78 



THE IREIGATION AGE. 



people. It will grow great crops of hops, wheat, oats, 

 barley, hay, corn, apples, peaches, cherries, grapes, 

 strawberries, and other fruits, vegetables of a high 

 grade, besides being an excellent stock and poultry 

 country. It is never very cold nor extremely hot. 



Along the mountain ranges on either side are 

 magnificent forests of merchantable timber, represent- 

 ing many billion feet. In the southern end of these 

 ranges, especially the Coast, are rich deposits of gold 

 and other minerals. Some bituminous coal also exists. 

 The waters of the Columbia river is one of the great 

 salmon fishing fields of the West coast region. 



EAST OF THE CASCADES. 



East of the Cascade range, near the Columbia 

 river, right in the shadow of Mount Hood, is the fa- 



the soundest, best flavored apples that go to the Ameri- 

 can markets in fact, they are frequently shipped all 

 the way to London, England. The Grande Eonde val- 

 ley yields various other farm products. 



Southwest from the Grande Ronde basin is the 

 Baker City wheat and fruit region. Rich gold mines 

 exist in the Blue range west of Baker City. Hundreds 

 of thousands of sheep are pastured in the mountains 

 in this corner of Oregon. Considerable timber exists 

 along the mountain slopes. 



GREAT AREAS OF ARID LANDS. 



The south end of this east half of Oregon is used 

 mainly as a stock range, as it lacks the water for recla- 

 mation. It is an expanse of territory big as several 

 states. Indeed, one county, for instance, located in the 



Shiocton "Marsh" Produces Immense Crops of Garden Truck. 



mous Hood river fruit district, where some of the 

 soundest, choicest apples and strawberries produced in 

 the West grow. Farther south, about the center of the 

 state in a north and south line, is being developed the 

 Des Chutes River Irrigation system, OF several of them, 

 which will result in the reclamation of large bodies of 

 rich and productive land. The water is taken from 

 mountain streams that never fail. 



Still farther south is the noted Klamath Lake dis- 

 trict where another extensive irrigating system is be- 

 ing worked out. There is a large amount of fine tim- 

 ber along the eastern slopes of the Cascade mountains. 



Pendleton is a prosperous city situated in the north 

 end of the east section, possessing about 6,000 popula- 

 tion. It is in the midst of the great wheat region 

 which extends northward into the state of Washington, 

 eastward, in a basin formed by the Blue mountains, is 

 the Grande Ronde valley, named from a river that 

 arises in the mountains and flows down through it. 

 This valley is a picturesque spot, and grows some of 



southeast corner, Malheur by name, has an area of 

 9,784 square miles, and is larger than Vermont, twice 

 the size of Connecticut. Harney county is still bigger, 

 and Lake and Cook are nearly as large say each is 

 six times the area of Rhode Island ! 



"Is this land worthless ?" is a natural inquiry. Up 

 in Crook county big crops of wheat are grown and 

 much of the soil is excellent for farming. Southward 

 it varies, some of it being cultivated, large portions be- 

 ing too dry for cropping without irrigation, and there 

 are no water supplies. Other areas are hardly worth 

 an attempt at reclamation. But in the future means 

 may be found artesian wells, for instance for mak- 

 ing a large percentage of what now seems waste lands 

 bloom with vegetation. 



There are many opportunities for homeseekers in 

 Oregon. Those who can afford it would do well to 

 investigate the conditions there. This magazine may 

 refer more in detail to the progress and possibilities 

 of the state during the coming year. 



