The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1914-05-08
INTERESTING LETTER
FROM THE WEST
J. J. HILL DESCRIBES CONDITIONS
IN WASHINGTON STATE
Also Writes of the Journey of Himself
and Wife and Tells of Interesting
Sights While En- Route


made before he left, j. J. Hill, former
we'll known resident of this township,
now located at Sunnyside, Washington,
has written the following letter for pub
lication in the Messenger. The letter
will be of interest to all our readers,
and ndespecially so to the numerous friends
and neighbors of Mr.. Hill and his es-
timable wife:
Sunnyside, WASH, April 80, 1914.
Editor of The CLIO MESSENGER.
Dear Sir: For the information of our
friends in Vienna send you sketch of
our trip west. We left Clio at 1912
a. M, April 13, and left Flint via Grand
Trunk at LAT, arriving in Chicago at
8.55. Left Chicago at 10 p. m on North
Coast Limited Northern Pacific R. R.)
April 18th, passed through Minnesota
and eastern North Dakota, fine sec
ton, having fine farm houses and good
barns. Farmers were dumping barn
yard litter into swamp holes and low
places for filling. Fires and smoke
could be seen in different directions as
farmers were burning last years straw
stacks.
Wednesday, the 18th, found us in
Montana, with the Yellowstone river
in view for three hundred miles.
The Yellowstone Valley is developing
into rich farming section, where sugar
beets yielded from 18 to 26 tons per acre,
and land selling at 5000 per acre.
Ranchers are getting $40 per ton on
sugar content, as the bright sunshine of
Montana makes the beets rich in sugar.
Our trip through the western part of
Montana was fine, with snow capped
mountains in view and bright sunlight
all around.
Thursday morning found us in Idaho,
and what a contrast was evident be-
tween the climate of the East and that
of the Pacific Northwest. The meadows
were all green, and alfalfa foot high,
the orchards in full bloom, spring grains
all up, and ranchers plowing their sum-
mer-fallows. Farmers are conserving
the fertility of the soil all through this
section. To illustrate this will say that
the average wheat ranch of 1000 acres
would have 1000 acres in grain and
900 acres in summerfallow. Will also
say that ranchers in the great wheat
belt between Spokane and Walla Walls
show evidence of prosperity, fine farm
houses and barns being much in evi
dence. One thing ! notice is lots Of
horse power on the ranches, four big
horses on pulverizer and six on a gang
plow.
Now, Mr.. Editor, l will give you {
short sketch of the Sunnyside Valley
Have taken few trips in different di
rections, and have seen orchards fol
miles, peaches, pears, plums, prune'
and apricots. The orchards are KEEP
clean, no grass or weeds are allowed
and the owners are compelled to spray
their trees as the law enforces spraying
Tomatoes are drilled in here; no trans
planting is done. The tomato crop fo
the present season has now beer
planted. Potato crop was planted tw'
weeks ago. 1t certainly is fine viewing
the alfalfa fields in this valley whicl
will soon be ready for harvest and will
yield from six to nine tons per acre
making it big money-making crop. 4
forty-acre ranch here is busy propo
sition. Twenty and thirty acres are tn
usual size, with some five and ten acr
units, hence you see the valley i
thickly settled.
Now, Mr.. Editor, we arrived her
the 18th of April. The maple tree
were in leaf or nearly leaved out, an
all other trees in full leaf, and every
thing was smiling and beautiful. Wit
best wishes to all old friends, will clos
for this time.
Yours very truly,
j. j. Hill.