RESOURCES.

Yakima’s wealth consists in the combination of its soil and water and climate.  The county, lying east of the Cascade mountains, in [Page 91] large part at a low elevation, receives somewhat severe heat in the summer, which gives the opportunity successfully to ripen the less hardy fruits—­peaches, apricots, grapes, etc.  The county has half a million bearing trees and two and one-half million young trees growing in its orchards.

INDUSTRIES.

Naturally the industries of the county consist in exploiting its natural resources, and so we find Yakima citizens busy in raising fruits, hay, grain, and garden vegetables, to supply the big cities of the Sound.  Its last year’s contribution will probably exceed ten million dollars in value.

Of the items which compose this large sum, fruit is probably chief in importance.  Alfalfa and grain-hay is an important item, as is also the crop of melons and potatoes.  The combined fields of alfalfa and orchards make ideal bee pasturage, and Yakima honey is a constant factor of barter in the Sound cities.  The upland farms produce quantities of all grains—­wheat, oats, and barley—­and some field corn is successfully raised in the warmer parts.  Sheep, cattle and horses are also exported.  Hops are a large crop.

PRINCIPAL CITIES AND TOWNS.

NORTH YAKIMA is at once the county seat and chief metropolis of the entire Yakima valley, having a population of about 12,000.  It is situated on the Northern Pacific railway and Yakima river, and is the distributing center for both merchandise and farm products for a large surrounding territory.

The State Fair, supported by the state, holds annual exhibits here.  It has extensive fruit canneries, flour mills, lumber mills, other woodworking factories, large warehouses, paved streets, big business blocks, fine churches, schools, banks, newspapers, etc.

SUNNYSIDE, a town built up among the irrigated farms, has a population of 1,500.  Here are a cannery, pulp mill, creameries, etc.

TOPPENISH and MABTON are commercial centers of importance of about 700 inhabitants each, and growing.

[Page 92] STATISTICAL APPENDIX.

STATISTICS OF THE INCORPORATED CITIES AND TOWNS OF WASHINGTON.

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     NAME. | County. | Mayor. | Clerk.
 -------------|-------------|------------------|-------
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 Aberdeen | Chehalis | E. B. Benn | P. F. Clarke
 Almira | Lincoln | J. C. Johnson | Peter Wallerich
 Anacortes | Skagit | W. V. Wells | M. C. Baker
 Arlington | Snohomish | Peter Larson | Homer L. Huddle
 ASOTIN | Asotin | J. B. Jones | J. P. Fulton
 Auburn | King | L. C. Smith | Geo. C. Meade
 BELLINGHAM | Whatcom | J. P. De Mattos