[Sidenote: Soils all fertile.]
The arable soils of Washington Territory, so far as I could see, or
otherwise learn, may be classified as follows, to wit: _a._ Humus; _b._
Alluvium; _c._ Drift; _d._ Loam; _e._ Basalt.
_a._ HUMUS. In West Washington the whole country is top-dressed with
vegetable mould, derived obviously from the heavy growth which has
covered the surface for ages. Of course there are bare spots, and where
the growth has been light, the top-dressing is thin; but the mountain
sides, the hills, and notably the low grounds, are overlaid from one to
ten inches, and often much more, with this vegetable mould.
TABLE SHOWING THE MEANS OF THE DAILY MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES IN
DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
The Means are obtained by dividing the sum of the daily readings of the
Maximum and Minimum Self-registering Thermometers by the number of days
in the month.
====================+=========================================+
| 1883 |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| July. | Aug. | Sept. |
STATIONS. +-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Mean. | Mean. | Mean. |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| Max. | Min. | Max. | Min. | Max. | Min. |
--------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
Bismarck, Dak. | 79.5 | 55.8 | 78.6 | 54.8 | 69.4 | 43.7 |
Dayton, W. T. | 87.3 | 53.6 | 85.1 | 53.2 | 77.5 | 45.2 |
Denver, Col. | 82.6 | 58.7 | 83.6 | 58.8 | 74.7 | 50.2 |
Lewiston, Idaho | 90.0 | 59.1 | 87.1 | 57.6 | 76.0 | 47.7 |
New Haven, Conn. | 80.3 | 62.4 | 77.6 | 57.9 | 70.4 | 50.6 |
Norfolk, Virginia. | 87.9 | 71.1 | 82.4 | 68.9 | 76.4 | 63.8 |
Olympia, W. T. | 76.1 | 48.2 | 71.3 | 55.1 | 67.0 | 48.1 |
Portland, Oregon. | 80.0 | 57.0 | 73.8 | 54.2 | 72.3 | 52.6 |
San Diego, Cal. | 75.5 | 64.0 | 75.9 | 63.5 | 78.2 | 62.9 |
Sandusky, Ohio | -- | -- | 77.1 | 62.8 | 69.2 | 55.8 |
San Francisco, Cal. | 64.5 | 55.0 | 64.4 | 53.9 | 69.9 | 56.3 |
Sitka, Alaska | 57.9 | 48.1 | 59.3 | 48.8 | 58.9 | 48.5 |
Spokane Falls, W. T.| 85.0 | 53.4 | 83.2 | 72.5 | 72.4 | 44.2 |
Washington City. | 87.7 | 67.2 | 82.4 | 62.7 | 74.8 | 56.2 |
====================+======+======+======+======+======+======+
====================+=========================================+
| 1883 |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Oct. | Nov. | Dec. |
STATIONS. +-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Mean. | Mean. | Mean. |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| Max. | Min. | Max. | Min. | Max. | Min. |
--------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
Bismarck, Dak. | 48.3 | 33.4 | 38.7 | 15.0 | 25.0 | 4.5 |
Dayton, W. T. | 57.8 | 34.7 | 51.6 | 33.3 | 35.8 | 18.5 |
Denver, Col. | 57.6 | 36.8 | 56.1 | 31.1 | 36.8 | 17.4 |
Lewiston, Idaho | 57.9 | 39.5 | 57.6 | 35.5 | 41.7 | 29.3 |
New Haven, Conn. | 58.4 | 40.4 | 50.5 | 34.1 | 38.3 | 21.5 |
Norfolk, Virginia. | 68.4 | 56.7 | 62.2 | 45.0 | 53.9 | 38.8 |
Olympia, W. T. | 57.3 | 42.9 | 50.2 | 44.9 | 45.9 | 35.4 |
Portland, Oregon. | 58.4 | 45.8 | 52.8 | 72.0 | 49.0 | 36.8 |
San Diego, Cal. | 69.0 | 54.7 | 67.7 | 50.2 | 65.7 | 49.0 |
