Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1895-08-24
Extent and Variety and Surrounding
Conditions.
The DAIRyING INDUSTRY OF OREGON
Diversified Farming Offers inducements for
Profitable Employme {,

/
west3 Nothing but an exhaustive treatise,
or a series Of articles on the subject could
deal intelligentlY with particulars, giving a
history Of each particular resource and an
estimate Of its extent, location and value,
commercially considered, but a list Of those Of
growing importan ce can be given in part ex-
PLANTATION Of the reason why the Pacific North.
west is attracting and will continue to attract
to it people Of enterprise, thrift and business
sagacity, preferable to other states, none Of
which can outnumber the inducements here
offered to the homeseeker and investor. Ag-
riculture, Of course, offers advantages and
facilities rarely to be found and never excelled
elsewhere, for the reason that there is never
lack OF moisture for the land or materials,
and accessibility to the markets Tor products.
Horticulture at once commands the attention Of
the rural population Of the United States
because no country under the sun can pro-
duce better favored or larger decidous fruits
than this country or in greater abundance,
and while other states record periodical
failures of fruit crops, the Pacific Northwest
never does.
Dairying is an industry that has grown
rapidly in the past few years, and owing TO
the peculiar conditions favorable to the sup
port and development Of this industry, it
will grow in importance until the Pacific
Northwest will be the chief dairying district
Of the United States.
Our mineral resources are as little under
stood abroad as they are immense, and they
are not confined to one or two certain local
tiles. Southean, Eastern and Central Ore
gon are auriferous regions and are steady
producers. Gold, silver, copper, lead, quick
silver, iron, nickel and other minerals are
present in apparently inexhaustible quantities
in the mountain regions.
The hop industry has attained magni-
tude little dreamed Of through the valleys,
and now the Pacific Northwest numbers
several thousand acres Of producing hop yards
all established within the past few years.
Vinticulture has not been followed to any
great extent in Oregon, but the fact has beer
demonstrated to the satisfaction Of persons
Informed on the subject that this soil and
climate are essentially conductive to the
propagation OF grapes most suitable to th'
manufacture Of high wines. 1t is vel
known fact that there is no better country
for the cultivation Of fax and sugar beets.
The mountains and valleys are trayersed
by innumerable rivers and streams, the fall
Of which furnish an unlimited supply o
power for factories and mills. very grea
part Of this water-power is contiguous to the
most productive regions Of the state and eithel
accessible or capable Of being rendered ae
eessable at a small cost to market centers.
One Of the greatest and most valuable u
the timber resource. Fir, spruce, pine, eedal
and hemlock forests cover vast tract, miles
upon miles square in many sections, and
these almost impenetrabie forest vastness Iar'
yet in their virgin state, never having heard
the sound Of the AK and but rarely the voie'
Of man. Larch oak, willow, cottonwood
yew, birch, tamarack, alder and many otheI
kinds Of timber exist in unlimited quantities
and as a timber country II has no equal today
in the United States. Timber land can b
had at nominal prices in bodies Of from 5oS
to 10000 acres and upwards. The tmbe
contained on these lands is all Of large, in'
quality, trees five to ten feet through anC
from 100 to 900 feet high. The writer ha
stood in many Of these vast forests, as YET
untouched, with gun in hand, and marvele'
at the magni6cence, grandeur and statelines
OF their giants. One could imagine while
standing in the solemn gloom OF nature
storehouse that he stood in the temple Of tn
Titans and that these vast columns clusters
about supported the sky--an archie rooi.
The next industry we might name as beinl
one Of the most important among those yield
ing the greatest return annually in dollars AM
cents is the salmon fishing and canning in
dustry. The Columbia river, at prope
seasons, is the home Of the royal Chinook
salmon, and from the mouth Of this grea
river to and beyond the cascades OF tn
Columbia, fishing and canning station
occupy both banks Of the river. Hundred
of thousands Of cases Of salmon are put u
annually and find their way to every part Q
the civilized world. Canned and preserve
salmon are acknowledged delicaeies, and raj
indeed are those who have once tasted tn
delicious fish and have the hardihood to di
card it. The fishing industry furnishes en-
ployment to small army Of men, and IS OF
Of no small magnitude. Rogue river
Southern Oregon, is also claiming its 10
measure of Importance to the salmon eanniI
industry. Tributaries Of the Columo'
notably the Willamette, TEEN with saimo
but they are used mostly in Portland al
other Willamette valley towns located on
near the river.
stOckraising is carried on extensively
Oregon and the wool industry IS one 'ha'
grown to astonishing proportions IN IA'''
and southern Oregon during the past
y years
D;ysrsi6ed farming offers inducements