AGRICULTURE. The different sections of the State, varying so distinctly in climate, topog raphy, and soil, naturally vary in agricultural development. In the river valleys west of the Cascades almost every variety of crop common to the temperate zone is produced in great abun dance. The Willamette Valley especially is noted for its great productivity. East of the Cascades, in the Columbia Valley, the rainfall is generally sufficient to justify the raising of seine of the more hardy crops, the favorable year producing enough to cover the loss in the years of drought. Irriontion is possible in parts of this region and is being resorted to with success. Save in the centre of Oregon there are numerous rivers throughout the eastern half of the state which afford au extensive water supply that could be utilized for irrigation. But these have as yet been very little developed, owing largely to the remoteness from lines of transportation and markets. The irrigated area in the state in creased from 177,944 acres in l'.00 to :Isot.:110 acres in 1899. Almost the whole if this is watered from streams. scarcely ally from reser voirs or wells. The largest irrigated area is that north of Malheur and Harney in Har ney County. Simple methods are employed in irrigation, and the average cost of it per acre is low. In 1900 only 10.6 per cent. of the land area was included in farms. (If this :13 per cent. was improved. The average size of farms de creased until l- f, since which time. owing to
the large additions made to ranges in the eastern part of the State, the average sire has grown larger. It ha:, however, continued to decrease in the western counties.
The two leading crops are wheat and hay. The area devoted to wheat doubled between 150 and 1900. the increase being almost wholly in the northeast counties, where one-half the crop is now [el-own. During the same period the acre age of hay and forage gained over threefold. Oats are e:erown principally in the Willamette Val ley. and barley in the northeast counties. oats have a large acreage. On account of the coolness cif the nights. corn dCPs not thrive. and hot little is grown. Potatoes produce abundantly and are an important crop. Sugar beets an• raised in Vnion County. The State ranks sceond in the production of their culteire being confined principally to the Willamette Valley. The re gion between the Caseade and Coast ranges. par ticularly -Jackson and Douglas counties. has be come noted for the production of fruit. The number of plum and prune trees in 1900 5.)31 was ten times that of 1q90 and is only ex ceeded in California. The number of apple trees more than doubled in the same period. Other fruits grown include almost every %ariety (mot llllll to the temperate zone.
The following table of acreages is self-explana tor?