Page:U.S. Department of the Interior Annual Report 1879.djvu/64

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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR.

and thirtieth degree of east longitude, Greenwich, and which flows northwardly to the Aleutian Islands, where it separates one branch flowing eastwardly, along the peninsula of Alaska, and then southwardly, along the coast of British Columbia, Washington Territory, and Oregon.

The prevailing winds during the winter are from the southwest, and those of the summer from the northwest.

The temperature of Eastern Washington as compared with the western division is slightly higher during the summer and lower during the winter.

The average annual temperature is reported as follows: Spring, 52°, summer, 73°, autumn, 53°, winter, 34°.

All the cereals, fruits, and vegetables grown within the temperate zone can be raised in Washington Territory. Eastern Washington is the great wheat field of the Territory, with a capacity for upwards of one hundred millions of bushels. The average yield is twenty-five bushels to the acre.

The exportation of wheat during the present year will be upwards of 60,000 tons. Transportation facilities are inadequate to the demand and will so continue until the obstructions are removed at the Dalles, Cascades, and other points on the Columbia River. To secure the removal of these obstructions, liberal appropriations should be made by Congress.

The exports of the Territory have been the cereals and wool, flour, live stock, canned salmon, fish, lumber, coal, potatoes, hops, hides, barrels, lime, &c.

The export of coal during the year was 190,000 tons; lumber, 150,000,000 feet; salmon, 160,000 cases of forty-eight cans each, or a total of 7,680,000 cans.

The population of the Territory on the first of May last, was 57,784, an increase of 7,273 over last year.

The recent transfer of the non-treaty Indians in Eastern Washington to a reservation on the west side of the Okinakane River, has removed all danger of collision between the two races, and will no doubt prevent difficulty in the future.

NEW MEXICO.

The report from New Mexico gives interesting and valuable information relative to the resources of that Territory.

The three leading interests are mineral, grazing, and agricultural; manufacturing is confined almost exclusively to jewelry, of which very exquisite work in filigree is produced in Santa Fé, mostly from gold and silver native to the Territory.

But little advancement has been made in agriculture. Its present condition is very primitive, the old Mexican wooden plow still holding preference with the farmers. The little produced is with a view to satisfy