44 LANDS OF THE ARID REGION OF THE UNITED STATES. 
watered by lone springs, brooks, and the small branches, should be classed 
as irrigable lands, to give the greatest possible development to this indus- 
try. The limit of the timber lands should be clearly defined, to prevent 
the fraudulent acquirement of these lands as pasturage lands. The irriga- 
ble and timber lands are of small extent, and their boundaries can easily be 
fixed. All of the lands falling without these boundaries would be relegated 
to the greater class designated as pasturage lands. It is true that all such 
lands will not be of value for pasturage purposes, but in general it would 
be difficult to draw a line between absolutely desert lands and pasturage 
lands, and no practical purposes would be subserved thereby. Fix the 
boundaries of the timber lands that they may be acquired by proper 
methods; fix the boundaries of the irrigable lands that they may also be 
acquired by proper methods, and then permit the remaining lands to be 
acquired by settlers as pasturage lands, to the extent that they may be 
made available, and there will be no fear of settlers encroaching on the 
desert or valueless lands. 
Heretofore we have been considering only three great classes of lands— 
namely, irrigable, timber, and pasturage lands, although practically and 
under the laws there are two other classes of lands to be recognized— 
namely, mineral lands, #. e., lands bearing lodes or placers of gold, silver, 
cinnabar, ete., and coal lands. Under the law these lands are made special. 
Mineral lands are withheld from general sale, and titles to the mines are 
acquired by the investment of labor and capital to an amount specified in 
the law. Coal lands are sold for $20 per acre. The mineral lands proper, 
though widely scattered, are of small extent. Where the mimes are lodes, 
the lands lie along the mountains, and are to a greater or less extent value- 
less for all other purposes. Where the mines are placers, they may also be 
agricultural lands, but their extent is very limited. To withhold these 
lands from purchase and settlement as irrigable, timber, and pasturage 
lands will in no material way affect the interests of the industries con- 
nected with the last mentioned lands. The General Government cannot 
reasonably engage in the research necessary to determine the mineral 
lands, but this is practically done by the miners themselves. Thousands 
of hardy, skilful men are vigorously engaged in this work, and as mines 
