1906 these bench lands in this county added 1,500,000 bushels of
wheat to the world's supply and in the following season nearly
doubled that output.

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