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Show 14 WASHINGTON TERRITORY, ITS MATERIAL al te ..... I I» I» b() •rl btl I 0 d OS ~ . :;:: . ~ . ~ ~ :8 ~·~ ~ rca~~"" """" ~ ""~ ~ ~£~"" ..0.. . •~ ..0.. . .:~:l Q~ )..s... ..... ""• Q~) ~ ..... <:1•! <~:1! ~ "e0e P=l~· ;d::< ~ ~ os • OS "" ..... Q) ~· ~ ~ ..... ~"" "' ...,. Q) ~~Q) 0~ ;;~ ;;::a Q)~ bo rn~ bO a5 $5.~ Q>- Q) Q) .J:ll"'l ~ Q)l"'l ~ ~so bO 1857'. ~ ~ ~ -~ ~ "" Q)Q) ~ ~ ~ $ p:; ~$..., &! -----------~----------1·- 0 0 0 0 0 0 - M (thr k o in. iu. ay, ee wee s,) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71.7 48.4 101 5 46 9 38 5 18 1 46 o 0 52 o 79 ~~~e, .... · .... · .. ·. · ....... · .... . ......... .. i~·~ g~·~ 90.1 29~ 43:o 13:I 36:9 :62 1:19 Aug~ st.. . ..................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73.8 51.1 89.2 26.5 46.9 9.3 33.1 .44 .01 s '.... .. . . . . . .. .. . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . .. . . 88.0 28 0 47 1 9 7 37 8 46 08 o~fo~:b(t~o· weeir.sT . . .... · .. · · ...... · .. · ~-~ ~~-z 76.4 23:3 45:2 s:IS so:8 :73 :7o . , . .. .. . .. . .. . .. .. .. .. .. . . 68.7 16.3 43.4 7.S 25.1 .65 .74 ·. Greatest range of temperature during the above period 63°. Greatest range of barometer, from May 12th to October 13th seventy-nine inches. A dry season, and marked by a week of remarkably hot weather at the close of May and beginning of June. The working season of 185 8 was wet. The working season o{ 1859 was dry. .The following table will give a few additional items of the wmter months of 1860 and '61. The observations were made at Olimpia, at the office of the . Surveyor General. 1860. 1861. 1861. Dec. Jan~y Feb'y Maximum tememperature Minimum do. '· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · . . . . . 52 ° 49 ° 52 o Mean do. . .. .. . .. . ....... ... .. . .... . .. . ... .. ...... 23o 14o 31 o Amount of snow in inches · .. · ... ... ........ · : · · .. · ........... · .. · .... 39 °7 38°4 42°3 Amount of rain and melted ·snow:· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · . no rec 6.4 9 Days on which snow fell ' .. .. ........ · .. ·.. .... .. .. · .... · .. · do. 3.1 8.9 Days on which snow lay 'on'tiie ground . . .. . .... . . ·· · ·· ···· · ··· · · · · ···· do. 4 2 Days on which rain fell .. .......... · .. · .. .... · · · · ..... · do. 8 4 Days on which no rain f~ll- · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 13 12 13 Number of frosty mornings· ............ .. · .. · · .. .. · .... .. .. · .. ...... 18 19 15 Number of clear days ' .... · · .. .. .. .... .. · .. · ............ .. .. · .. 11 6 7 , .. .. ......... .. .. . .. .. .... . .. .... ..... ... .. .. . 6 7 8 Weather not. cold enough to form solid ice, which has to be brougpt ~rom Sitka for the San Francisco and California markets. !The displays of the Aurora Borealis in this latitude are frequent and beautiful. ' CHAPTER VIII. AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES OF THE TERRITORY. It is. not claimed that ours is an agricultural territory, yet we· do claim that most agricultural products can be raised in great ' RESOURCES AND CLAIMS TO EMIGRATION. 15 abundance and of excellent quality ; further, that no climate is better adapted to' the pursuit of agriculture than that of Puget Sound ; and that · there is a large amount of as fine agricultural land, as anywhere exists. Our farming lands are generally within the valley, bordering the streams named in chapter sixth, they are generally covered with a growth of small trees and brush, yet quite easily cleared. The Lummi bas a valley of two or three miles width, and fifteen or twenty miles length. A fine settlement bas began here, but still there is room. South of this there are two or three small rivers, not navigable for steamers, on which fine settlements of from thirty to a hundred farms may be made, situated between the Lummi and Skagit. Thirty miles south of the Lummi is the mouth of the Skagit river, on which there is a valley large enough to accommodate five thousand farmers, giving to each a full quarter section of splendid land. The valley rang~s from four to fifteen miles in width, and the farming lands extend upwards of a hundred miles inland. On this magnificent valley there lives but six men, they bachelors ! Seven miles south of the Skagit, empties the Stilagwamish, on the borders of which can be a hundred good farms located. The Snohomish is ten miles fa1~ther south, on the tributaries of which five thousand farm homes may be established. Dwamish river empties into Elliott's bay, thirty miles farther to the south, and upon the banks of its confluent streams may be located a thousand additional farms. Puyallup, twenty miles south, offers for settlement, quite an extensive valley. Nisqually river, a few miles south of Puy~llup, also has a considerable amount of agricultural land upon its borders ; as has many small streams intervening, aud several respectable rivers flowing into Hood's canal and Strait of Fuca, from the west and south. The soil in all these valleys is a vegetable mould, or alluvial deposit. A few prairies exist in them, but generally, a growth of alder, vinemaple, crabapple and willow abounds. Between these rivers is an elevated plateau, or table land, generally a hundred and fifty feet above the sea. This is covered with a dense growth of fir, cedar, hemlock, etc., and here are our loging camps generally located. Many excellent farms may be found on the high lands, but the soil is not equal to the valleys between the Puyallup and the head of Hood's canal. Surrounding Puget Sound proper, there is a |