ft 
runs from there to Steilacoom, and one which 
connects with the railroad, which is within 
fifteen miles of Olympia ; thus enabling trav¬ 
elers to go nearly the entire distance from 
Olympia to Oregon on the cars, that take 
the place of the Btage, which, sir months ago, 
was the sole means of traveling that route by 
land. Business is not very brisk there ; there¬ 
fore, the town is quieter in some degree. 
Oiyinpia is low and level, with mud flats ex¬ 
tending far out into the water, which is shal¬ 
low, thus preventing the extensive run of 
steamers which would otherwise prevail. 
Olympia publishes five large newspapers 
(Seattle publishes two), and there is a chance 
that the terminus of the North Pacific Rail¬ 
road will locate there. 
PORT TOWNSEND 
is a very pretty place ; in fact, many call it 
the prettiest town on the Sound, The busi¬ 
ness part of the town is built on the beach, 
which is separated from the beautiful, green 
prairie, on which the greater part of the 
town is built, by a steep bluff, the average 
Light of which is about eighty feet, which 
pedestrians descend by means of several 
(lights of steps, in order to go “ down-town.” 
The scenery is very beautiful, as the locality 
affords a deUgtful view of the Sound for sev¬ 
eral miles In every direction, the town being 
built on a peninsula, thus affording a com¬ 
manding view of several ranges of mountains 
covered with eternal snow, among which are 
the peaks of Mount 1 turner, and Baker, a vol¬ 
cano. Some of these mountains can be seen 
from any of the places on the Sound, differ¬ 
ent ones in different localities. 
CLAQUATO, 
on tiie old stage route from Olympia to Or¬ 
egon, about thirty-live miles from the former 
place, is a small town which was laid out for 
a railroad town, and waited several yearn ; 
and when, dually, it came, it left Claquato 
out in the cold, as the ears run about three 
miles distant. The prairie is about a quarter 
of a mile wide, and a half mile long, hemmed 
in by the forest, which, however, is dotted 
with prairies for miles around. The Chehalis 
River, ft crooked, narrow, rapid stream, wa¬ 
ters the surrounding country. The country 
between Claquato and Olympia consists of 
several large prairies, kuown as Mound, Bush, 
and Chamber's prairies, separated by inter¬ 
vening woods and groves. Society is very 
much advanced, considering the limited priv¬ 
ileges which that part of the country affords. 
The land surrounding the towns named is 
occupied by extensive farms, which bounti¬ 
fully supply the city markets with butter, 
cheese, vegetables, fruits, and meats of all 
kinds. After the hard work of clearing is 
accomplished, It only remains to the farmer 
to plow and plant, and the soil yields forth 
her fruits abundantly, causing her husband¬ 
men to rejoice. The owners of these farms 
are, for the most part, respectable people, 
many of them being wealthy and well-edu¬ 
cated. The country is abundantly watered 
hy numerous springs, lakes and rivers. The 
climate is the most delightful in the world, 
being warm and pleasant nearly all the year, 
there being but little cold weather, and that 
so moderate that none can complain of very 
severe cold. With a few exceptions, the 
nights are equally cool the year round, pro¬ 
ducing summer frosts, which prevent the ex¬ 
tensive production of grapes, peaches, toma¬ 
toes, coni and rye. With the exception of 
these, all other New England fruits and veg¬ 
etables flourish in great abundance. Young 
apple trees, scarcely more than six feet in 
hight, can lie seen in the summer, loaded 
down with the bright, tempting fruit, their 
branches all propped up, to prevent them 
from breaking off. Great attention is paid 
to stock raising all over the country, particu¬ 
larly on the cast side of the Cascade Moun¬ 
tains. The inhabitants consist of people from 
all parts of the world—Chinese, English, 
Irish, Scotch, French, Gentians, Americans, 
and not a few of the Aborigines, who trav¬ 
erse the streets of our towns, presenting 
themselves at our door* with Hah, berries, 
oysters, pitch wood, and other things too nu¬ 
merous to mention. As nearly evert' one ac¬ 
quires a knowledge of the Chinook language, 
the people are thereby enabled to trade with 
them. Society, so far as I have visited, espe¬ 
cially in the towns, will compare favorably 
with that in the East. In the matter of dress, 
the ladies are as stylish here as in the East¬ 
ern cities. The country is constantly im¬ 
proving, and will, in time, become a" well- 
known and popular country; people will 
flock hither in great numbers ; the vast for- 
FIELD NOTES 
Hop Hoots in Wisconsin. —The Kilbourn 
City, Wis., Mirror, April 17, says :—We are 
gratified to be able to state that the damage 
to the Hop roots is not so serious as at first 
reported, many yards being in much better 
condition than expected by their owners. 
