THE IRRIGATION AGE. 303 



containing over 100 and less than 500 acres. The farms of 1,000 acres or 

 more numbered 308 and those rented for cash were 541. In round num- 

 bers, the valuations were: For land and improvements, 84 million dollars; 

 for implements and machinery, 3 millions; for livestock, 14 millions; 

 and farm products for the year, 14 millions. The acreage planted to 

 various crops was distributed as follows: Barley, 51,551 acres; corn, 

 9,583 acres; oats 65,089 acres; rye, 1,763 acres, and wheat, the chief 

 crop, 372,658 acres. The productions in the census year of other crops 

 were: Potatoes, 1,445,018 bushels; sweet potatoes, 2,535 bushels; ap- 

 ples, 295,196 bushels; apricots, 3,856 bushele; cherries, 11,692 bushels; 

 peaches, 63,497 bushels; pears, 26,868 bushels, and plums and prunes, 

 66, 909 bushels. 



The cost of clearing land and preparing for irrigation in eastern 

 Washington is estimated at from $5 to $10 an acre, the price depending 

 much on location and whether the tract be on the benches or bottom 

 lands. In the western part of the state the dense timber and brush of 

 vine maple and other growths, due to abundant moisture, require consid- 

 erable time in clearing and burning, but it is customary to raise about 

 two crops before the fields are plowed. The soil is generally a sort of 

 decomposed lava, very deep and fertile and produces most wonderfully 

 of root crops. One man up in the Puget Sound country says: "Car- 

 rots completely fill the soil, parsnips grow to great depth, three feet 

 being no unusal length, turnips soon become too large for table use, and 

 sometimes attain a circumference of three feet and weigh from 19 to 25 

 pounds." This may sound unreasonable, but the statement is true and 

 applies with equal force to the growth of onions, cabbages, cauliflowers, 

 celery, tomatoes and other vegetables, in the river bottoms of almost ev- 

 ery section. 



No correct estimates as to cost of irrigation canals and annual main- 

 tenance fees can be given, on account of the various sources of supply 

 and general mutual or co-operative ditch system. Some farmers reckon 

 their actual ditch cost at $2 to $5 an acre, others give as high as $15 as 

 the first cost, with annual expense for repairs of from ten cents to two 

 dollars an acre. As a general rule the neighborhood ditches cost the 

 users about 50 cents an acre yearly but this has exceptions of less and 

 more expense. The prices of land under cultivation vary from $10 to 

 $50 an acre according to location and improvements. About one half 

 of the state remains open for settlement, and land can be entered under 

 all the laws of the general government or purchased from railroad com- 

 panies at very reasonable figures. There are but few original home- 

 steads offered for sale, except possibly some portions, to reduce the land 

 holdings to more reasonable proportions. A prominent farmer at Ellens- 

 burgh expresses the usual sentiment when he says: "I am perfectly sat- 

 isfied and will live and die here." 



Stockraising is an important auxiliary to irrigation and a most val- 

 uable farm assistant in Washington. The mountain slopes are covered 



