176 Appendix. 



miles of verdant forest and plain, just beginning to be quicltened into fruitfulness 

 by the touch of man. The Northwest can fill the fruit cellars of a nation. 



One of the first impressions of an eastern man who travels in the Northwest 

 is the remarkable diversity of its horticulture. It is divided into a great many 

 "Countries ;" as the "Palouse Country," the "Big Bend Country," and the "Puget 

 Sound Country." A "Country" is a district having approximately uniform 

 climate and soil conditions. Some of these Countries are as large as the State 

 of Massachusetts ; others are merely narrow river valleys. The horticulture of 

 each of these Countries is distinctive and unique, and often very unlike that of 

 the adjoining Country. For example, the deep valley of the "Snake River 

 Country" has an almost subtropical climate, and grows fine vinifera grapes : 

 while the surrounding "Palouse Country" has such a short summer and bleak 

 winter that only the earliest and hardest of native grapes can be ripened. When 

 fruit growers from all these diverse Countries gather at the meeting of the North- 

 west Horticultural Society one would expect the discussions to be permeated 

 with a fierce controverval spirit, because of these local differences in experience 

 and practice. It seemed remarkable to me, therefore, to observe how clearly 

 these northwestern fruitgrowers distinguish between what is general and what 

 is local in fruit-growing ; between principles and practice. Many of our eastern 

 horticultural meetings would be freer from profitless controversies over minor 

 details of practice — due mainly to differences in conditions — if this broad recog- 

 nition of principles were more common. 



Although there are these many local indifferences, the Northwest may be 

 broadly divided into three great horticultural regions : — The Coast Region, west of 

 the Cascade Mountains, having a heavy annual rainfall and a very even tempera- 

 ture throughout the year; The Inland Valleys, east of the Cascade Mountains, 

 having an altitude of from 300 to 1,000 feet, and a rainfall of from 4 to 10 inches, 

 so that irrigation is usually necessary for crop production ; The Inland Uplands, 

 east of the Cascade Mountains, having an altitude of from 1,000 to 3,000 feet, and 

 a rainfall of from 12 to 25 inches ; not irrigated. The horticulture of each of 

 these three regions will be discussed separately. 



I. THE HORTICULTURE OF THE COAST REGION. 



The Coast Region includes all parts of Oregon, Washington and Lower Brit- 

 ish Columbia, west of the Cascades. It is characterized by a rather heavy rain- 

 fall and a very even temperature throughout the year. The snow-capped peaks 

 of the Cascades, which have an average elevation of 8,000 feet, form an effectual 

 barrier to the inland sweep of sea winds, and cause them to precipitate their 

 moisture on the coast plain below. The people who live in this region are some- 

 times called "web-footers" by inland scoffers, it being alleged that after living 

 a few years in that wet climate their feet become like those of a duck ; but as a 

 matter of fact the rainfall in the greater part of this region is but 25 to 60 inches, 

 no more than that of the Ohio Valley. In a very few places it Is as high as 90 

 inches a year. Most of the precipitation is between the months of November 

 and April, the so-called wet season. The winters are very mild and equable. The 

 ground rarely freezes. Pastures are green the year around. The summer 

 months are clear and cool. In short the Coast region has a marine climate, very 

 similar to that of England and Denmark. 



The natural result of the even temperature and the heavy rainfall of the 

 Coast Region is a very luxuriant vegetation. All trees make a very rapid growth. 

 Brakes stand head high in the woods and forest trees attain an immense size. 

 Firs 15 feet in diameter and 250 feet high are common. Trees and fences are 

 hung with lichens. Who has not heard of Washington and Oregon timber? Nearly 

 half of the Coast Region timber has been cut, or has been swept away by relent- 

 less forest fires. Deforested areas very quickly become covered with trees again, 

 and these attain marketable size in a very short time. The climate and vegetation 

 of the Coast Region are certainly unique. 