Sandusky, Ohio | 59.2 | 47.3 | 52.5 | 37.2 | 39.8 | 27.5 |
San Francisco, Cal. | 62.9 | 52.9 | 58.8 | 49.4 | 55.5 | 46.2 |
Sitka, Alaska | 50.6 | 41.0 | 38.6 | 27.3 | 41.6 | 30.5 |
Spokane Falls, W. T.| 53.7 | 35.0 | 46.6 | 32.0 | 35.6 | 22.4 |
Washington City. | 65.5 | 49.3 | 56.2 | 39.4 | 63.1 | 45.3 |
====================+======+======+======+======+======+======+
====================+=========================================+
| 1884 |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Jan. | Feb. | March. |
STATIONS. +-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Mean. | Mean. | Mean. |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| Max. | Min. | Max. | Min. | Max. | Min. |
--------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
Bismarck, Dak. | 14.5 | 7.6 | 8.9 | 9.8 | 29.9 | 10.5 |
Dayton, W. T. | 31.0 | 11.5 | 24.9 | 4.8 | 35.6 | 19.6 |
Denver, Col. | 25.7 | 5.3 | 30.8 | 10.8 | 43.0 | 25.7 |
Lewiston, Idaho | 39.1 | 25.9 | 35.1 | 18.8 | 53.6 | 34.7 |
New Haven, Conn. | 32.6 | 15.8 | 40.8 | 24.3 | 42.4 | 26.6 |
Norfolk, Virginia. | 46.7 | 29.9 | 59.0 | 41.0 | 58.1 | 42.1 |
Olympia, W. T. | 44.7 | 35.2 | 42.1 | 27.5 | 52.5 | 34.4 |
Portland, Oregon. | 46.2 | 33.3 | 44.4 | 29.4 | 55.6 | 37.8 |
San Diego, Cal. | 64.5 | 45.6 | 62.9 | 48.6 | 62.9 | 50.4 |
Sandusky, Ohio | 26.9 | 12.9 | 39.0 | 24.4 | 41.6 | 28.7 |
San Francisco, Cal. | 54.7 | 46.6 | 55.9 | 45.6 | 59.2 | 49.8 |
Sitka, Alaska | 43.8 | 34.2 | 37.8 | 25.8 | 42.5 | 33.3 |
Spokane Falls, W. T.| 32.6 | 17.5 | 30.2 | 12.7 | 46.4 | 27.8 |
Washington City. | 49.7 | 31.8 | 65.6 | 47.0 | 67.8 | 51.6 |
====================+======+======+======+======+======+======+
====================+=========================================+
| 1884 |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| April. | May. | June. |
STATIONS. +-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Mean. | Mean. | Mean. |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| Max. | Min. | Max. | Min. | Max. | Min. |
--------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
Bismarck, Dak. | 47.6 | 30.2 | 67.1 | 44.1 | 81.2 | 54.8 |
Dayton, W. T. | 43.9 | 29.6 | 59.5 | 40.7 | 73.7 | 51.8 |
Denver, Col. | 58.2 | 39.6 | 71.5 | 50.2 | 81.2 | 61.3 |
Lewiston, Idaho | 66.6 | 42.1 | 79.3 | 48.9 | 80.8 | 57.3 |
New Haven, Conn. | 54.1 | 37.2 | 65.8 | 47.2 | 78.2 | 55.4 |
Norfolk, Virginia. | 61.9 | 47.0 | 76.9 | 58.8 | 81.8 | 64.6 |
Olympia, W. T. | 61.7 | 41.6 | 70.1 | 43.9 | 71.5 | 48.9 |
Portland, Oregon. | 65.1 | 45.3 | 73.6 | 48.7 | 74.9 | 53.7 |
San Diego, Cal. | 64.4 | 51.1 | 67.5 | 56.1 | 72.1 | 58.4 |
Sandusky, Ohio | 52.1 | 39.3 | 68.8 | 51.3 | 77.9 | 62.7 |
San Francisco, Cal. | 61.2 | 50.7 | 65.3 | 53.4 | 65.2 | 55.3 |
Sitka, Alaska | 51.7 | 37.7 | 51.9 | 40.8 | 57.9 | 46.4 |
Spokane Falls, W. T.| 62.2 | 39.0 | 74.5 | 46.0 | 78.7 | 53.9 |
Washington City. | 73.6 | 54.8 | 81.4 | 63.0 | 87.4 | 68.5 |
====================+======+======+======+======+======+======+
TABLE SHOWING THE AVERAGE PRECIPITATION AT STATIONS OF THE SIGNAL
SERVICE,
COMPUTED FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF OBSERVATIONS AT EACH, TO AND INCLUDING
DECEMBER, 1883.
