THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



279 



THE STATE OF WASHINGTON. 



A Glance at the Resources, Commerce, Productions, Con- 

 ditions of the Soil and Climate of 

 the West Side. 



The state of Washington is one of the most pro- 

 gressive and prosperous in the Union, to which it was 

 admitted in 1889. By the census of 1900 its popula- 

 tion was 518,103. The State Bureau of Statistics an- 

 nounced the number at 874,310 at the close of 1905, an 

 increase in five years of 356,207. This growth is more 



mountains into east and west sides, the former being 

 somewhat the larger. The west side is the rainy or 

 wet region, not because the precipitation is uniformly 

 excessive. For, in the locality of Everett, on Puget 

 Sound, the average annual total is only a little more 

 than thirty inches and about five inches more at Seattle. 



While the mean rainfall along Puget Sound will 

 but little exceed that of Des Moines or Chicago, it is 

 drizzled over a larger number of days. These frequent 

 rains and many cloudy days continue from about Octo- 

 ber to Jnne; July, August and part of September are 

 generally clear and dry. 



People get used to this wet weather and business, 



Hon. Fred J. Kiesel, of Ogden, Utah. Mr. Kiesel is, more than any other man, responsible for the great successes of the 

 last four congresses, held respectively at Ogden, El Paso, Portland and Boise. He is a man of extraordinary ability, 

 and it was through his personal efforts that the Irrigation Congress was made a permanent institution. He was 

 chairman of the executive committee of the thirteenth congress. 



than the total census of Vermont and not far below that 

 of New Hampshire. It was an annual average expan- 

 sion of 71,241. And it will be found that in the pros- 

 perous year of 1906 this fortunate state added to its 

 inhabitants not far from 100,000, now has 975,000 and 

 when the national census of 1910 is completed will 

 have 1,200,000 within its borders, and will take rank 

 close to Nebraska and West Virginia. 



Of course, there must be good reasons why people 

 flock to Washington. Barren, unattractive states do not 

 increase their census figures by more than 100 per cent 

 in ten years. Only the best can do that. 



Washington is divided by the Cascade Range of 



schools, church and social affairs proceed just as if the 

 showers were not present. And they will tell you that 

 the rainy weather is the more healthful the worst 

 weather is the best ! And this is true, odd as it seems. 



Along the coast and at certain places near the 

 mountains the rainfall is far greater than near the 

 sound, amounting to more than 100 inches a year at one 

 or two points. The areas of this great< precipitation are 

 covered with splendid forests of pine, hemlock and other 

 trees. 



There are six principal occupations in western 

 Washington, namely, lumber business, sea commerce, 

 manufacturing and wholesaling, mining, fishing and 