We take much pleasure in making this state¬ 
ment, because the report has been circulated 
far and wide that our Hop yards were ac¬ 
tually destroyed. Estimates have been made 
of the prospects of the coming crops and we 
can safely say that without any blight or 
other injury, our anticipated crop will nearly 
or quite equal that of the past year. There 
have been many new yards set out, and old 
ones abandoned ; and if nothing happens to 
prevent, Wisconsin will come into market 
with a good crop, and of her usual good 
quality. 
A Fibrous Plant .— Mi’s. A. H. Waite: 
There are many native plants haring a bark 
of a strong, fibrous nature. The common In¬ 
dian hemp {Apocyrum cunnabinum) is prob¬ 
ably the specie* from which yon obtained 
the specimen sent to us. Nearly' all the spe¬ 
cies of Hibiscus, known among country peo¬ 
ple as Marsh Mallows, also the Milkweed, 
(A sclipias ,) have more or less of tough fibrous 
materials in their stems. The euse with 
which flax and hemp si grown is probably 
the only reason why the common wild weeds 
have not been utilized. 
Potatoes in Drills or Hills. —In answer to 
the correspondent of the Rural, May 3d, 
whether potatoes should be planted in hills 
or drills, I may say that my experience for 
several years leads me to believe that pota¬ 
toes planted in hills, three feet apart, will 
produce one-fourth more than in drills. I 
have been experimenting both ways, drills 
about eighteen inches apart averaging about 
100 bushels to the acre; in hills they grow 
much larger aud finer and are much easier 
cultivated, averaging a peck to the hill. — a. 
DISCONTENTED FARMERS 
BERMUDA GRASS, 
Daily complaints, apparently of a serious 
nature, are beiDg made throughout the East 
and West by farmers in regal’d to hard times, 
and low prices for farm produce. I have no 
doubt, and know that a certain proportion of 
farmers at the West in particular, are jn a 
condition which is far from being lucrative 
at this time ; but I will ask why l In the 
first place there are a curtain class of farmers 
who are always complaining of hard times, 
and you cannot satisfy them without their 
goods bring the highest prices, and what they' 
have to buy ; they can buy very cheap. Such 
people are always on the wing, not satisfied 
in any place, nor with the receipts at the end 
of the year. Such men are not congenial 
with continued labor, and so are ever waiting 
for something to turn up. 
Looking at this matter from my own 
standpoint, I think it all folly to be com¬ 
plaining about hard times, as that will not 
certainly do any good, but positive injury. 
What If every man complained ! See what 
the effect would be. My motto is, and al¬ 
ways was, to put the bright side out; and 
when money is close and times hard, I work 
and economize the more—not let an hour 
pass, but plan to make both ends meet; and 
if it needs a little more work, you will be re¬ 
paid in looking back to see how nicely you 
kept your standing. 
I am somewhat posted in farming in the 
West as well os here. 1 have made a busi¬ 
ness of farming in Iowa for the last six years, 
at the same time farmed it in this State, and 
I have means of judging by producible ex¬ 
perience, whether fanning pays or not; and 
I know exactly, to a dime, at the end of each 
year. I know that it pays well, and better 
thau any mercantile trade, either here or at 
the West, having been in trade, Belling goods 
for fifteen years previous to six years ago, I 
have a good knowledge of this business. 
While in the mercantile trade 1 did well, as 
I always said to my customers, trade is good, 
and I am making money ; in this way i kept 
my customers. Now if 1 had continually 
said to them, “Times are getting hard, and 
money scarce,” why the ailment would have 
become contagious, aud my trade fallen off 
one-half. 
Now, farmers, do not complain so much, 
but keep a stiff upper lip, aud put your shoul¬ 
ders to the wheel a little harder, and say to 
every one “I am all right;” do not shift 
fanning for trade, for it is the most healthful 
and independent of all pursuits, and the time 
is certainly near when fanners will reap a 
better reward for their labors than at the 
present time. 1 am certain of it, and I, for 
one, shall keep still and persevere, with a little 
more energy than heretofore, avoiding in 
every way indebtedness to merchants ; for 
the trader will always want Ills pay when 
you have the least funds. 
