20 



of many kinds, Pentsteuions and Eriogonums troop forth in great profu- 

 sion on all the slopes. These, however, soon succumb to the unob- 

 scured summer sun. J>y the end of June n)ost of them are dead and 

 blown away, only a few seed stalks lingering to tell the tale of what 

 has been. 



FORAGE. 



The Eed J)esert is distinctively a stock region. Outside of the few- 

 favored spots kept fresh by springs, there are no farms or gardens. 



From the 1st of June till the 1st of J^ovember the region is practi- 

 cally devoid of stock of all kinds. With the coming of the snows the 

 herds and flocks are worked back into the desert from the summer pas- 

 tures in the hills and mountains. Through the winter and spring 

 months thousands of head feed upon this rougli forage, the snowdrifts 

 furnishing the water for all. The sheep herder in his wagon, also 

 dependent upon the snows, guides his flock from district to district as 

 new pasturage is needed. By the time the stock is taken to the sum- 

 mer range the desert is barren indeed. Grasses, sage-brush, salt sage, 

 white sage, rabbit brush, and even cedar boughs have been grazed so 

 close that every edible sprig is gone. • 



AMOUNT OF FORAGE. 



The number of head of stock that the vegetation of a district will 

 support gives some idea of the amount of forage produced. While giv- 

 ing no facts in pounds or tons, yet relative estimates may be secured. 

 8in-ce the de.sert neither occui)ies the whole of auy one county nor is 

 confined altogether to a single county, no statistics separate from those 

 of the several counties which are in i)art within the de.sert can be given. 

 The desert includes a large part Sweetwater County, a county some- 

 what smaller tliau the whole of the desert. Tlie following ollicial fig- 

 ures for this county, showing the number of head of stock supported, 

 will, therefore, be a fair estimate for the desert as a whole. The figures 

 are given for three years, in order to show what may be expected from 

 its forage one year with another. 



Stock supported in Sweetwater County. 



Besides this stock, there .ire trailed through this county each year 

 from l.')(),()(M) to L'OO.OOO sliec]). These are driven al(»ng slowly, the i)as- 

 sage i)i' some of the Hocks through the <'ounty occupying weeks. 



During the winter months the adjoining counties, especially Carbon 

 County, and the adjoining iStates — Colorado, Utah, and Idaho— gre.itly 



