The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-07-30
SAYS 0KANOGAN
HAS FUTURE
8. 0. JAYNE, UNITED STATES IR-
RIGATION EXPERT, DECLARES
1T Is FRUIT COUNTRY-THAT
REGION CHOICE SPOT.

II consider the whole OF the Okan-
ogan valley and the upper Columbia
valley are admirably adapted to the
production of fruit" said 8. o. Jayne,
irrigation manager in the United
States department of agriculture,
yesterday. My Jayne has Just re-
turned from trip up the Columbia,
Okanogan and Methow river valleys,
where he has been collecting data
and making observations for the
government.
while this region has all the
qualifications of good fruit district
it has also some features that the
ordinary fruit district does not pos
sess. The usual irrigated district has
barren hills and plains surrounding
it, with sage brush the common ma
tive growth, but here it is different,
and there is an abundance of seem
cry, with evergreen trees covering
the hills, all of which are important
factors in home making. The season
being somewhat later there, the fruit
is held back and the danger of frost
is largely removed.
Country Rapidly Filling Up.
''The great drawback to that coun-
try has been both the lack of set
tiers and the need of ample trans
portation facilities, but the work Of
the publicity committee of the
chamber of commerce, together with
the National Irrigation congress and
the National Apple show, is fast fill
ing this region with settlers, thus
solving one fthe drawbacks. The
problem of transportation will be
solved in due course of time.
MANY people who are going into
this region are from the east, where
there is no irrigation, and conse-
quently they are ignorant OF irriga-
ton methods. At the same time
many of the older residents are in
terested in mining, cattle, lumber and
general farming, and are not up to
date on irrigation and are conserva-
tive when it comes to adopting new
methods.
cat the present time on some of
these northern projects much work
is being done that is not done prop.
erly and will not result in the best
development of those districts. This
is due to inexperience and the lack
of knowledge Of irrigation methods.
Wrong Methods Employed.
"To illustrate: In many cases he
land is cleared, hastily plowed and is
then planted, ever more hastily,
with trees, and perhaps there has
been no effort to properly level ami
grade the land so that water will
run where it is wanted. This is much
to be regretted, as it will result In
loss to those investing and will serve
to retard the general development
of the country.
Every effort should be made to
use the best methods possible and IN
this connection for the last three
years the office of the experiment
stations has been making irrigation
collecting data, OBJ
serving the best method used in the
various districts, the crop returns
and preparing this information ano
disseminating it in the form of buiie-
tins for the benefit of those who
most need it.
1T should be the desire of all who
have the best interests Of the state
at heart to see that all who come TO
this great northwest are successful
and happy, for every one who fails
properly to fit himself into his new
environment may not only leave, but
will likely persuade others that he
knows from coming to this country.