I say again, make a sound resolution to 
make less debts, work more hours, farm bet¬ 
ter on the soil, keep a better stock of cattle and 
pigs, look to everything better around the 
buddings, stay at home more evenings read¬ 
ing the Rural New-Yorker, and say less 
about hard times, and I will guarantee in less 
than two years, you will say, “I am all right 
and times are good and farming pays.” 
To illustrate :—Five years ago 1 bought 130 
acres land in Iowa, on the Chicago and North 
Western R. R.,and at that time but few 
small houses had been built, with a postottice 
included. I found, after buying, that 1 had 
paid dear for my lands, and many business 
men told me there could never be any town 
at this point. But then, as now, I could not 
believe but what I could make it something ; 
consequently 1 began to talk good things, 
and survey out building lots and make my¬ 
self useful in every way, encouraging settlers 
to stop there on my lots ; also to take forms 
near. Very shortly buildings began to go up, 
and people began to come in from all points 
taking up lots, assisting them inyself, with a 
little funds on long time, to start with. All 
this while I talked good times to all, and in 
less than one year, times were good and the 
town has progressed without cessation up ta 
the present time ; now the place is of some 
note— 45 business houses, 3 elevators, 1 steam 
flouring mill, 1 marble mill, 4 lime kilns, 
churches, schools, and a fine town, with the 
Buri ounding country settled up by first-class 
farmers—all done in five years by preaching 
good things. w, B. u. 
Locust Grove Farm, Saratoga Springs, N. Y. 
A correspondent of the Rural Sun, who 
recommends tills grass for checking the wash 
of hill-sides sa} h in reference to the objec¬ 
tions to itNow, killing Bermuda gross is a 
much simpler thing than ridding a place of 
crab grass, True, the latter is only an annual; 
but it lias a profusion of seed, whilst the 
former has none at all outside the tropics. 
An abortive attempt at flowering is some¬ 
times mistaken for seeds, by shallow observ¬ 
ers. To kill the Bermuda, check the land 
both ways with a sharp colter, and then turn 
it up with a good steel plow, to a hot sum- 
mei J * sun. Repeat the plowiug after the 
first rain ; and next year plant in a hoed 
crop, when but little of it will be seen, and 
this will be the last of it. A speedier plan is 
to follow the plow with a rotary wheel¬ 
toothed harrow. This implement beats the 
dirt out of the sod and loaves it clean, high 
and dry. If a rain Is feared, a man can 
gather up, cast off and pitch into the washes, 
five acres of it in a day. 
As a pasture, Bermuda is everlasting and 
invaluable. It is the doub-grass of the Hin¬ 
doos—supports their cattle, and is regarded 
by them as almost sacred. It was brought 
from Bombay to the Bermuda islands, to 
check the attrition of the waters on those 
mountain tops, rising out of the sea From 
thence it was introduced into South Carolina, 
whence it became known as the Bermuda ; 
but its proper name is the doutegrass. It 
will not do much in Middle Tennessee in the 
way of a meadow, but in Middle Mississippi, 
Mr. Afflect tells us it furnished him, in three 
mowings, as much as eight tous a year per 
acre, of tlie very best of dried hay. He says it 
loses only fifty per cent, of its weight, hence 
would be invaluable as a market hay. My 
stock are extremely fond of it green ; but it 
does not grow tall enough with me for 
mowing. 
CAMPBELL’S LATE ROSE IN MINNESOTA 
WASHINGTON TERRITORY 
As there have been several articles in the 
Rural New-Yorker, for and against Cami>- 
bell’s Late Rose, I thought that I would give 
my experience with them. Ordered one 
pound from headquarter*; received about 
three fourths of a pound, planted single eyes, 
in fair clayey loam soil ; the result was a very 
poor, late potato—later than the Peach Blow 
—haulma of rankest growth, measuring over 
five feet in length, and remaining green aud 
growing when frost killed them in Novem¬ 
ber. What was singular, they blossomed 
several times duriug the season ; when one 
set of fiowcm fell off, the haulms would throw 
out new branches and blossom again. The 
potato is too red to sell hero, on the upper 
Mississippi; besides they are all more or less 
streaked with red throughout their flesh ; a 
great many small ones in proportion to the 
large ones. Quality quite poor, in fact about 
the poorest potato in most respects that 1 
have e v er tried, and I generally test most of 
the new kinds. 
