There are no forests, the land being covered with bunchgrass and sagebrush.

Irrigation.

Along the rivers some farmers have irrigated small parcels of land by pumping water, but the bulk of the irrigable lands are awaiting the action of the U. S. Reclamation Service, which it is thought will ultimately be engaged in an extensive irrigation problem to reclaim thousands of acres now arid and barren.  The warm climate of these low Bandy lands has already been proven to be immensely advantageous to the gardener and fruit-grower, and the lands wonderfully productive when the magic influence of plenty of water renders the sources of plant life soluble.

The wheat crops now being produced come from the bench lands without irrigation.

Transportation.

The Northern Pacific railway passes diagonally through the county and crosses the Columbia river near Pasco.  The Oregon Railroad & [Page 58] Navigation railway taps the wheat belt in the northern part of the county and the North Coast is projected through it, while the Portland & Seattle follows the north bank of the Snake river along its southwestern boundary, thus giving the county four systems of railroad, besides the Columbia river steamboats.

Principal cities and towns.

Pasco is the county seat, in the extreme southern portion of the county, near the Columbia river, and is more noted as a railroad center than as a shipping point, on account of the fact that the surrounding lands are as yet unirrigated.  It has a population of about 1,800, and is just now enjoying new vigor and much building in anticipation of its future usefulness as a commercial center for distribution of both merchandise and agricultural products.

Connell, in the northern part of the county, is a shipping point of importance, and has two railroad lines and a third one coming.  In addition to the cereals, many sheep and horses are being raised and shipped out of the county from this vicinity.

GARFIELD COUNTY

Garfield county is the second from the southeast corner of the state, and extends from the Snake river on the north to the state boundary on the south.  It has 627 square miles of territory and a population of about 7,000.

The southern portion is included in the Wenaha forest reserve, and is quite heavily timbered.  The northern portion is an extremely prolific farming region, made up of undulating lands with deep rich soil, composed of clays and volcanic ash.  No irrigation is necessary, and very heavy crops of grain are annually matured.

Resources.

As already intimated, the chief source of income for the county comes from the tillage of the soil.  Of the crops raised, barley is in the lead, having furnished 1,800,000 bushels in 1907, which places this county second of all counties in the state in the production of this cereal.  Wheat and oats are also largely produced.  Stock-raising in the southern ranges of the county is very profitable, and much fruit is of late years being produced.  Indeed, Garfield county is well up to the front in the per capita wealth of its citizens.