_ February 28, 1907 19 
The Virginia mountains form a strong contrast to those of 
_ the Sierras by their brown and desert-like appearance. From a 
botanical standpoint they are exceedingly interesting, but have 
not yet been explored to any extent. The scarcity of springs 
and the difficulty of packing water make collecting somewhat 
arduous, 
_On the south the valley is closed in by an arm extending 
down from the Virginia mountains and another from the Sierra, 
which come together at Steamboat Springs, where a score or 
more of hot water springs boil up from the ground. This is 
also the type locality of several species mentioned in the Botany 
-of the Fortieth Parallel. The valley on the north is also 
bounded by two spurs, a low one from the Virginia mountains, 
and a higher one from the Sierras, the Peavine Hills, which 
rise to a height of 8270 feet, almost directly north of the city of 
Reno. 
CLIMATE 
As the climate of any given locality frequently has much 
to do with the presence or absence of many species, the follow- 
ing extracts from Bulletin 59, Nevada Agricultural Experiment 
Station, by S. B. Doten, will be of interest for comparison with 
other regions: 
From the year 1888 up to the present time, the University has kept a record 
of the most important features of the local climate. A portion of this record is 
herein presented in a condensed form and published as a bulletin of the Experi- 
ment Station because of its importance to the farmers of this vicinity. 
Average Temperature by Months and Years 
In this irrigated section of the semi-arid west, the temperature of the air is 
of the utmost importance; there is always too little summer rain to count for 
anything; the heat of the air helps to determine the amount of water used in 
irrigation and the rate of plant growth. In the averages for January, for in- 
stance, we find in January 1890 an average monthly temperature below 20 de- 
grees; for January 1900, an average of nearly 4o degrees. The average for six- 
teen Januaries is midway between the two at about 30 degrees. The record for 
February is equally variable; that for July much more constant. 