Campbell's Sixt y Days Sugar Cora I find 
to be a very good kind, but somewhat later 
thau his time. 
The potato that has the most good points 
with me is the Peerless. It is a very hand¬ 
some potato, quality first-rate, and enor¬ 
mously productive. Raised three hundred 
bushels on three-fourths of an aci’e last sea¬ 
son. F. J. Schmaurs. 
Read’s Landing, Minn. 
People, “back East,” seem to entertain 
the idea that our country is nothing but a 
vast, howling wilderness, with a rude hut 
here and there, inhabited by Indians and 
rough pioneers ; a town here aud there, con¬ 
taining a saw-mill, a store or two, several 
whisky shops, a few “ roughs ” and families; 
the only means of traveling being in rough 
stages, small boats and canoes ; also that we 
are entirely destitute of such luxuries as are 
enjoyed “in the States.” 
But let them step upon our rolling prairies, 
look at the lofty summits of our llocky 
Mountains, and take a peep at our “ Wilder¬ 
ness,” They will see the beautiful, winding 
waters of Puget Sound (breaking the monot¬ 
ony of the forest.) covered with steamers and 
shipping from all parts of the world, laden 
with all kinds of merchandise of the choicest 
quality, which, in exchange, carry away 
lumber, coal, etc. They will also see the 
busy towns teeming with life and business, 
the principal ones containing many hand¬ 
somely-built private residences, some of 
which arc both tastefully and elegantly fur¬ 
nished structures, expensively built, and 
grounds handsomely laid out in w alks and 
flower gardens ; ill fact, presenting many of 
the characteristics of New England towns. 
SEATTLE, 
the largest place on the Sound, is built on the 
side of a steep hill, extending about a half 
mile up from, aud its length, ubout a mile 
along, the water’s edge. Its population, 
which is five times greater than it was about 
five years ago, is, at the present time, 2,(NX). 
The business part of the town is built on a 
flat, a few acres in extent, at the water’s 
edge, while most of the private residences 
are on the hill-side. The city presents a de¬ 
lightful and city-like appearance. The safe 
and commodious harbor is alive with ship¬ 
ping of all kinds, and is the heudquartere of 
several lines of steamers which ply these wa¬ 
ters. The town has a promising future be¬ 
fore it, and is now, and ever will he, the me¬ 
tropolis, as it is the distributing point and 
the commercial emporium of the Sound. 
There are also vast coal mines in the vicin¬ 
ity, from which the coal is carried in steam¬ 
ers across two lakes (Washington and Union 
lakes, the former a very large one), connected 
by horse-care, and from the lake to the Seat¬ 
tle coal wharf, in steam-care constructed 
for that purpose. 
OLYMPIA, 
the Capital, the second town in size, is situ¬ 
ated at the head of the Sound ; a daily stage 
KEEPING QUALITY OF POTATOES 
Dr. F. M. Hexamkr, New-Castle, N. Y., 
sends the New York Tribune the following 
statement: — “I have to-day. the 14th of 
April, assorted several of the different vari¬ 
eties of potatoes grown in my experimental 
field, in a naturally heavy soil, but now un¬ 
derdrained, plowed twelve inches deep, aud 
in good condition for nursery purposes. The 
potatoes had been kept unassorted, as they 
were dug, in open barrels, in a dry, dark, 
frost-proof cellar, in a temperature of from 
34 to 40 degrees Fah.: 
.No. rotten potatoes. 
1 barrel Early Vermont contained.6 
1 " Excelsior “ .5 
1 *‘ Early Rose “ . X peck. 
1 “ Lapstone Kidney “ . K peck. 
1 ** W.-K. Ueachblow “ .1 peck. 
1 “ King of the Earlies “ .1 pock. 
1 *• Burly Goodrich “ .IX peck. 
1 “ reueliblow “ .I R peck. 
1 * Late Rose “ . bush. 
1 ** Dykomiin “ . >< bush. 
1 ’* Peerless “ . ^ bush. 
1 *’ Campbell's Late Rose corn'd., s bush. 
We have other articles for this Depart¬ 
ment, which shall appear. We are glad to 
receive the opinions of our readers, although 
we may not find space for them. 
Ashes for Cotton. — Dr. Daniel Lee, tells 
the fanners of Georgia that ashes, if of good 
quality, are worth a dollar per bushel to 
make cotton with. 
1 
