Oregon

Wheat is the principal grain, the acreage increasing from 835, 000ac. in 1934 to 878,00o in 1935, the production from 12,610,000 bu. to 15,503,00obu. and the value from $9,292,000 to $10, 697,000. Wheat is raised mainly in eastern Oregon and north along the Columbia river ; west of the Cascades farmers find their land too valuable as a rule to devote to the crop. Oats to the amount of 9,164,00obu. valued at $3,024,000 was raised on 316,00oac. in 1935. Barley to the amount of 3,024,00obu. valued at $1,361, 000 was raised on 112,000 acres. Indian corn decreased in impor tance, the 1935 yield of 1,736,00obu. grown on 56,00oac. being valued at $1,389,000. The 1928-32 average yield of corn per ac. was 30.4bu., which was higher than that of Missouri, and higher than the 25.4 average of the United States. Hay is the most valuable crop of the State. In 1935 1,819,000 tons valued at $14,742,000 were raised on 1,285,000 acres. Of this, 224,000 tons were wild hay. Potatoes valued at were raised on 42,000ac. (135bu. per ac.) in 1935.

Oregon is also an important fruit-raising State, and many west ern valleys are largely given over to the industry, notably the Rogue and the Hood river valleys. Large orchards are found also in the Willamette valley and in the sheltered valleys of the Blue mountains in the north-east. The apple crop in 1929 amounted to 3,506,o99bu. valued at $3,674,297 and in 1934 to 4,607,957bu. valued at $3,317,729. There has been a steady increase in pear raising until in 1934 Oregon ranked third among the States with a crop of 2,626,453bu. valued at $1,575,872. There were 316,133bu. of peaches raised in 1934, and large quantities of cherries and plums. A fair estimate of Oregon's 1934 prune crop is 3,935,00o bushels. The crop of strawberries amounted to 10,259,122qt. valued at $718,139.

Irrigation is nowhere necessary west of the Cascade Range but is necessary in eastern Oregon except in a few valleys along the Columbia and in the Blue mountains. There were but 1,478,128 ac. included in irrigation enterprises in 1930 as compared with 1,925,987 in 1920. However the acreage actually irrigated de creased from 986,162 to 898,713. Capital invested increased from $28,929,000 to $38,755,000, or from $21.52 to $33.46 per acre. The average cost of maintenance was in 1930 $1.41 per ac. as compared with $2.77 for all irrigated land in the United States. Crops grown on irrigated land in 1929 averaged $38.87 per acre.

Great numbers of beef cattle are raised in eastern Oregon, while the Willamette and coast districts are especially favourable to dairying. Cattle of all kinds increased in number from 805,120 in 1930 to in 1935 but decreased in value from $41,113, 062 to $21,913,093, or from $51.06 to $23.61 per head. Milch-cows and heifers numbered 603,549 in 1935 with an average value of $40.00 per head. Creamery butter production increased from in 1930 to 3,328,2301b. in 1935. Cheese production

in that year amounted to 4,858,000lb., giving Oregon third place in rank among the States. The market for the products of the dairy ing industry is found in the growing cities of the Pacific coast. Eastern Oregon is noted for sheep-raising. The number of sheep increased from 1,775,093 in 1925 to 3,319,271 in 1930, but de creased to 2,209,898 in 1935. Their total value in the same years amounted to $23,092,000, $22,936,586 and $10,276,026 respec tively. These figures show the depression in the industry shortly after the year 1930, but an increase in wool prices in 1933 helped in its rapid recovery. The wool production increased from 17,946,190lb. in 1930 to 18,236,7241b. in 1935 and the value of the crop in that year was $2,209,898. The weight per fleece is generally high, in 1934 averaging 9.01b. as against 7.91b. for the entire United States. Swine are slowly decreasing in numbers; the 168,580 in 1935 were valued at $1,062,054. Horses decreased in number from 178,875 in 1930 to 161,279 in 1935, and were valued in that year at $11,402,212. Poultry-raising is developing into an important industry.

Mining.

The value of the mineral products of Oregon was $6,170,000 in 1930, $2,989,000 in 1932 and $4,211,000 in The value of gold, silver, copper and lead produced in Oregon in 1935 was $1,966,685, an increase of $750,810 or 62% as compared with a value of these metals produced in 1934. The production of non-metals showed a decrease. Oregon supplies its own needs in building stone, 5o plants in 1934 quarrying sandstone, granite, marble and volcanic tuff to the value of The tuff, occurring over a wide area in eastern Oregon and in parts of western Oregon, has proved especially valuable, for it is easily worked, of pleasing appearance, light in weight yet strong and durable. Sand and gravel valued at $820,077 was used in various construction operations in 1934. Clay products of 1934 were valued at $134,715, the State fully supplying its own de mands. There is an abundance of materials for making lime and cement and three Portland cement factories, situated at Portland, Ashland and Lime, were in operation. The Coos bay coal-field is the only notable coal producing district in the State. Iron is found in commercial quantities in Columbia and Washington counties. Between 186o and 188o the mining of precious metals was a major industry in Oregon, and responsible for the early settlement of many localities; but by 1930 the total value of all metals mined was but $355,380; however, by 1934 it rose to $1,208,319. In 1934, the output of gold and of silver increased 67% and 124% respectively, while that of copper and of lead in creased 334% and 320% respectively, over 1933. Gold ores came from eight counties but 88% of all produced was from Baker and Grant counties. Also 9o% of all copper ore in the State was produced in these counties.