41 



mately between the one hundred and first and one hundred and fourth 

 degrees of longitude and between the tliirty-second and thirty-tifth par- 

 allels of latitude. The altitude ranges from 3,500 to 4,500 feet, being 

 greatest along the western border in IS'ew Mexico, thence sloping uni- 

 formly toward the southeast. The plains proper contain about 35,000 

 square miles in Texas and New Mexico. The surface is a succession of 

 gently rolling hills with long ridges and valleys, the ascents being so 

 gradual that they are hardly noticeable. The soils are mainly choco- 

 late or reddish loams. Well water can be obtained almost anywhere 

 within moderate depths from the surface. The northwestern border of 

 the Staked Phiins is more or less channeled with deep "arroyos" or 

 canyons. The upper valleys of the Salt and South Forks of the Brazos 

 Kiver and of the Ked Eiver are very wide, showing that they formerly 

 carried much more water than during recent years. The southern half 

 is more sandy than the northern, with bare sand hills in Cochran, 

 Terry, Yoakum, Gaines, and Anderson counties, Tex., and in eastern 

 Chaves and Eddy counties, IST. Mex. There are numerous brackish or 

 saline lakes at about the geographical center of the plains, occurring 

 through Gaines, Lynn, Terry, Hockley, Land), and Bailey counties, Tex. 

 The entire region, with the possible exception of the sand hills, is admi- 

 rably adapted for stock raising. It is well grassed with an abundance 

 of species, and, while not watered by flowing streams as are the lower 

 l)rairies bordering the Plains on either side, yet the confignration of the 

 underlying strata is such that, as previously stated, an abundance of 

 sweet water for stock ])urposes can be secured almost anywhere. The 

 geological formation indicates that this entire region was formerly the 

 bed of a great inland lake, and since its elevation in recent geologic 

 times it has lost less by erosion and its character has undergone less 

 change than the better-drained and better- watered prairies to the east- 

 ward. The soils are exceedingly rich, so that in good seasons or wher- 

 ever water is near enough to the surface to be cheaply and abundantly 

 raised by means of windmills for use in irrigation large crops of cereals, 

 vegetables, fruits, and forage plants can be grown; but in ordinary 

 seasons, or in the absence of water within moderate distance below the 

 surface, the amount of moisture retained by the surface soils is not 

 sufficient for the purposes of agriculture. The native grasses grow 

 luxuriantly. The species are mostly identical with those which thrive 

 on the high plains of western Kansas and Nebraska, consisting of wheat 

 grass {A(jropyron spieatum)^ little blue stem {Andropogon scoparins)^ 

 side oats grama {Boutelona curtipendula), blue grama (Z>. olii/ostachya), 

 and buffalo grass {Bulbilis daetyloides). These species supply the 

 larger part of the grazing, especially in the northern portion of the 

 Plains. On the sandy lands in the southern half of the Plains, feather 

 sedge {Andropogon saccharoides) coming up from the prairies of south- 

 ern Texas displaces tlie little blue stem, and a number of other grasses 

 identical with those of the Pecos Valley are abundant, including the 



