Fruit CtiUurc in Washington Territory. 229 



the thickly-settled islands of the Pacific, or the coast of China and 

 Japan. 



But after giving this part of the territory credit for all these great 

 advantages, I must call your mind to the garden of the territory, east 

 of the Cascade Mountains. You can hardly imagine the immense 

 change of climate and general characteristics of the country as you pass 

 this range of mountains. There on the west is all timber and bays ; 

 here on the east is all prairie valleys and grassy plains, w^ith only suffi- 

 cient timber to supply the wants of the people. They raise all the fine 

 varieties of the apple, pear, plum, and cherry. Here we raise all 

 these to equal perfection, and in addition produce the finest peaches, 

 grapes, and all this class of fruit. 



The very choicest of European grapes ripen in the greatest perfec- 

 tion, without special care or protection in winter, and are entirely free 

 from mildew and every form of disease. The American grapes of 

 course succeed equally well, but in comparison with the European 

 grapes are very inferior fruit. But finer Concord, Delaware, Catawba, 

 Isabella, and some twenty other varieties, were never seen than we pro- 

 duce here at Walla Walla. 



Our grapes ripen from the 25th of July to the ist of November; 

 Early York peaches, 20th of July, and others in their usual order of 

 earliness ; strawberries, 20th of May; cherries, ist of June; apples, 

 Red Astrachan, 5th to the loth of July. Our winter apples are always in 

 the market until the following summer apples fully drive them out. 

 Some apples and pears sent by me some two years ago to Boston, Chi- 

 cago, and other eastern cities, received the highest compliments of the 

 press. Vast quantities of excellent land may be found here, subject to 

 preemption and homestead location, with the North Pacific Railroad 

 running east and west through the entire territory, already under pro- 

 cess of construction, will be ready to carry our fruit to distant markets 

 as soon as we are ready to furnish a surplus. 



The universal health of this coast is so well understood as hardly to 

 need a notice. The great want of the territory is a population to de- 

 velop these vast resources. 



