the far western part of the united states may be thought of as a pacific northwest washington oregon and i don't hold out in the pacific southwest california and arizona more commonly arizona and i don't hoard grooved elsewhere leaving to the far west washington oregon california and of out that within its larger unity this region has decided contrasts it is new moon is the latest sound films from hollywood's world famous studios  it is older than the giant sequoias that we're standing here thank you rees before the birth of christ i'm on the shadowy reaches of the redwood forests the annual rainfall is more than one hundred inches yet to the south east lie parts deserts which receive less than four inches per year in california there are tropical fruits oranges lemons dates yep washington has winter sports even in summer mount whitney  california downs are the highest point of land in the forty eight states yet less than eighty miles distant is death valley nearly three hundred feet below sea level the far west is a contrast in people the aboriginal indian the mexican oriental is of many types immigrants from the mediterranean the motion picture player the industrial magnate the engineer the scholars it has become population most of its people live in former metropolitan centers along the sixty board the far west stretches over twelve hundred miles from canada to mexico it is the end of the trail not so much for the unfortunate and most important the limit of westward migration within the united states at sutter's mayo near sacramento in one thousand nine hundred forty nine only a year after california became a part of the united states a rich gold strike was made and thousands flocked to the far west scores of ghost towns that mushrooms up then stand lifeless decaying today and yet today mining continues to be one of the far west major activities production a peculiar in the far west in the present largely in southwestern california whose forest of oil derricks indicate the richness of the deposits and plays california among the leaders in petroleum production in production by zinc being leading products there is a distinct relation between mountains and rainfall in the distribution of the timber resources of the far west this makes washington and oregon the nation's leading states in lumber production the life of the lumberjack attracts hardy man men were not afraid of work where there is still work and danger for the man who found the big trees of redwood mechanical improvements however have taken away some of the back breaking parts today modern trucks and tractors get the giant logs from forest to mail several billion board feet of lumber come another method of conserving the great forest resources of the region other tree planters have been amply repaid for their efforts washington ranks first in the nation in apple production and is a leader in other fruits and berries here are the chief apple regions of the pacific northwest mainly in washington along with washington's apples oregon's famous pears apricot and small fruits are in in the green valleys of washington and oregon with a remarkable climate world record dairy cattle are being bred and tested in this world champion radios forty two thousand pounds of milk in a single year great crops of winter wheat many valleys of this region have been transformed by irrigation and a veritable garden spots have a harvest of fruit but tater's and sugar beets with never a failure there the region is also well known for its heavy crops of hay with a combination of the grand kool aid dam and reclamation area irrigation watering will bring thousands more farm families into the inland empire and it will produce even greater amounts gigantic sacramento san joaquin valley on the hills and mountains around its borders are vast herds of heat which make california a leader in mutton and little production the valley itself is one of the finest garden spots of the world here i raise millions of dollars worth of a wide variety of fruits vegetables and farm crops here many of the far west one hundred sixty five thousand orientals work our own land here are located the world's largest fruit canneries the world's greatest fruit drying sheds the moist western slopes of the high snow capped the areas furnish water for irrigation when needed in the great valley although there generally is good rainfall at the south and california's great orange growing region begins supplying most of the country's oranges far to the southeast and extending into mexico is another garden spot the imperial valley here canals from the turbulent colorado provide irrigation water in the imperial valley all manner of trucks going vegetable farming is carried and dates and other tropical fruits are grown as nowhere else in the united states buyers distances from eastern manufacturing centers have made transportation costs so high the far west is developing many of its own manufacturing and processing plants food processing plants also reduce the cost of shipping food such as fruits to other regions nearly one third of the nation's fish products come from the far west good harbors are necessary because of the vast extended range of activities of this rich section san diego los angeles the pacific northwest in oregon and washington washington alone has one sixth of the total potential water power of the united states at present california is the greatest producer of hydroelectric power these projects give the far west the country's best coverage of electric lighting from a large city to isolated farmhouse the educational institutions of the far west are outstanding here do the new task of integrating education with reality their training youth program cations involving an appreciation of the resources of the region that's the far west leading the nation in hydroelectric power sea food products dairy products resources and cutting of timber with one fifth of the apples nine plants of the grapes two thirds of the oranges nearly all the tropical fruits seventy percent of the precious metals and nearly only entertainment films used in the united states which go on so far and wide over the years so the far west is a leader in the production of many vital necessities not only for other regions of the united states but for the world and as it receives in turn from the middle states autos another mideast metals and wheat from north west and south