10 FIELD OPEBATIONS OF THE BUEEAU OF SOILS, 1912. 



eral hundred foot above the (\ihimbia River and about a mile by 

 wagon road from the raikoad station of the same name. From the 

 to-wTi of White Salmon wagon roads lead to ail parts of the valley and 

 connect with distant agricultural sections m adjoining valleys. Hood, 

 Underwood, and Bmgen are small stations along the line of the 

 Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway, locally known as the North 

 Bank Railroad, and afford passenger and freight facilities for adja- 

 cent sections of the valley. Husum and Gilmer are post ofhces m the 

 central and northern parts of the valley, on the main traveled roads. 

 The mam roads throughout the valley are excellent, and it is only 

 during unusually severe whiter weather that travel is obstructed 

 even on the second-class roads. 



CLIMATE. 



The climate of tliis part of Oregon and Washhigton is characterized 

 by moderate winters, long, cool summers, a moderately abundant 

 rainfall, and comparative freedom from damagmg spring frosts. 



The precipitation is much less than that upon the western slope of 

 the Cascade Mountains. There is a rain}' and dry season. The 

 former may be regarded as extendhig from late October to about the 

 first of May. Showers occur at mtervals throughout the summer 

 months, but they are sUght and seldom of much importance as a source 

 of moisture supply, and from the middle of June to late in October 

 the occurrence of rain in amounts sufficient to interfere with farming 

 operations is very unusual. Rams are seldom accompanied by 

 lightnmg, hail, or violent winds, and a large part of the precipitation 

 takes place in the form of a fine mistlike rain. 



Snow falls during January, Februar}^, and March. It appears first 

 on the peaks and higher ridges of the surroundmg mountains, and, as 

 the season advances, slowly descends and spreads over the floor of 

 the valleys. The depth varies considerably from 3'ear to year, the 

 fall sometimes being heavy enough to cause serious injury to young 

 fruit trees. 



All of the rains and the larger part of the snows drift in from the 

 west, coming up the gorge of the Columbia River. Owmg to the 

 irregular topography of the two valleys included within the area sur- 

 veyed, there is commonly a wide variation in the amount of precipi- 

 tation in various sections, and this is apparently not governed 

 entirely by the altitude of the sections, but by the movement of the 

 ^^dnds as affected by the arrangement of the mountain ridges. This 

 condition is particularly noticeable at either the close or opening of 

 the rainy season, when parts of these valleys receive heavy rains and 

 other parts at no great distance may receive none. 



