Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 15.djvu/115

OREGON. (2,825,898) more than doubled in the same period. Other fruits grown include almost every variety common to the temperate zone.

The following table of acreages is self-explanatory:

. Horses, cattle, swine, and sheep are raised in numbers greater than is required to supply the home market. Large sections of the eastern portion of the State are fit only for grazing, and there are many large ranches in this region. The natural grasses cure on the ground and supply nutritive pasturage all the year. With the exception of 1860-70, each decade since 1850 has exhibited an increase in the number of every kind of domestic animal. The most significant increase from 1890 to 1900 was in cattle. The production of wool in that decade gained 83.8 per cent., while the average weight of fleeces increased from 6.3 pounds to 8.6 pounds, the latter record not being exceeded in any State. The following is a table of the leading holdings of stock:

. The forests of Oregon are scarcely exceeded in extent and value by those of any other State. Except for limited districts already cleared, almost the whole of the region included between the Coast Range and the western slope of the Cascades is covered with forests, as is also a considerable portion of the eastern slope of the Cascades and the northeastern part of the State. The total woodland area has been estimated (1900) at 54,300 square miles, or 57 per cent. of the area of the State. Lane County has more timber than any other county, but is greatly exceeded by the corresponding area contained in the four counties in the northwest corner of the State. The coast forests are famous for their great density and the enormous growth attained by certain species of trees. Stands of 100,000 feet per acre for entire townships have been reported. The Douglas fir (red fir), which is one of the prevailing species of this section, sometimes attains a height of 300 feet. The average diameter of these trees cut is from 60 to 72 inches. Bridge timbers 110 feet in length and free from knots and other imperfections are obtained from these firs. The great strength of these timbers makes them very valuable for bridge use and also for spars or for framings for buildings. This species produces more commercial timber to the acre than any other tree on the continent. It is estimated that over five-sevenths of the timber is of this variety. The lumber product is constantly increasing in

amount and value, the product for 1900 being worth $10,352,167. The pines and cedars are the most important species, both being large trees, and highly prized for finishing. The lumber cut in 1900 was estimated at 776,978,000 feet, as compared with 470,146,000 in 1890. The increase in value was proportionate. The remoteness of the region from the large lumber markets necessitates heavy freight expenditure and has tended to minimize the price of the product, and therefore limit its exploitation. The United States Government has recently set off over 4,500,000 acres as a forest reserve.

. The manufacturing facilities are excellent. The natural resources include a supply of coal for fuel, and an abundant water power is attainable at The Dalles, Cascade Locks, and Oregon City. In the decade 1880-1890 there was for the first time a large development in the manufacturing industry, but the increase was only slight in the succeeding decade. In 1900 the value of manufactured products was $46,000,000, and 17,236 wage-earners, or 4.2 per cent. of the population, were then engaged in the industry. The forests are the most important source of raw materials, and the agricultural products rank second. The flouring and grist mill output amounted in 1900 to $6,364,000, being nearly a third greater than in 1890. The slaughtering and meat-packing output in the same year was valued at $1,638,480. Among other industries are the manufacture of woolen goods, canning and preserving of fish, car construction, and ship and boat building, including one establishment for the building of iron and steel vessels. About one-half of the total manufactured product of the State is accredited to Portland.

. The Pacific Ocean, the Columbia River, and Snake River provide three sides of the State with the advantages of water communication. Along the coast there are nine inlets which offer harbor facilities. Most of the streams flowing into the Pacific are navigable for short distances. Large ocean-going vessels pass up the Columbia as far as Portland. Since the construction of a canal at Cascade Locks, river steamers can go as far as The Dalles, above which point the stream is again navigable. The Snake River is navigable beyond the point where it leaves the boundary. The Willamette, with the aid of canals, is navigable to Eugene, 150 miles from Portland. The developed portions of the State are adequately supplied with railroads, but the great arid region east of the Cascades is wholly without railroad accommodations, save in the northeastern corner. Oregon shows a remarkably low mileage, there being but 1.71 miles of railroad for every 100 square miles of territory. The total mileage was 1631 in 1899, or 43.59 miles for every 10,000 inhabitants. The Union Pacific and the Southern Pacific lines own the greater portion. The former, following the course of the Columbia, crosses the extreme northern portion of the State from east to west. The latter, following the course of the Willamette, crosses the western portion of the State from north to south. In the greater portion of eastern Oregon wagon roads are the only means of communication.

The State has United States customs districts and ports of entry: for southwestern Oregon, at Coos Bay, the headquarters of the coal and lumber trade in that section; for the Columbia