OBSERVATIONS IN THE NORTHWEST. 61 
Valley, a plateau-like area of land about 140 miles in length and vary- 
ing from 20 to 30 miles in width, or perhaps a little more, if we include 
that lying to the west of the Rio Grande. The general elevation of 
this valley along its eastern border is about 8,000 feet, sloping gradu- 
ally toward the Rio Grande on the west. It is bounded all along the 
east by high, snow-covered mountains, and on the west by a series Of 
voleanic. cones and basaltic ridges. Some of these also, at isolated 
points, are to be seen protruding from the valley itself. All the way 
from Albuquerque, N. Mex., to this point (Fort Garland) the Rio Grande 
appears to be the dividing line between the basaltic and the other rocks, 
the basalt only appearing at isolated points near the river on the east 
side. The general surface of this entire valley is somewhat sandy, and 
the soil is interspersed with bowlders and pebbles from the mountains. 
It is covered with sage-brush, interspersed with short grasses, chiefly 
Bouteloua. At various points small streams cross it, and it is along 
these that all the efforts at farming have been made. 
North of Alamosa and west of the Sierra Sangre de Christo range 
the valley appears to be richer in natural grasses, and is dotted here 
and there by small, shallow lakes. Immediately to the north of Fort 
Garland are situated Sierra Blanca and Mount Baldy, two of the 
highest peaks in Colorado, and at their base runs Ute Creek, the valley 
of which contains some fine grazing lands and afew good ranches, where 
at times the locusts have bred in great numbers. 
After leaving Fort Garland we followed up the valley of Trinchara 
Creek to Veta Pass, where we crossed over the range into the valley of 
the Apaches and Santa Clara—a magnificent farming and grazing sec- 
tion. 
At La Veta the elevation is between 6,000 and 7,000 feet, but descends 
quite rapidly towards the Arkansas, where the country expands into a 
wide, somewhat rolling country, dotted here and there with rocky ridges 
and coal fields. This country lies north of the Spanish Peaks and south 
and east of the Rainy range of mountains. This entire area, with the 
exception of a few small patches, is quite suitable for the propagation 
of locust swarms, and at times undoubtedly has been the seat of great 
swarins, although I failed to obtain any data concerning this insect for 
this particular locality. At the time of passing through here (June LO) 
the vegetation was quite green and the country looked well, although 
around Ojo, in the head of the valley, the oaks had not yet leafed out. 
On the summit in Veta Pass, where the elevation is about 10,400 feet, 
there was about 6 inches of snow. 
Of course these extensive plains, that are so admirably fitted for the 
development of large locust swarms, sometimes have their drawbacks 
in the shape.of seasons of great drought, as well as cold, wet, and back- 
_ ward springs following open winters, and in such cases the locusts suffer 
decrease here as elsewhere. From here we passed through such country 
as has already been often described—that lying between Puebloand Den- 
