96 LoN L. Swift Wallowa, and Jackson; those between 150 and 200 acres were Josephine, Coos, Lincoln, Tillamook, Clatsop, Columbia, and Yamhill. A study of the total and improved areas in farms will show the relative amount of land in actual cultivation and in waste or pasture in each county ; and a further comparison of the improved areas with the total valuation will give a more exact idea of the fertility of the soil. In 1900 one- third of the farm land in the State was improved. It will be remem- bered that, with few exceptions, the counties of the Willamette Valley had the highest valuation of farm land. Of these, Multnomah was almost at the bottom of the list in rank of total area of farm lands and had about one-third of this area improved, which was the average for the State, showing a normal amount of waste or pasture land in this county, a very high fertility of soil of the improved land, and the raising of valuable crops. Multnomah, however, is favored by Portland, the metropolis of the State, which offers an advantageous market and other superior conditions. Clack- amas ranked thirteenth in total area and had less than one- third of its farm lands improved ; Marion, eighth in total area, but half of its farm lands were improved. There was not so much uncultivated farm land in Marion County as in Multno- mah or Clackamas, but its cultivated areas did not produce crops as valuable as those of Multnomah or Clackamas; however, Portland is the great market center of Oregon, and the farther distant a place is from this metropolis, the greater disad- vantage it must face in marketing its produce. Linn ranked sixth in total area of farm lands ; Lane, fifth ; the two being nearly equal. The former had two-fifths of this area improved; Lane had considerably less than one-third improved. Lane, therefore, had more waste land, but its cultivated farms were more valuable. Washington ranked ninteenth ; Yamhill, fifteenth ; Polk, eighteenth ; Benton, twenty-first. Washington had more than one-third improved ;
Yamhill, almost one-half; Polk, the same; Benton, one-third.----