TAKEN FROM THE REPORT OF THE CHIEF SIGNAL OFFICER TO THE WAR DEPARTMENT
FOR 1884.
==========================+================+======+======+======+
STATIONS. | ESTABLISHED. | Jan. | Feb. |March.|
| | | | |
--------------------------+----------------+------+------+------+
Bismarck, Dak. | Sept. 15, 1874 | 0.57 | 0.66 | 1.21 |
Dayton, Wash. Terr. | July 1, 1879 | 4.11 | 3.64 | 2.04 |
Denver, Colorado | Nov. 19, 1871 | 0.69 | 0.43 | 0.86 |
Lewiston, Idaho | July 1, 1879 | 2.45 | 1.53 | 1.16 |
New Haven, Conn. | Dec. 10, 1872 | 4.20 | 4.22 | 5.29 |
Norfolk, Virginia | Jan. 1, 1871 | 3.89 | 3.85 | 4.35 |
Olympia, Wash. Terr. | July 1, 1877 | 9.36 |10.67 | 6.20 |
Portland, Oregon | Nov. 1, 1871 | 7.34 | 8.11 | 7.27 |
San Diego, Cal. | Nov. 1, 1871 | 1.85 | 2.07 | 0.97 |
Sandusky, Ohio | Aug. 2, 1877 | 2.19 | 3.13 | 2.90 |
San Francisco, Cal. | March 8, 1871 | 5.10 | 3.95 | 2.88 |
Sitka, Alaska | March 30, 1881 | 9.44 |11.64 | 9.76 |
Spokane Falls, Wash. Terr.| Feb. 5, 1881 | 3.34 | 3.02 | 0.85 |
Washington City | Nov. 1, 1870 | 3.16 | 2.85 | 4.04 |
==========================+================+======+======+======+
==========================+======+======+======+======+======+
STATIONS. |April.| May. | June.| July.| Aug. |
| | | | | |
--------------------------+----------------+------+------+---+
Bismarck, Dak. | 2.94 | 3.31 | 3.64 | 2.21 | 2.71 |
Dayton, Wash. Terr. | 3.26 | 2.02 | 0.86 | 0.79 | 0.49 |
Denver, Colorado | 1.71 | 3.05 | 1.60 | 1.89 | 1.54 |
Lewiston, Idaho | 1.28 | 1.12 | 0.94 | 0.76 | 0.36 |
New Haven, Conn. | 4.32 | 3.71 | 3.80 | 4.86 | 5.62 |
Norfolk, Virginia | 4.29 | 3.54 | 4.15 | 5.39 | 6.11 |
Olympia, Wash. Terr. | 4.34 | 2.76 | 0.88 | 0.86 | 0.83 |
Portland, Oregon | 3.48 | 2.44 | 1.82 | 0.71 | 0.81 |
San Diego, Cal. | 0.68 | 0.26 | 0.05 | 0.02 | 0.23 |
Sandusky, Ohio | 2.79 | 3.34 | 5.06 | 4.06 | 4.27 |
San Francisco, Cal. | 1.80 | 0.71 | 0.16 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
Sitka, Alaska | 4.40 | 3.23 | 3.13 | 5.82 | 5.82 |
Spokane Falls, Wash. Terr.| 1.99 | 1.38 | 1.00 | 1.04 | 0.25 |
Washington City | 3.07 | 2.98 | 4.23 | 4.08 | 4.97 |
==========================+======+======+======+======+======+
==========================+======+======+======+======+=======+
STATIONS. | Sept.| Oct. | Nov. | Dec. |TOTAL |
| | | | |INCHES.|
--------------------------+------+------+------+------+-------+
Bismarck, Dak. | 1.34 | 1.33 | 0.71 | 0.72 | 21.35 |
Dayton, Wash. Terr. | 0.67 | 2.64 | 2.55 | 4.95 | 28.02 |
Denver, Colorado | 0.96 | 0.79 | 0.74 | 0.71 | 14.97 |
Lewiston, Idaho | 0.52 | 1.93 | 1.66 | 3.40 | 17.11 |
New Haven, Conn. | 4.15 | 3.85 | 4.15 | 3.38 | 51.55 |
Norfolk, Virginia | 5.23 | 3.96 | 3.58 | 3.80 | 52.14 |
Olympia, Wash. Terr. | 2.98 | 5.60 | 8.16 |10.17 | 62.81 |
Portland, Oregon | 1.62 | 4.95 | 7.34 | 8.27 | 54.16 |
San Diego, Cal. | 0.05 | 0.40 | 0.70 | 2.12 | 9.40 |
Sandusky, Ohio | 3.54 | 3.50 | 3.68 | 2.97 | 41.43 |
San Francisco, Cal. | 0.15 | 1.13 | 2.70 | 4.72 | 23.32 |
Sitka, Alaska | 9.97 | 9.33 |11.87 |12.87 | 97.28 |
Spokane Falls, Wash. Terr.| 1.14 | 2.90 | 2.22 | 2.06 | 21.19 |
Washington City | 4.42 | 3.00 | 2.84 | 2.92 | 42.56 |
==========================+======+======+======+======+=======+
_b._ ALLUVIUM. This includes the transported matter of the bottom-lands,
the swales, and the tidal flats. Here we have humus, not only as a
top-dressing, but also intermixed, and sometimes constituting a large
proportion of the soil for a considerable depth. No land could be richer
than this, and its relative proportion to the whole is larger than would
be inferred even from the great number of streams, for it includes the
lowlands about Puget Sound and the lakes. The mountain streams have,
