765 
4884 
THE BUBAL WEW-YOBKEB. 
helpless is its condition. It sends dowu a few 
roots and produces a leaf or so above ground, 
which often becomes a pray to the fly. 
Hasten the growth by giving it plenty of food. 
W riteks in the London Agricultural Ga¬ 
zette say that great care should be used in 
feeding wheat to live stock. It should be 
coarsely ground and mixed with chaff. 
TRANSCONTINENTAL LETTERS. 
XV. 
MARY WaGER-FISHER. 
The day was beautifully clear when we 
boarded one of the Sound steamers plyiug be¬ 
tween Tacoma and Seattle, for the latter city. 
Tacoma, by the way, consists of the old and 
new towns, about one mile apart, but which 
will eventually be merged in one.) There are 
a number of these steamers whose trips are 
confined to two or throe ports, while there are 
others that steam all about the Sound, and 
still others that go to Portland, to Alaska and 
of her coast ports, aside from the great steam¬ 
ships that ply between the Sound and San 
Francisco. Then there are the lumber vessels 
and ships that carry coal, barks, tugs, yachts, 
and a multitude of smaller crafts, as fishing 
smacks, sail and row hoat-s, so that, the Sound 
is. all in all, quite a lively body of water. 
The water is very clear, and the sight of jelly 
or star fish soon ceases to be a novelty. One 
of these steamers that plies about to various 
ports and carries the U. S. mails, is called 
the “Evangel,” and has for its master. Captain 
Beecher, a son of Henry Ward Beecher. He 
is a rosy, dark whiskered, rather good-looking 
man, and at a casual glance, in no way recalls 
his illustrious father. When I saw him he 
had bis lips puckered around u cigar, and if a 
nmu ever looks like a uobody and a loafer, it 
is wheu he allow's himself to lie seeu lu public 
with a roll of tobacco leaves in his mouth. 
The captain Is spoken of us a kindly and genial 
man, but with uone of the Beecher genius. 
The occupation of tourists on the Sound 
steamers is supposed to be in admiring the 
scenery, and there Is much to admire. One 
gentleman, before the boat left her moorings, 
busied himself in sketching Ruiuivr, and his 
little sketch-book contained various clever 
sketches, notably of Mt. Hood from several 
points. He proved to bo a Methodist clergy¬ 
man going to a conference at Seattle; his home 
was at Vancouver on the Columbia River. A 
Methodist Bishop was also on board, a queer 
genius, wbo can be either profoundly silly or 
greatly eloquent. Another man, with a 
weather-bcateu face,and an honest, hard-fisted 
appearance, interested me, and after some 
conversation about the country,which lie had 
inhabited for twenty years, 1 was reminded 
that women vote in Washington Territory, 
and I asked him about it. “Oh, it operates 
all light,” he said, lifting bis hat and brush¬ 
ing his hair back from bis forehead. “And 
the women do vote as a rule!’ 1 “Yes.” “And 
does it create family dissensions? Do the wives 
all vote os their husbands do?” “Well, I 
haven't heard of women’s voting breaking up 
any family,” he laughed, “and the women 
don’t vote as their husbands vote, any more 
than the husbands vote as their wives do. 
There are five voters in my family, male and 
female, and when voting day carno we fixed 
up a ticket between us, and we all voted it. 
We didn’t feel alike about the candidates, but 
we made concessions, for we wanted our votes 
to count.” Naturally, I have made various 
inquiries about “female suffrage” here from 
both women aud men, and without exception 
the answer has been unequivocally in favor of 
it; but of this, more anon. 
As the steamer neared Seattle, Rainier was 
seen from a new point, with a spur at the side, 
while the Olympic Mountains came woudrous- 
ly into view in the west. Tbe city is built 
arouud a curve in the bay, and it is only when 
one is well into port that the whole of it comes 
iuto view. Its location is compared to those 
of various places, the most notable being that 
of Naples, Italy, and it is not unlike that, al¬ 
though as I recall Naples, the water and moun¬ 
tain scenery is finer here. With the exception 
of that part following the long water front, 
with its vast warehouses and wharfage, the 
city rises from the water on ascending slope, 
and terraces, and in location and natural ad¬ 
vantages, including its outlook lu every diiec 
tion, it has a great deal of which it may right¬ 
ly enough boast and be proud. From 
time immemorial, the Indians congregated 
here, aud the city takes its name from an 
Indian chief, and is pronounced “See-attle ” 
It has a number of handsome business blocks, 
several fine residences set in well kept grounds; 
and several dwellings in process of erection 
are very spacious, stately and magnificently 
located. There is evidently much wealth here 
and a great deal of pluck and enterprise, al¬ 
though business is dull, as everywhere, and 
the bottom has, iu large part, fallen out of the 
“boom,” that reigned here two years ago, 
wheu if real estate owners had been wise, the 
city would to-day undoubtedly have had u 
population of twenty thousand. People then 
came here in such numbers that it was with 
difficulty that, shelter could bo found for them, 
and tliev camped on the hills and bluffs. But 
that is all changed now. Lots and rents are 
lower, although the city, like all new Western 
towns, has its full share of what tbe people 
call “land sharks”—real estate agents—whom 
they would be glad to see pitched into the sea. 
