THE
WEST SHORE.
Fourteenth Yeak. JULY, 1SS8. NcMtir.it 7.
TUB VALLEY OP TUB UMPQUA.
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OUGLAS county's position on the
map of Oregon is very unique.
Its eastern boundary line is
the summit of the Cascade
mountains, and on the west
the Pacific ocean washes its
shore. The Calipooia moun.
tains, on the north, separate it
from the Willamette valley, and
on the south the Canyon moun
tains form the dividing line be
tween it and the Itogue river val
ley. The territory within these
boundary lines is known as the
Umpqua valley, from the stream that
drains it The area of this county is
about four thousand nine hundred
square miles, equal in extent to that
of the entire stato of Connecticut
Being surrounded by mountain, except a small strip
which extends to the ocean, on the west, it might be
sormieed that tho surface is rough, and mountainous
in some portions. Tho ranges which form tho north
ern and southern bourdaries are but extended spurs
of tho Cascade, and the surface of the whole basin
presents a corrugated general appeal ance, tho trend
of the ridges being in an easterly and westerly di- ,
rection. The Umpqua valley is not really a " valley," j
as that term is ordinarily applied, but is, rajher, tho j
basin drained by tho Umpqua river, and contains ro
considerable tracts of really level land From the
high, and often rugged, hills, the surfaco sicks to j
leautiful and fertile strips along the streams; and j
these afford, in tho aggregate, a large amount of land .
that is available for the finest branches of sgricol- ;
ture. The eastern part of tho county is most moun- 1
tainous. For a number of miles from the crest of
tho Cascades the country is, of course, U rough for '
successful cultivation. This land is bwily timUr
ed. Midway between tho Cascades and tha omn tho
surfaco of tho country is moro gently rolling, but
none of it is sufficiently level to bo called prairio
land. Tho Umpqua mountains extend along tho
southwestern part of tho county, leaving but a car
row pans in tho northwest, through which tho Vau
qua river flows to tho sea. The surfaco of DotigU
county may, in general, bo deucribed as hilly and
mountainous, with numerous small valleys along tho
streams, having remarkably rich soil and being of
easy access. All tbo cultivable soil is very fertile
and almost exhauatlesa, It is uot exactly a loam, nor
is it of a heavy nature, but it is mellow, rasily work
ed at all times and very rich.
Tho eoplo of tho Umpqua valley claim for their
country one of tho most desirable climates in tho
world. Tho temjerature is freo from tho extremes of
heat and cold, moisture is moderate and hmlthfulorsa
unexcelled. Tho mean annual iempcraturo at Uowv
burg, which is centrally located, is &1T Fahrenheit,
according to tho record kept by tho U. H. signal sr
vice, Tho mean temperature for January, tho cold,
est month, during tho past cine years, was MP, and
for July, tho warmest month, for lh samo Mt
was C').'f atavo rero. Tho avcrago annual rainfall
for tho pant nico years was thirty.fuur ami thirty,
tbree-bundredtha inches, varying from an armgoof
twenty-nice hundredths of an Inch, in Aoguit, to au
aversgo of six and forty-firo hundredths inches, ia
January. In 1SS7 there were three thunder storms;
rain fell on oco hundred snd tbirtyfiro dsys; ono
hundred and fivo days were cloudy, vie hundred and
thirty-eight fair, and oc hundred and twenty-two
clear. The prevailing winds aro from tho cortbwtit,
but mountains afford protection from unpleasant cur
rent which otherwise might touch tho region.
Tho reourc-s of Douglas county arw agricultural,
mineral and timber. It is a wool and fruit growing
country, though stock and grain raising aro Krarcdy
of secondary importance V-tt ttlj and wheat
tre in put years tho farter's aUjls, Ucaawtb)