THE WEST SHORE.
229
OORVALLIS AND YAQUINA BAY. .
ANE of the most prosperous and populous counties of
J Oregon, and to which a new and important railroad
enterprise, now well advanced, gives promise of a brilliant
future, is Benton, lying partially in the upper end of the
Willnmette valley and extending across the Coast Range
Mountains to the ocean. In this combination of valley,
mountain and coast, with good routes of travel connect
ing them, it possesses advantages not, enjoyed by any
other county in the State. This is the foundation of the
railroad project which is doing so much to develop its
resources, increase its population and enhance the value
of property of every description.
Benton embraces an area of 2,000 square miles, ex
tending from the Willamette River to the Pacific, and
lying between Polk and Tillamook Counties on the north
and Lane on the south. The eastern end lies within the
limits of the "Willamette Valley, and includes thousands
of acres of the most fertile arable land in Oregon, much
of which has been under cultivation for a third of a con
tury. ThiB is divided into three general classes, prairie,
bottom and foothills. The prairie land extending for
miles north and south of Corvallis, the county seat, lies
within the great wheat belt of the valley. This is gen
erally level or slightly rolling, becoming more broken as
it approaches the base of the mountains. Wheat, barloy
and oats are the leading products of the prairie land, the
first being the one great staple to which the majority of
farms are devoted Under careful cultivation, by uso of
the summer fallow method, this land produces from
twenty-five to forty bushels of winter wheat to the acre,
in exceptional cases even large fields exceeding that limit
Even with such prolific yields, the present low prices
ruling in the wheat market are leading to a groator
diversity of products, and a rotation of crops, much to
tlio benefit of the soil and the improvement of the farm
ers' condition, rendering them more independent of the
grain market They thus stand ready to profit by high
prices, but not to become impoverished by low onos. The
farms are nearly all well improved, with comfortable and
pleasant dwellings, commodious farm buildings and gxxl
fences. There are, however, many tracts not yet broken
by the plow, over which a few sheep and cattle graze.
Land will soon become too valuable to be used in that
manner. Good farms can be purchased here nt from if 25
to $10 per acre; though the choice ones, with excoption
n"y good improvements, cannot be secured at such
prices. Comparatively unimproved farms can be bought
nt much lower rates. A farmor with a littlo capital cannot
1 better in Oregon than to purchase land of this char
acter in Benton County, where railroads, highways, good
schools and churches already exist This is certainly
letter than settling in an entirely new country, where
the future must be looked to for supplying homo and
wcial comforts and necessary conveniences for reaching
market A farmer in the East who is making a scant
living on from 100 to 200 ilcres of land, valued at from
to $100 per acre, can sell his prorty. move his
family to Benton County, purchase twice the quantity of
equally good land, and" have considerable of his capital
left with which to settle himself well in his now home.
Many such have located there .the pmtl two yeuiit, mid
seem to be well satisfied with tlio chnngo. A few fruit
trees aro to bo found on noarly every farm, while a con
siderable number of quite extensive orchards have 1 won
in bearing condition for years. Such fruit on pears,
apples, plums, cherrieB, grapes, etc., are of superior quality, .
and the troos and vines yield abundantly. This is un
industry now rapidly increasing in Oregon, under the f
influence of the extensive markets opened up by the
railroads, and in the futuro much greater attention will
be given to fruit culture than formerly.
Along the Willamette thero are long stretches of
bottom land, some of it overflowed in the spring time,
which is extremely valuable. This laud was formerly
covered with a donso growtli of fir, maple, balm, nsli,
scrub oak, hazel, etc., and was cleared with much
difliculty; but it is now well worth all the labor and
expenso of improving it. Timber and brush still stand
ing here and thoro givo an indication of the former
condition of all tlio Ixittom lands. Tlio higher xirtions
of the bottoms make splendid wheat land, while tho lower
become natural meadows whero tho grass never fails.
Dairying is an important and prolitablo industry along
the rivor; also tho raising of vegetables. This low land
is especially adapted to tho culturo of hops, a business
which is rapidly increasing and promises soon to lxwomo
one of tho distinctive industries of Oregon. There nro n
numbor of hop fields in tho county and plenty of excel
lent land uixm which to start new ones. This is ono of
tho most profitnblo crops a farmer can raise, Tho price
of hops is not regulated by the quantity raised on tho
Coast; so that it frequently happens that tho general
supply is short at a time whon tho producer hero Itnvo
an unusually abundant crop. Fortune havo Ision made
in ono season by such a condition of affairs, ns wa tho
case in 1882. Tho price fluctuates from 20 cents to $1.00
per ixmnd, but has nover in tho history of hop culturo
here fallen lclow tho cost of producing
Tho fxthills lie Isitwnon tho prairio land and tho
mountains. Hero is considerable land opn to set
tlement, much of .which is very desirable. In it natural
state it is covered with oak tree and shrulm, lxiimath
which there is fino pasturoge, where sheep, cattlo and
hogs can Imi maintained at littlo expense. This submit .
readily to cultivation when projxirly situated, giving tho
ixmsessor generally ft combination of arable and posture
land Much of this land in it unimproved state can Im
purchased at ft nominal sum, while land with greater or
less improvement is held at from " to ti!i r acre.
Thero is. also, considerable government land, though
not so desirable as that which is held for salA.
Thero aro two river flowing through tho mountain
to tho Pacific, tho Ynquina In tho northern end of tho
tv and tho Alseo at tho southern, ino imht ih.ws
eotin
. -a M ..-..- fHu..
from tho divide wnicn separate n inim nj - -tributary
of the Willamette, and for four mil. i "ply
a beautiful mountain stream. It then pussc out into a