The Miracle of the Swinomish Flats

The writer recently spent several days riding over the Swinomish flats adjacent to La Conner, and does not hesitate to pronounce the soil superior to almost any he has yet seen, after traveling over most of the whole Territory. Not many years ago, most of that land was a marsh, much of which was covered with water a considerable part of the time, and supposed to be almost entirely worthless. Now every acre of it is proving to be of extra quality for agricultural purposes. What speaks well for the country is that hardly a farm there is for sale at any price. The value of the land ranges from $40 to $75 an acre and the present season's oat crop has averaged from 80 to 100 bushels per acre, some farms going even beyond that. Of timothy they can raise from two to four tons to the acre, and their garden products are good enough for anywhere. Most of the ground is not yet in its highest state of cultivation for want of sufficient ditching and tile draining. The best farmers can do and are doing considerable of it, and their superior yields will cause their neighbors to follow suit as they are able. Nearly all of them have good houses, and their cattle are good enough, but too few in number. I noticed a prevailing disposition to put more of their land to grass and raise more stock, instead of making grain raising their principal business year after year. The country is so surrounded with and pierced by sloughs that almost every farm is within easy distance of a landing, from which its products can be boated to any point on the Sound.