The town is crude and iu every way unfin¬ 
ished, with nearly everything in the way of 
good streets and side-walks to he built,although 
something has already been done in these re¬ 
spects, some $250,000 having been expended 
last year. The lots are 60x120 feet, and all 
through the city there are small orchards of 
of harbors, and in faucy, the United States 
Government has already built a navy yard on 
Lake Washington. A superb drive has been 
made from the city to Luke Washington, and 
much of the land around both those lakes has 
been laid out iu lots, and on many of them 
“suburban” homes have already been built. 
We walked to Lake Union the other day, and 
rowed from one end of the lake to the other, 
finding the sloping hills which inclose it, very 
beautiful except in places where tbe trees 
have been felled and burned in order to 
clear off the land, ns though anybody would 
want to buy a lot robbed of all Its beauty. 
The lieautiful Madrona tree grows here as 
finely as in California, aud English Ivy as 
luxuriantly as in England, and moss grows on 
the trunks and limbs of trees in the dense 
forests in a very picturesque and curious way, 
A tree which attains to a very considerable 
size, and is used largely for lumber, is called 
Cedar, and its foliage is like that of the Arbor- 
WHITE PRIZE POTATO. (From Nature.) Fig. 470. (Bee page 761.) 
fruit trees, in which the apple, pear und plum 
trees are loaded with fruit to an excess that is 
marvelous to see. These trees come into bear¬ 
ing very early, at four or five years of ugc> 
and sooner maybe, and the fruit, particularly 
the plums—ripe as 1 write—are enormous. 1 
picked one from a dish-full of others of like 
size on the hotel table and measured it, find¬ 
ing the exact measure to be in circumference, 
seven inches the long way, ami six-and-a-hull’ 
around tbe middle, and there were probably 
three-score plums on the various tables, fully 
as large. When I ate it 1 found it delicious. 
Hotel fare is most excellent, with admirable 
service—colored men—and the head cook is a 
Chinaman, who was taken by tbe wife of one 
of the proprietors at the ago of fourteen, aud 
carefully trained to cook and bake, both 
plain and fancy dishes. Of course, there are 
vurlous hotels, restaurants aud boarding 
bouses in a city of this size, so that good, com¬ 
fortable and even luxurious accomodations 
are to be had. The Territorial University Is 
vita? of which it is a species; hut the foliage 
does not grow so compactly as on the Arbor- 
vifce cultivated iu the East for ornamental 
purposes. The other tree most vuluablo for 
timber and lumber is the fir, a magnificent 
tree, of which many thousands are annually 
cut from these great forest—and in many in 
stauces sacrificed to wanton greed and waste. 
But the timber lands are chiefly owned by 
Corporations resident elsewhere, so that a 
single-hunded man can make no headway in 
tbe lumber business. The coal obtained hero 
in large quantities, is semi bituminous, burns 
well, but leaves much ash. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
California. 
Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Co., Oct- 
20.—I have a small farm of 100 acres; raise 
Lima beans, berries, corn, fruit, butter aud 
Pampas Plumes—principally the latter. With 
a perfect climate, some good land, Jersey 
located here, aud there are one or two “col¬ 
leges,” and the public school buildings are 
large and imposing and set on the highest 
hills, probably in fulfillment of the old rhyme, 
“Higher, higher, will we ellnib 
Up the mount of knowledge." 
But I could never see any sense, but nonsense, 
in placing a school house or a church on the 
most inaccessible site. 
It woidd be laughable if it were not so ab¬ 
surd, to behold tbe greed of these Puget Sound 
cities. Here at Seattle, for example, the land 
for miles around is laid out in lots, and in¬ 
cluded in the city limits. A mile, or somewhat 
less from tbe Souud, i* a fresh-water lake, not 
large, called Lake Union, and two miles 
further back is Lake Washington, 25 miles 
long, and the connection between these lakes 
and the Sound is such that a ship canal, which 
can be constructed at a moderate expense, 
will convert them practically into the securest 
heifers, Plymouth Rocks, strawberries nine 
months in the year, good health and a con¬ 
tented disposition, why shouldn’t I be happy? 
C. R. H. 
Connecticut. 
Bloomfield, Hartford Co., Oct. 80.—In 
this little village, in the Valley of the Con¬ 
necticut, I located for a “vacation season.” 
Driving about tbe township enabled me to 
gain an idea of the general condition of crops, 
of which 1 make a note. First in value is 
the grass. For this the cold late season was 
not favorable, and not more than two-thirds 
of the average amount was cut. Rains in 
August and the continuance of warm weather 
in September are favorable for fall pasturing, 
and will in a measure help out; and consider¬ 
able corn has been sown for fodder. As re¬ 
gards this latter, many of the farmers have 
become convinced of wbat a few have long 
held, viz.: that sweet corn is much the best. 
