172 American Horliciiltural Society. 



Now, when we consider that an inch of rain is equal to 100 tons of water 

 per acre, and niuhii)ly the milUons of acres of plowed land by the number 

 of inches or hundreds of tons that have been absorbed in the plowing, which 

 formerly ran off, we can see that the settlers have materially chanired the 

 conditions of the plains. 



While your desert lands look very unjjromising to the tourist, even when 

 compared with the plains, the close observer will see many things aside from 

 climate in your favor. Any one studying these det-erts carefully will see that 

 lying neglected they must be gradually growing drier and drier. This is 

 plain to be seen. We see where deep lakes once overflowed, no water stands 

 now; where monstrous trees once grew, as shown in the petrified forests, 

 only pigmies, in com])arison, grow there now. We see that the channels 

 of the streams are genenUly being cut deeper, which, of course, drains the 

 country more rapidly. We now and then see an article, very prettily writ- 

 ten, attempting to show that the iron bands laid across the continent pro- 

 duce electricity and increase the rain-fall. Unfortunately, I can not explain 

 to you just how this is done; neither can the writers of these articles. I 

 certainly think that the railroads have had a wonderful effect in increasing 

 the intelligence of the settlers. It is apparent to any one who has traveled 

 over the country to any great extent, that the people living along the line of 

 a railroad improve in intelligence more rapidly than those Jiving twenty or 

 more miles distant. Kailroads are good educators and civilizers, but I did 

 not suppose, until I crossed the Central Pacific last summer, that the rail- 

 roads are educators of the Indians as well as of the whites. I was surprised 

 to see the Indians, along the line of the road, in the vicinity of the Humboldt 

 river, looking strong and healthy and decently clad. Indeed, some of the 

 young men were dudes in their way — dressed in modern citizens" clothes, 

 high-heeled, calf-skin boots, a sombrero and fancy Mexican blanket. I had 

 not time to inquire into their general intelligence, neither did I think to in- 

 quire into their political proclivities, but judging from the way they put on 

 airs, I concluded that they must be mugwumps. I had traveled through 

 this same territory many years ago, and could not help drawing a comparison 

 between the Indians as thej' were then and as they are now. 



Although a trille less than forty years had elapsed, yet the contrast was 

 very striking. I did not see them in any great numbe'rs at that time, and 

 we supposed that the better part of them kept away from the emigrant trail, 

 but those I did see were a cadaverous, half-starved looking lot, living on 

 large black crickets, kneaded into pounded green vegetable matter, resem- 

 bling wheat just at the time it is heading out. Their ajiparel consisted of a 

 thick, matted head of hair and a cloth around their loins; but this was only 

 when they were in full dress, as there were some exceptions where they 

 seemed to have sent their whole wardrobe to the laundry. 



Although I have not had the opportunities for studying tree growth on 

 this side of the continent that I have had on the other side, I have yet seen 

 some very encouraging signs. I have seen changes recently in parts of the 



