ion generally profitable. The chief drawback is in the
fluctuations of the market price.

Grass and Hay.

Grass here, as elsewhere, is very little talked about, although it
is one of the large elements that make the profits of agriculture.
Saying nothing of the vast amount of grass consumed green, the
state probably produces a million tons of hay annually, averaging
$10 per ton in value. Western Washington is evergreen in pasturage
as well as forests and no spot in the Union can excel it for annual
grass production.

East of the mountains a very large acreage is in alfalfa, with a
yield exceeding six tons per acre.

Potatoes.

On the alluvial soils of western Washington and the irrigated lands
of the eastern valleys, potatoes yield exceedingly heavy crops of
fine tubers, often from 400 to 600 bushels per acre. All other
root crops are produced in abundance.

Beets.

Extensive experiments have proved that the sugar beet can be raised
profitably in many counties and sugar is now on the markets of
the state, made within its borders from home-grown beets.

Truck Gardening.

Garden stuff is supplied to all the large cities chiefly from
surrounding lands in proper seasons, but much is imported from
southern localities to supply the market out of season. The soils
utilized for this purpose are the low alluvial valley lands and
irrigated volcanic ash lands. The yield from both is astonishing
to people from the eastern prairie states, and even in western
Washington, with its humid atmosphere and cool nights, tomatoes,
squashes and sweet corn are being generously furnished the city
markets. The warm irrigated lands of eastern
[Page 24]
Washington produce abundant crops of melons, cucumbers, squashes
and all other vegetables.

HORTICULTURE.

The conditions for successful fruit growing are abundant, and peculiarly
adapted to produce excellence in quality and quantity in nearly all
parts of the state, but some localities have better conditions
for some particular fruits than others, e. g., western Washington
excels in the raising of raspberries and other small fruits of
that sort, its climate and soils being suited to the production
of large berries and heavy yields.

Certain localities in eastern Washington excel in the yield of
orchard fruits, chiefly on irrigated lands. Owing to the abundant
sunshine, the fruits of eastern Washington are more highly colored
than those of other sections of the state.

Takin