White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-01-22
In The
World Can
You Beat 1t?
Nature Has Blessed This
Valley With Many
Advantages

A few days ago prominent man
from nearby city, where there Is
from eight to ten inches of snow.
drove into White Bluffs and exclaim-
ed: "What kind of a country have
you here? AS soon as l drove into
the Priest Rapids valley l saw some
thing green and stopped the car and
got out to investigate and found It
was green grass growing"
This seems commonplace to those
of US who live here, but such remarks
are evidence of what others, living
elsewhere in Eastern Washington,
think of the wonderful climate we
have in this valley.
While most of the state east and
north of us is covered with blanket
of snow a few inches. to three feet
deep; other parts of the United
States have suffered a number of Sc
we're storms, and the California cit
rus fruit belt has experienced the
coolest wave for many years, neces-
stating smudging for as high as two
weeks. in one stretch, the Priest Rap
ids valley has been enjoying winter
so mild that farmers have been able
to prune, disc and pillow practically
every day. While every winter here
does not favor us so greatly. it is es-
pecially opportune this year, for in
the spring considerable work will
have to be done on the ditch and irri-
cation system and the favorable
weather will permit farmers to get
their own farm work done and leave
them free to take advantage of the
chance to work on the ditch as soon
as the receivership sale is over in the
latter part of February. This will
enable many to accumulate a credit
to offset water charges for the year,
and all of this work should 20 to the
home people.
want, and bread-lines, in all parts Of
are about normal and there is prob
ably not a single person in actual
want. 1t is true that prices received
turn little profit, yet we must con-
through a major depression similar
in severity to those of 1878 and 1898.
Conditions as whole are not now as
bad as in those former depressions
and there is every indication that the
bottom has been reached. AS the 9TH
ers have all passed with greater
period of prosperity following, so will
this, within a reasonable time, pass,
bringing us probably greater pros
perity than has ever before been ex-
perienced.
While our valley will be influenced
by whatever general improvements
come to the country, we have certain
special activities and projects within
our own control, which may be made
to add greatly to our prosperity. One
of these is the matter of fertilization,
which has been tested sufficiently to
prove that yields can be increased
and quality improved. With our long
list Of possible crops Of fruits, vege-
tables and feeds, beginning with as
paragus in the early spring and end
ing with head lettuce running we'll up
to the holidays, all properly included
in we'll conducted fertilization pro-
gram, this valley can look forward
with confidence.
The project of greatest hope now
is the possibility of the settlers tax
ing over the irrigation system of the
valley. This system with it's power
plant, offers the greatest opportunity
any community in the state has ever
had. With a careful development of
the power, and proper extension Of
the ditch and distribution system.
and with the continued operation of
pumping plants placed to reduce the
possibility of drainage troubles, this
irrigation project can be developed to
give one of the lowest charges for
water in the Northwest. A prospect
of this kind can we'll be appreciated
by the people of this valley after
the years of litigation and stifled de-
velopment that we have experienced.