216 



in all i^arts of the Territory we must resort to tree planting in the hope 

 that it will remedy the evil. 



As for the mineral resources of the Territory I honestly believe we 

 are the richest of all the Territories — richer than all the States, possibly 

 excepting" California. You must bear in mind that mining here is in its 

 infancy. Effort has been made to prevent the development of our min- 

 eral wealth for fear there would be a rush of Gentile emigrants, but 

 that day has passed, and hundreds of miners from surrounding Terri- 

 tories are flocking in. Hundreds of tons of ore are being shipped from 

 here to San Francisco to be smelted, which, after paying all expenses, 

 nets to the miner $30 to $50 per ton, showing clearly the extreme rich- 

 ness of the ores. 



THE CLIMATE AND THE CAPABILITIES OF ARIZONA. 



Pah TJte County^ Arizona. — A rain-gauge is scarcely needed here, as it 

 never rains. I should judge that the past year has not afforded us over 

 one and a half inches of rain, and this is much the same in every sea- 

 son. Snow is out of the question. The past winter has been rather 

 cold; thermometer descending to 18°, (above zero,) one degree lower 

 than observed before. Spring is very backward, at date; frost has not 

 entirely ceased, though the mercury rises to 70° in the shade in day- 

 time. The climate is subject to great extremes; the highest heat I have 

 known here was 118° in the shade, 155° in the sunshine. The country 

 is arid and sterile, depending on irrigation for any crop. The valley 

 land, with irrigation, will yield an average of twenty-five bushels of 

 wheat per acre, often less, and sometimes as much as sixty; cotton, from 

 four hundred to one thousand pounds lint. Of trees, the fig and pome- 

 granate alone seem to thrive well. Grapes are suiier-excellent — all the 

 best grapes of Europe flourish here to perfection ; and there is no region 

 known to me on the globe that will excel this for the vine. I have, indi- 

 vidually, the best collection of European grapes found in a wide region 

 around, which enables me to speak advisedly on the subject. We shall 

 produce here this season a small quantity of as good raisins as the world 

 afibrds, and expect to see the time shortly when we can send to the 

 eastern States this great culinary luxury unsurpassed, and of American 

 production, asking no odds of Malaga or Cadiz for quality. 



TEXAS CATTLE. 



Gonzales County, Texas. — It is estimated that twenty thousand beeves 

 have already left this county this spring for the northern market, via 

 Kansas. The average home price for beeves prior to the war was $15 ; 

 now it is $10. . Stock men complain that, while consumers are paying 

 more for their beef, they are receiving thirty-tbree and one-third per 

 cent, less, the residue going into the hand of speculators. They attribute 

 this fact to two causes, to wit: " First. A combination between a firm in 

 New Orleans, whose names I do not know, and tlieir confreres in this 

 State. By said combination the Texan firm monopolizes the purchasing 

 for the New Orleans market, and the New Orleans parties monopolize the 

 carrying trade of the Gulf of Mexico, and the sales in that city, fix the 

 price they pay, and also the price they receive. Second. By enactments 

 of the different States and the Indian Territory, through which the beeves 

 must be driven, the driving of Texas cattle is either prohibited, or so 

 heavily taxed as to make the expense of getting to market, in the North, 

 enormously high. This action on the part of said States has done moce 



