The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-10-20

of desirable settlers. There is also
need for more manufacturers to con-
vert the raw materials of forests.
mines, ranges, farms and orchards
into finished products; in fact, the
state can easily support fifteen times
the present population.
The climate of Washington is one
OF It's most attractive features. The
west shores are washed by the warm
Japan current, and the valleys are
protected by mountains to the east
and north. The result is a mild
even climate, an absence of sudden
or extreme changes in weather. no
cyclones or billiards., or violent
storms. The winters are extremely
short, the summers long and pleas
ant
West of the Cascade mountains.
the winters are rainy rather than
cold. Roses and other flowers bloom
out OF doors nearly the entire year.
The summers are not hot. In fact,
the same medium weight clothing is
worn throughout the year, except
that rain coat is needed in the
winter. The government report
shows a mean temperature Of 49.7
degrees. The extremes were "a de-
grees on September 5, and IL de-
grees above zero on January 10.
There were 1853 days during which
rain fell. The government tables
for a number of years show the av-
erage annual precipitation at Seattle
to be about SO inches. At other
points west of the Cascades it is
somewhat greater.
East of the Cascade mountains
the climate differs in that it is drier
and the range of temperature is
somewhat wider. Zero weather is
not unknown and there is a little
snow. The summers are pleasant
and long. In midsummer it is hot
in the sun, but cool in the shade and
at night. Heat prostation is not
known.
Washington is world-famous for
| it's fruit. The mild wintera, the
volcanic ash soil, the sunshine and
the freedom from pests and diseases,
seem to form a combination of condi-
tions exceptionally favorable for the
production of fruit of size, form,
color, aroma and flavor hitherto un-
known and which brings the aop price
! in the markets of the world. This
is partly due to the care bestowed
on growing and packing by orchard
lists and the growers associations.
''The trees bear every year and in
this favored climate tree makes as
much growth in three years as it
does in six years in the East. The
trees do not winter-kill, and the fruit
lands of the Columbia river basin,
are not affected by frost. Peaches,
pears, plums, apricots, sweet and pie
cherries, grapes, nuts, figs and all
kinds of berries, melons and other
vine fruits do exceptionally we'll.
"The bulk of the wheat crop of
Eastern Washington, which ranges
from 36,OO0,OOO to 100000 bush
els a. year, is exported to Europe, a
great fleet of sailing and steamships
being engaged in this traffic. AS the
distance by rail from the grain fields
is short and as the ocean freight
rates are remarkably low, excellent
prices are always obtained by the
wheat growers. Other field crops
are hay, barley, peas, oats, beans,
hops and rye.
washington is one of the five
western states which contain more
than SO per cent of the standing
timber in the union. Fully 100000
men are employed in the mills and
forests and the lumber industry is
prominent factor. We have rich min
4 eral resources in the eastern and
central parts of the State, also enor-
nous deposits of clay, cement and
coal. The rivers and creeks are
capable of developing several million
; electrical horsepower, and taken In
all we have a state of which every
resident is proud.