A little sorghum—Amber Cane—has been 
raised for fodder; but not enough to enable a 
just estimate as to its value to be given. Corn 
looks well, aud although many pieces were 
cut by late frosts, the yield promises to be 
better than an average one. Of potatoes there 
is a fair crop; but I am surprised that no more 
attention is paid to their proper culture. I 
am certain the average yield could lie made 
twice if not three times as large without in¬ 
creasing the expense in the same ratio. In fact, 
the.same may be said of almost any crop raised 
here, unless it be tobacco. Farmers will learn 
some time that money invested in fertilizers 
and cultivation pays better than bank stock 
or railroad shares, and that a little farm, well 
managed, gives better returns than a large 
one starved. It is exceptional when any 
wheat is raised hero, but oats and rye receive 
some attention. With the price of rye straw 
as it, has been for seven years past, many 
think that the little work involved added to 
the fact that this little can be done at, com¬ 
paratively leisure times, makes rye as profita¬ 
ble as any crop raised. A part of this town¬ 
ship is flat, sandy, and what would be called 
in many sections,barren. Most of this “plain,” 
as it Is called, is covered svith a scanty growth 
of wood; but some of it has been cleared, and 
is cultivated, and many a day have I worked 
there in years long phst “hacking in” rye. 
The custom then was to turn two furrows 
together, and on the ridge so made to plant 
corn, leaving the spaces between the corn 
rows unplowed. At the time of the last hoe¬ 
ing of the corn rye wus sown over the whole 
field, a part of it was covered by plowing 
shallow and leveling the intermediate furrow, 
and covering what, was left in sight, while 
hoeing the corn. The soil was so poor that 
but very little corn was gathered—say from 
10 to 12 bushels to an acre, aud the rye crop 
the next, season was also scanty, The third 
year the ground was allowed to lie without 
any crop, to resuscitate, when the same 
routine of planting and hacking in, was again 
pursued. This cun hardly be called good 
farming, and 1 believe is now almost entirely 
discontinued, but iu those days there wore 
those who said that, taking into consideration 
the value of the land, and the ease with 
which it could be cultivated, together with 
the price of labor, it gave as good n return as 
that which yielded heavier crops. I do not 
remember, however, any who accumulated 
fortunes by this kind of farming. 
There are but few dairy farms properly so 
called, although many farmers keep more 
cows thnn are needed to supply milk and but¬ 
ter for their own use. A few make a business 
of supplying milk to customers iu t he neigh 
boring city, Hartford, and others dispose of 
their surplus butter, and usually at a high 
price, lu the same way; while more sell their 
cream to creameries, the proprietors of which 
send their wagons over certain routes to 
gather it. Grade Jerseys seem to bo the fav¬ 
orite stock of cows, although some are now 
making trial of Ayrshires and Holsteins. 
The uiouoy crop of this section is tobacco, 
a little of which can be seen on nearly every 
farm, and on some there are as many as If) or 
12 acres. The vnriel y known as the Connec¬ 
ticut Seed-leaf gives the largest leaf and the 
heaviest stalk, but the Spanish, now more 
generally raised, is finer, aud because the 
leaf grows more upright, it is set closer, giving 
more plants to an acre, which nearly makes 
up the difference in weight, and as it com¬ 
mands a little higher price, is thought to bo 
more profitable. Tbe crop this year is fully 
up to the average, und will probably, if it 
cures well, give from 1,500 to 1,800 pounds to 
an acre. In some neighboring towns a frost 
on September 14 did much damage, but here 
the crop was nearly all hung, and of that 
which was standing but little was injured. 
The tobacco crop is a hazardous one; for what 
with drought and floods, wind storms and 
hail, cut-worms, tobacco worms and grass¬ 
hoppers, frosts, rotting on tbo poles and bad 
curing iu various ways, there is scarcely a day 
from the time the seed is planted until the 
crop is sold und the money collected, when 
loss is not immineut. But when it is a success, 
it pays bettor than any other crop. 
In this immediate vicinity fruit, with ex¬ 
ception of peaches, was plentiful. Tbe buds 
of peaches were killed in Winter. Apples 
are plenty aud line. I have never seen a 
handsomer display than grew on the 
Mills farm. It is supposed that winter ap¬ 
ples will bring a good price both for home 
consumption and shipping, but for such as are 
now ripening there is no market. The best, 
such as Pippins, Wine apples, Porter, etc., can 
be bought for 25 or 30 cents a bushel. Poorer 
varieties and windfalls are sold at cider mills 
for 15 cents a bushel, or exchanged at the 
rate of 12 bushels for a barrel of cider. Pears 
are quite plentiful, anil I have never seen 
pi urns so abundant and fine. In places whore 
the curculio has heretofore regularly made 
havoc,none of these pests,or their effects,are to 
be seen. I miss in the corn-fields the bright yel- 
