The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-04-15
A GREATER WASHINGTON.

A GREATER WASHINGTON.
immigration agents of transcontinental railways
state that the tide of immigration is equal to that
of any previous year, but that smaller proper
ton of the immigrants come through to the Coast
cities fully two thirds stopping off at the smaller
towns. Central Washington is building up raster
than ever BEFORE and the newcomers consist
largely of small scale farmers who are producers
and add to the wealth of the state from the
time they buy home
This movement comes in conjunction with an
other that is of far reaching Importance to the
upbuilding of state. In another place we give
details of the work accomplished by the special
demonstration trains in the effort to secure a
greater Investigation of our agriculture In COM
mentng on the fact that from the farmers OF the
Pacific Northwest the ports OF Portland ana the
Puget Sound exported about onefourth OF all the
wheat sent out from the United States during
the current crop year, the Portland Oregon1an
says:
'In no other branch of industry is the remark
able growth and development of the Pacific North
west more strkngly illustrated than in the enor-
nous grain crop which was produced last year
Final figures on the yield show total OF oo,ooo,
900 bushels of wheat, and 22,OOO,OOO bushels Oh
barley and oats. These figures would be hote
worthy indeed had the three states continued in
the policy of twenty years ago and cultivated put
little else than wheat, but when it is remembered
that this enormous gain in yield has peen maoe
with an annual diversion OF thousands OF acres
from wheat to fruit and diversified farming, the
showing becomes all the more wonderful. lnlrIy
wears ago more than one-haf OF all the wheat
Skinned
the Willamette Valley, and dozen years ago it
was still possible to pick up enough wheat 10
supply several ships year with cargoes OF valley
of Oregon wheat, as it was known IN the lot
eign markets. 1890
"This season not single shipment of William
cite Valley wheat has been sent foreign, ana
throughout the Valley are hundreds OF small orch-
ards and farms which yield greater revenues from
a few acres than obtained from quarter sec
lions and half sections of wheat land quarter Oh
a century ago. The evolution that has taken place
in the Willamette Valley has also begun IN the
big wheat districts east of the Cascade Mountains
frutgrowing and diversified farming increasing
quite as rapidly as in the Willamette Valley With
enormous gain in the wheat yield, simultaneous
with wonderful increases in the output OF 1rult
hops livestock and dairy products, IL is, OF course
clear that new acreage is annually being brought
into service for both grain and diversified farming
purposes The latter on account OF the larger re-
turns on the investment, is gaining ground more
rapidly than wheat growing, but the great North-
west still contains such vast areas OF virgin SOIL
that it is by means improbable that the three
states may yet produce grain crop OF lOO,OOO,OoO
bushels. There will, of course, be an increased
demand for home consumption as the population
of the three states grows, but 1t Will De seVerdl
years before this increase will equal that OF the
output, and for that reason the oregon ana WASH
ington ports will for many years enjoy the dis
tnction of shipping larger percentage OF the crop
produced than is shipped from any other part OF
the United States"
Diyersifcation of industry is a movement that
is of equal Importance in building greater Wash
ington with the influx of citizens and the d1versl-
fication of it's agriculture. manufacturing popu-
lation is a consuming element that constitutes
home market for agricultural products. The
greater utilization of the power facilities so album
dant hereabouts in the manufacture of the equally
abundant raw materials now at hand or awaiting
development will mark another step toward the
greater Washington.
The close INTERPRETATION existing between pro-
duction and transportation has received a striking
illustration in regard to supplies of mill feed for
dairy stock The Trans Pacific Freight Bureau
has reduced the rate for carrying grain and flour
to the Oriental markets, but it carries the wheat
for 81 90 per ton less than the -four thereby play
ing into the hands of Chinese mills and causing
a shortage of Oriental demand for flour and OF
supply of mill feed for home consumption. Export