390 MR. M. P. PRICE ON THE VEGETATION OF 
the river-side. Some of these sandy river-terraces also contained a new and 
much drier floral association, which began to appear here for the first time. 
It was represented by Dianthus versicolor, Caragana Bungei and C. arbor- 
escens, Sedum hybridum, Thymus Serpyllum, Potentilla bifurca, Agropyron 
cristatum, Veronica incana. Higher up the Bei Kem River this steppe-like 
flora began to enlarge and covered some considerable areas edjoining the 
river. These areas were largely used as grazing-grounds for the Urian-Hai 
* sandwiched " in between the 
natives. The steppe-like association here was 
Siberian Lareh-forest association of the hills and that surrounding the river- 
banks. There was a large area of this type of steppe association in the 
neighbourhood of Lake Todju Kul. Descending the Bei Kem River we came 
to a series of rapids about 50 miles above its Junction with the Khua Kem. 
The plateau valley above the rapids stood at about 2500 feet in altitude and 
was clothed with dense jungle of Picea obovata, Larie sibirica, and Populus 
suaveolens. 
The mountains surrounding the gorge of the Bei Kem at this point were 
ascended by Mr. Carruthers, who observed that the forest of Pinus sibirica 
and Picea obovata was not so dense as on the Sayansk mountains. Не also 
observed that the ground was covered with deep half-dry moss, as if it were 
a sponge which had just run dry. The forest-line here was 5800 feet, and 
Pinus sibirica was the last tree on the forest-line. On the summit there was 
a flat tableland on which there was very little reindeer-moss but much grass. 
It seems probable that these mountains in the centre of the Upper Yenisei 
plateau are intermediate in climate between the Sayansk and the Tannu-ola 
mountains. ‘The more southern latitude brings less snow in winter than on 
the Sayansk and proportionately more heat in summer, while the altitudes in 
both cases are the same. 
In the valley of Bei Kem below the gorge, which is also continued in the 
Ulu Kem further to the west, the valley-sides become gradually barer and 
the dry steppe-like flora begins to creep in, till at last the forest completely 
disappears. 
It is worth noticing that throughout the upper reaches of the Upper Bei 
Kem Russian traders and settlers have attempted agriculture. Thus, near the 
junction of the Shabash and Bei Kem (about 3000 feet alt.), rye was grown 
in patches by the river. It was impossible to grow wheat on account of the 
short summer, and sometimes even rye failed to ripen. At a point just 
above the Bei Kem rapids (2800 feet) both rye and wheat were sown, but 
rye was the only certain crop. Just below the Bei Kem rapids (2000 feet) 
we found a fur-trader on the steppe growing wheat to perfection. Here 
the climate was, if anything, too dry, and it was apparently necessary to 
irrigate during the summer. Water-melons, cucumbers, apples, and pears 
б grown successfully. 
were also being 
