1919] Hall-Goodspeed: Chrysil 205 



frequent intervals by draws and gulches from which flow the streams 

 tributary to the Reese River. This river has an interrupted flow 

 through the greater part of the valley though it is itself a very small 

 stream. The floor of the valley is comparatively level, and rises grad- 

 ually to the mountains on either side. The altitude, which is four thou- 

 sand five hundred feet at Battle Mountain, increases at the southerly 

 end to upward of six thousand feet. The soil is alkaline and is of the 

 type usually found in arid regions. The precipitation is meager ; the 

 greater portion probably occurs in the fall and winter. The summers 

 are comparatively long and the number of days of sunshine in one year 

 probably approaches three hundred. The coldest temperature experi- 

 enced by the writer while in this valley during the month of December, 

 1918, was -15° F. 



The character of both soil and climate permits the growth of only 

 drought-resistant vegetation. Generally speaking, the lowest lands 

 of the valley floor are occupied by Chrysothamnus, while the more ele- 

 vated portions are covered for the most part with Artemisia. Much 

 of the lowlands is covered with pure stands of Chrysothamnus. Again 

 large tracts occur in which this shrub represents fifty per cent of the 

 entire stand. Along the river bottom the dominant shrub is Chryso- 

 thamnus, but in many places in the immediate vicinity of the stream 

 the soil appears to be fairly moist in character, and is occupied by 

 willows. In such sections, which are comparatively few, Chrysotham- 

 nus occupies the zone next to the willows and on either side of the 

 stream. At many places in the valley the brush, in stands more or less 

 pure, extends into the draws and gulches. Where the Chrysothamnus 

 forms occur to the practical exclusion of other types, the stands are 

 quite dense, the plants averaging from four to ten feet apart. It is 

 believed that the pure stands occupj^ those parts of the valley in which 

 the physiological drought of the soil reaches the maximum. 



The pure stands of Chrysothamnus throughout the entire district 

 are for the most part of the consimilis form. While there are some 

 comparatively small areas of the gray varieties, these seldom occur 

 in pure stands- and none of this type are included in the estimate for 

 the district. The size of the green brush is variable. Some of the 

 plants are quite large, the height being three to eight feet. While 

 some of the larger ones would weigh as much as twenty-five pounds, 

 it is not difficult to find others that would weigh still more. The 

 average, however, is much lower, and the weights employed for the 

 purpose of the estimates in this report are between two and seven 



