IOWA TO PUGET SOUISTD. 57 



bnisli .sii])pli('s it in winter; but the reiiioii is about 4-, 000 feet 

 hig-b and so situated tbat it ean scareelv be irrigated as is being 

 done on a larcc scale farther west in Idaho. To the west- 

 ward the topography presents an aspect quite simihir to that of 

 the Utah desert, but less rugged. Finally at jSTampa, on Snake 

 River south of lioise, irrigated fields are eoinmon along the 

 river valley, supporting excellent growths of hay, alfalfa, fruits 

 and vegetables; here also were seen the great irrigation ditches, 

 in process of construction by the Government and by private 

 corporations, and destined to convert the desert into a land of 

 great fertility. Other interesting plants seen in various environ- 

 ments in ]^assing through Idaho are Jiuiipmis scopuJonnn, 

 Liij>i)tii.sfi(>ric<'its. EIi/))iii.^ rondensafus. Iris inissoiinensis, A luc- 

 hincliicr iitalicnsis, Piirsliia ir'ulcntdia. B(ils(niioi-]i Iza sngittata, 

 Wyetliia (iinpIexicaiiJis and some species of Bigelorid. ])robably 

 the one seen in Utah. 



Before dark we began to get into the wooded region of 

 eastern Oregon, and at dawn we Avero in the vfdlev of the 

 (Columbia river, among the beautiful Cascade mountains. We 

 were hurried along rapidly until we reached Portland, and 

 after a short sto]T, we ]>roceeded on our way to Seattle. During 

 this pai't cf the journey, Alonnl Hood, Mount St. Helens. Mount 

 Ranier (Tacoma) and AFount Baker were all seen in the dis- 

 tance, rising as white domes of snow, Avhile the Olympic moun- 

 tains Avere at times plaiidy visible to the westward, making 

 a most imixising scene, thoua'h seventv-five miles distant. From 

 the Cascades westward and northward from Portland, it Avas 

 l)y no means easy to get any sort of notion of the trees growing 

 in the forests. However, it was apparent that the aspect of the 

 forests changed greatly after passing through the mountains. 

 In thei Cascades were noticed the western lartdi, Lan.r occiden- 

 tcdis; Pimis ponderosa, which is very rare west of the mountains, 

 Pinus murrayana, which seems to be characteristic of the moun- 

 tains or regions eastAvard, though only slightly differing from 

 Pinus contorta in the loAA-'er altitudes Avest of the mountains; 

 the Fngelniann s]ini('(' (Piccn riii/cJiiiainii ), and Jtnnpcriis 