with some exceptions, but little alluvial land. There are areas of
swale, or wet bottom-lands, which may be drained to advantage. The tidal
flats along the Sound are peculiarly fertile, because enriched by both
vegetable and animal matter, including calcareous shells and fish bones.
Owing to this great fertility, and the ease with which large areas are
reclaimed by dykes, their convenience to transportation, and, it may be
added, the labor of clearing the forest lands, the work of dyking these
flats has been commenced, especially in Snohomish and Skagit counties,
and it is thought that two hundred thousand acres may thus be redeemed
from the water. Alluvial lands constitute but a small feature in East
Washington.
_c._ DRIFT. The origin of these gravel soils is given hereafter, under
the head of Geology. They constitute the hill lands, as distinguished
from the bottom lands and Sound flats on the one hand, and the mountain
lands on the other. They are composed of sand, clay, gravel, and some
large boulders. Rarely the gravel predominates so as to render the land
unfit for cultivation. Sometimes there are only clay and sand, and
sometimes chiefly clay. This soil, though not equal to the alluvium, or
to the basaltic land, is much better than glacial precipitate usually
is. It gave all the indications of a fertile soil, resembling the best
hay lands of Massachusetts, which have the same glacial origin. Its
natural growth is luxuriant, and when cleared it inclines to clothe
itself in white clover and the grasses. It is said to be specially
adapted to fruits and vegetables.
_d._ LOAM. I mean by this a clay soil containing fine-grained sand
enough to make it friable. This is the soil made by the slates and
sandstones of the coal measures, and is generally found on the
highlands above the drift. It is a medium land as to quality, but
valuable for the tendency to grass, which characterizes all the lands of
West Washington. Much of it will make good cropping land. There is a
great deal of it. It is found high on the cretaceous hills and
mountains, often extending to the top.
[Sidenote: A remarkable soil.]
_e._ BASALT. This is the magic soil of the Great Plain (or plateau) of
the Columbia. And it is found also in large areas on the Cascade
Mountains. It has an ashy look and texture; sometimes black, but
generally of ashen hue. Rarely it is compact and clayey. There are
perhaps twenty thousand square miles of this basaltic land; enough of
itself to make a medium-sized State. Of course there are inequalities in
the productiveness of this land. The basaltic rock in many places crops
out, as mentioned under the head of Topography, and there are coulées
and galled spots. I cannot say what proportion of the surface is
rendered valueless by these irregularities. The outcropping basalt does
not destroy the value of the land; for the soil spaces between the rocks
may be greater than the rock spaces, and whilst unfit for the plough,
they may be suited to trees, or cattle range. But, judging by all that I
saw and heard, I should think that the smooth land considerably
predominates over the rough. Certainly there is more smooth,
comparatively level, fertile, productive, and easily cultivated land
here in proportion to the whole area than I have ever seen elsewhere.
The great plain of East Colorado is a vast and beautiful stretch of
country, but it is unproductive without irrigation. Taking everything
into consideration, the plateau of East Washington seems to me to be
unequaled in combined extent and productiveness.
This subject of soils will be incidentally continued in connection with
the next two heads.