[Sidenote: Clearing the land.]
[Sidenote: Demand for agricultural products.]
[Sidenote: Large crops.]
[Sidenote: Hop-growing on a large scale.]
After hearing of the forests in West Washington, one cannot be surprised
to learn that the agricultural interest develops slowly in this part of
the Territory. Even after the logger has taken what he wants, there
remains a heavy mass of vegetation which is expensive to clear away. A
thorough clearing, including the removal of stumps, costs $75 to $100
per acre; and yet this is sometimes done for hops, hay and vegetables.
But the common way is to "slash and burn," at an expense of ten to
fifteen dollars an acre. This clears off everything but stumps, and such
trees as may be reserved for the mill or other purposes. There are fine
farms in every direction, but I had no means of ascertaining the
proportion of cleared land, or of the agricultural population. The
natural fertility of the soil, the high prices of produce, and the
rapidly growing demand, both foreign and local, will tempt to a wasteful
destruction of timber in order to prepare the ground for crops. There
need be no doubt as to the extraordinary productiveness of the soils,
even beyond that of the same quality of lands elsewhere; because the
climatic conditions are extra favorable for the growth of all crops
suited to the country. There are some crops, such as corn, lima beans
and sweet potatoes, which are contra-indicated. The cool summer nights
check the maturing of these. Wheat, also, is not suited, though produced
to some extent. But for almost everything else the conditions favor
extra production. The conditions could scarcely be better for grass and
hay. The scantiness of the summer rains is more than compensated for by
the long growing seasons in fall and spring. No soil and climate could
be better for oats and potatoes. The reported yield of these three
staples would be called fabulous if not established by good testimony.
Three tons of hay, 100 bushels of oats, and 600 bushels of potatoes per
acre are above the average, but by no means reach the maximum on the
best lands. Most fruits do well. In the production of hops West
Washington has become celebrated as to quality and yield per acre.
This is probably the largest of the agricultural interests in this part
of the Territory, and was at one time enormously profitable. Present
prices are thought to leave some margin, but not much.
[Illustration: INDIANS GATHERING HOPS, WASHINGTON TERRITORY, ON LINE
OF SEATTLE, LAKE SHORE AND EASTERN RAILWAY.]
[Sidenote: The changed agricultural conditions of East Washington.]
[Sidenote: Irrigation in the Yakima Valley.]
As heretofore remarked, the agricultural conditions change suddenly on
crossing the Cascade Mountains to the eastward; and this change begins
at the crest line, and is more marked on the mountain side and near its
base than anywhere else. The winters are longer and more severe, and the
summers drier and hotter. There is natural pasturage similar to that of
the plateau country, coming up to the timber line, the lower edge of
which is high on the mountain. Much of this mountain land, though
covered scantily with sage brush and bunch grass, is really fertile,
and, besides supporting cattle, can be made to bring fair crops of wheat
and other things; but the rainfall is so insufficient that irrigation is
necessary for the development of any large agricultural interest.
Fortunately, in the large basin of the Yakima, irrigating streams are
abundant, and its enterprising people are availing themselves of this
happy resource. By reference to a good map it will be seen that the
Yakima River is made up of an unusual number of streams. A group of
these come together near Ellensburg, and another group near the town of
North Yakima; and there are said to be large bodies of land susceptible
of irrigation by these streams. The Ellensburg valley is thirty miles
long, and about ten miles wide; and is the best agricultural section in
Kittitas County. It is claimed that forty bushels of wheat to the acre
can be produced here without irrigation; and that 1,000,000 bushels of
wheat were actually produced in this basin in 1887. Hay, hops,
vegetables, berries and fruits also do well naturally, but with
irrigation the product is uniformly large. There are four irrigating
canals in the valley. The Teanaway Ditch Company has one fifty miles
long which can water 75,000 acres of land. The Ellensburg Ditch Company
has a ditch ten miles long, covering 10,000 acres. Mr. Bull has one six
miles long, and the owners of the new roller mill have two and a half
miles of ditch.
Next below Kittitas is Yakima County, which contains a number of fertile
valleys, and also good uplands, and is well supplied with irrigating
streams, which have already been brought into use. Two large ditches are
drawn from the Natchess River. Ditches are also taken from the Ahtanum,
which is the principal hop-raising section. A plateau, three by ten
miles, between the Cowiche and Natchess, will all be irrigated. The
Moxee Valley is largely owned by Eastern and other capitalists, who seem
to be expending much money in the improvement of the country. This
company has fourteen miles of ditch.
[Sidenote: Varied crops.]
By the help of these ditches the people of Yakima Valley are producing
corn, which under the hot sun of the locality perfects its product.
Tobacco has been tried also with fair results. And the Moxee County will
try the dairy business. There is a disposition also to try improved
breeds of cattle. The spirit of enterprise has resulted largely from the
passage of the Northern Pacific Railroad along the Yakima Valley; but at
the same time the greatest obstacle in the way of irrigation lies in the
ownership of alternate sections by this railroad. The Yakima Indians
have good lands, and Klickatat County is well spoken of. Sweet potatoes,
tomatoes, peaches, grapes, and other things requiring much heat, are
said to thrive in the lower parts of the Yakima Valley.
[Sidenote: The Great Plain.]
[Sidenote: Boundaries.]
We enter now the last grand division of the country, the Great Plain,
or, more strictly, plateau of the Columbia River. In spite of its
unpromising aspect, this is the chief agricultural region of the Pacific
States. To get the exact boundary, find the point (a little below
Wallula Junction) where Washington and Oregon both corner on the
Columbia River. From this point, follow the Columbia up to the mouth of
Spokane River; follow Spokane River up to the Idaho line; follow the
Idaho line south to the Oregon line; follow the Oregon line due-west to
the beginning, and within these lines lies the region which is destined
to be the granary of the Pacific States.
[Sidenote: Early history.]
The settlement of this plain began near Walla Walla, where a Christian
mission was established by Whitman, the hero and martyr, who saved this
country to the United States. Hence the most thickly populated part of
the plain is between the Oregon line and Snake River. This region was
supplied with transportation by the Oregon Railway and Navigation
Company. The largest agricultural production is here.
[Sidenote: Area and population.]
Immigration next moved north of Snake River into the valley of the
Palouse River, and here we have the next largest area of production.
When the Northern Pacific Railroad came in from the east, the new-comers
entered the Great Bend country, which is the northern half of the
plain. The chief settlement here is in Spokane and Lincoln counties,
which cover nearly half of the Great Bend. Douglas County covers the
remainder, and is beginning to be settled. There are ten counties on the
plateau, with an aggregate area of 20,000 square miles and a population
of 52,000. Of this population, 20,000 is south of the Snake River,
14,000 north of Snake River, and 18,000 in the Great Bend, including
Spokane Falls.
[Sidenote: Amazing wheat crops: surpassing all other States.]
The great staple of this country is wheat, though almost every crop is
grown, and most of them with remarkable results. Corn is grown only
south of Snake River, where it yields thirty bushels to the acre. The
average yield of wheat year by year for the entire Territory is put by
Governor Squire at twenty-five bushels, and no one who knows the country
can regard this otherwise than as a moderate estimate. This average
places Washington Territory beyond comparison first among the States of
America, and, so far as I can learn, second only to England among other
nations. England, by the highest manuring, has brought her wheat product
up to thirty bushels, which is double the average of former years. By
the census of 1880, Washington Territory, as a whole, leads all the
other States. The following tables give the average of ten of the chief
wheat-producing States: