve months. Their location is
good. Situated in the south central
part of the state, they are just in that
geographical situation which will place
them in the center of things, as the
railroad systems of the state are per-
fected. Connected with the OUTSIDE
world by boat on the Columbia with
the city of Kennewick, they will lie IN
the path of railroads building, both
east and west and north and south;
in fact, surveys and estimates are now
being made upon number of railroads
being built or projected to be built IN
both directions. They will be in the