THE WEST SHORE.
181
glish draft and other horses have been imported, and
have been used in the improvement of the stock of
the country. (
The principal crop is hops. The first production
was by Jacob Meeker, on his Puyallup farm, in 18CG,
and for fifteen yearsthe growth was confined almost
wholly to that valley, increasing, thoughfrom year
to year, until. It attained,1 great proportions. There
are now thirteen hundred acres in hops in King coun
ty, thirteen , hundred in' Piercejand about thirteen
hundred inaJl other parts of the territory. Thy pro
ductioh per acre is sixteen hundred pounds, against
six hundred pounds in New York, and seven hundred
pounds in England and Germany. Failure of crops
and pests fare .common Mere, but unknown hero.
The price varies greatly,. having ranged from five
cents to a 'dollar ;and seven cents per pound daring
the last twenty years. j The average price of that pe
riod has been twenty-five cents. ; The' average prico
of the. next twenty years will probably not exceed
twenty, cents;v Even1 at the latter figure the profits
are immense. The entire cost, laid down in the 80
attle depot dqeB not exceed eight cents a pound, and
with an 'average profit, of twelve cents growers can
not help . becoming rich. "
That farming pays on Pogfli sound is very plain.
In fact, there aro few regions where fortunes have
been made, as easily and rapidly as by the farmers
about here). : Fourteen years ago, and again ten years
ago, that, enterprising and moat worthy citizeD, Mr.
E. Meeker, was . bankrupt. To-day he is worth one
hundred thousand dollars, and all made on the farm,
in hops, dairy it g, fruit, dock, and increased lacd val
ues. X P. Stewart, another most excellent citai,
prominent as a fruit acd hop grower, is probably
worth 'es much ss Mr. Meeker. T.M. Alwood, of
White river, who grows a thousand tons of hay year
ly, and stall feeds cattle for the market in winter, is
another hundred-tLouaud-dollar farmer. The lhg
ley, Squire, Smith end Smitbcrs arms, at JtotonY
are worth forty thousand dollars each. The Bntqual.
mie bop ranch could not bo bought for one butdred
aud fifty thousand dollars. It includes three hun
dred and fifty acres in lops, laid to be the largest
hop field in the world, and four hundred and fifty
acres beside., with 'hotel, country store, faro build
ings, etc' j B. N; L Pari, cf Skagit, after making a
fortune in hops, ' U now making andbcr io fancy
stock and dairying. v II is farm property, all made in
seven years, coutd not bo bought for sixty thounand
dollars. The Davis brothers, of Dang? cosa, and the
Bishops, of Chtmicum, dairymcu and stock rain'ray
are all rich. The oats growers are each worth from
ten to forty thousand dollars. Hat iovt old farms are
sold. They are generally worth art much that not
one newcomer in a thousand has money, enough tos
buy them. As there is yet left ttujimmcimv acr
ago of government land to U had for the takicg, and '
just as good as the belt yet takes, the immigrant will ;
find encourngement, rather than discourage meat, in
the statement raado in the preceding sentence.
Farming generally, is of mixed character, tho
specialties being indulged in by t ho few, " The great
majority keep a liltlo of everything in their liu
horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry and raino hay,
oat, garden truck and fruits. What they havo foY
sale they deliver themselves. Bomo sections seem
bo better adapted to producing one thing than afo 0
others. . llonghton, on tho caat shoro of Lako Waib-
ington, in King county, for instance, has shown jhv
culiar adaptation . to fruit Earlier and finer straw.4
berries are grown there than at any! other place, and
in consequence; tho annual production has reached
forty. thbuaand gallons, the Houghton growers there-
by securing a practical monojioly of tho Beattlo mar
kct 4 Oiher fruits' do as well at that placoaaatraw.
berriea, and aro coming into tho market in incroaaod
quantities each succeeding year.
The growth of tho principal aonnd towns, and tlm
ever increasing value of tho lauds in their vicinity,
Is stimulating a specie of small farming. In the
suburbs and vicinity of 8ttlo are two hundred fata,
ilici who gain a livelihood, or a greater part of it, in
this way. They keep from two to a half dozm cows,
a hundred fowl, and in addition havt small, but care
fully cultivated, gardens and orchard. In this way,
on a few town lota or acre, they live comfortably, ac
curaQlale more and more, and in th nana of a few
years find themaelrea possessed of a cotapttancy.
There U room for an eodlcai number of tbrso srnll
farmers. With fcrtilo soil, favorable climate, homo
market and high prices, with cvcrincreaiing land
valuea, tho Paget sound farmers haro Urn greatly
ble8ed, and their speedy accumulation of wealth U
not aarpriaing.