The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1912-07-26
LA CONNER FLATS
AND SKAGIT VALLEY
A Rich and Prolific Section of the State
of Washington

tributes its share to the agricultural
greatness and prosperity of Washington
we will here tell what we saw while
attending the meeting of the Wash
ington Press Association held at Mt.
Vernon the second week in July, and
the impression left on our mind.
The Puget Sound country, while dis
tant only one hundred miles, with the
Cascade mountain range intervening,
differs in climate, in soil and in crops
from the east side. Wenatchee boasts
Of being the natural home OF the big
red apple, while the valley of the Ska
git river has equally as good right to
boast of oats that yield as high as 180
bushels and timothy hay over seven
tons to the acre. An Illinois and Iowa
farmer considers himself exceedingly
fortunate, and thinks it matter OF
enough importance to boast of in the
local paper if he harvests 80 bushels Of
oats off an acre.
An oats farmer in the LaConner
fats or anywhere in the Skagit valley
would consider less than $50 bushels
short crop. AS a consequence the
farmers Of the Skagit valley are pros
porous. The evidence of this is mani
fest in the large, handsome homes
that thickly dot the green, well titled
fields of oats and thru which one may
travel for miles upon miles in riding
from Mt. Vernon to Anacortes, to Sc
dro Woolley, Burlington and other
lesser towns scattered thruout the sew
enty-fve thousand acres Of perfectly
level, and mlrvelously rich and pro-
ductive lands.
The Milk and Dairy Industry
That which contributes perhaps the
largest share to the wealth and pros
perity of this vast area is the milk and
dairy industry. At Mt. Vernon is To-
Gated branch milk condensing plant
of the Pacific Coast Condensed Milk
Co., one of the largest of its kind on
the coast, making a profitable market
for the hundreds Of thousands of gal
Ions of milk brought to the condenser
every week from the surrounding coun-
try. A trip thru the Mt. Vernon plant
left US with a far better relish for can
ned milk. Everything is kept scrupu-
lousy clean. If we could always feel
that the milk and butter that comes to
our table was handled with the same
care for hygiene and health that the
product Of the Mt. Vernon Milk con-
denser is given we could take it with
out qualms of the palate. The output
of this condenser runs into the hun
dreds of cars annually and finds
ready market at home and abroad, 1t is
even sold right here in Leavenworth,
as is also Mt. Vernon butter, and is
highly priced.
The Towns OF the Skagit Valley
Mt. Vernon is a charming little city
of some three thousand inhabitants,
with substantial brick and concrete
business blocks, handsome if not pala-
tial homes, cement sidewalks and
paved streets, well lighted and fortu-
nately located in the midst of rich
agricultural region, that can not be
surpassed in productiveness. The
same is true OF Anacortes, La Conner,
Sedro Woolley and Burlington, the
conditions and surroundings are prac-
tically the same, with the exception
that Anacortes is the location OF a large
salmon canning industry which adds to
her prosperity and makes her the
largest town in the group, perhaps we
should say city.
Concrete is in a class by itself, and
while not boasting particularly of agri
cultural development and resources, is
lust now the seat of the largest cement
industry on the coast, having two i'm
mense plants, giving employment to
between two and three hundred men
with a combined daily outpt of 5000
barrels Of hydraulic cement which
ranks with the best in the country.
Sidewalks. Streets and Roads
Streets and public roads are subjects