Certain localities in eastern Washington excel in the yield of orchard fruits, chiefly on irrigated lands.  Owing to the abundant sunshine, the fruits of eastern Washington are more highly colored than those of other sections of the state.

Taking the state as a whole, horticulture is rapidly assuming vast importance.  Thousands of acres are yearly being added to the area of orchards, and remarkable cash returns are being realized from the older plantings now in full bearing.

This is true of all the common orchard fruits, apples, pears, peaches, plums, cherries, etc.

In western Washington large plantings of the small fruits are growing in favor, some of the new fruits receiving especial attention.  One plantation of thirty acres is devoted exclusively to Burbank’s phenomenal berry.

Grapes are being grown on both sides of the mountains, the eastern side, however, giving this fruit much more attention.  Cranberries are being produced in quantities on some of the bog lands near the sea coast.

Nuts have been planted on both sides of the mountains in an experimental way, and it has been found that walnuts, chestnuts, and filberts are profitable.  In the southeastern section of the state, nut growing bids fair to develop into a considerable industry.

[Illustration:  Plate No. 19.—­Royal Anne Cherry Tree, Owned by J. H. Rogers, Lexington, Cowlitz County.  Circumference of this Tree Below First Limb, 72-3 Feet.  Yield in 1907, 1,500 pounds.]

[Illustration:  Plate No. 20.—­Dairy Herd on Ranch of T. D. Dungan, Kelso, Cowlitz County.]

[Illustration:  Plate No. 21.—­Douglas County Fruit.]

[Illustration:  Plate No. 22.—­Douglas County Wheat at Tram Waiting Shipment on Columbia River Boats.]

STOCK RAISING.

The glory once enjoyed by this industry is rapidly changing color.  Formerly, a predominating feature of the state was its [Page 25] big herds feeding gratuitously on government lands.  This condition still exists to an extent, the forests being utilized, under regulations by the government, but the herds are limited.

Individual farms and small herds are now the order of the day and, incidentally, better breeds are developing.  This is true of horses, cattle and sheep.  The demand for horses is chiefly for the heavy draft animals for use in the logging camps and on the streets of the cities, and the demand is fairly well supplied, chiefly in eastern Washington.

Good cows and fat steers are always in demand, and Washington’s market for them is not fully supplied from the home farms.  The same is true regarding sheep and hogs.  The phenomenal growth of the seaport towns on Puget Sound and the difficulty in clearing the lands in western Washington combine to make the consumption exceed the home grown supply, and many are imported from neighboring states.