566 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 
creased fully 25 per cent. during the past three years. This valley, as 
& wheat-growing section, stands among the first in the Territory, its soil 
being peculiarly adapted to the production of this cereal. It is also the 
best potato region in the Territory. Its altitude averages about 5,000 
feet above the level of the sea, the elevation at the mouth of the San 
Pete River being 4,960 feet. 
The Sevier River Valley is a long, narrow belt lying between the 
wings of the Wahsatch range, and extending southwest and northeast 
one hundred and ten to one hundred and fifteen miles. For fifty to 
sixty miles above Gunnison it averages six to seven miles in width, but 
is wholly without timber, and has a barren appearance, even the arte- 
misia being scattered and stunted. The river channel is generally a 
deep ditch-like cleft in the soil, six to eight feet below the surface of the 
plain, its immediate bottoms being very narrow. With the considerable 
fall in the stream a great portion of the valley can be irrigated, and, not 
withstanding the present barren appearance, after a few years’ irtiga- 
tion, may become quite fertile and produce good crops of wheat, oats, 
potatoes, &c. There are some settlements in the north part of the val- 
ley, and a few thousand acres under cultivation in Sevier .and Pinto 
Counties, which embrace this valley. The elevation ranges from 4,800 
to 5,500 feet above the level of the sea, and the volume of water in the 
river is ample for all purposes. From Gunnison to Chicken Creek, a 
distance of forty miles, the valley of this river averages three to four 
miles wide, and is similar in character to that farther south. 
Leaving the Sevier and following the road over the ridge to the south- 
west, we enter an isolated basin, called Round or Lake Valley, which 
appears to have little or no connection with the water systems of the 
Sevier Basin. This is ten to twelve miles long and six or seven wide, 
but for want of water only a limited portion of it can be brought under 
culture by irrigation. There is probably sufficient to supply a strip of 
about a mile and a half in width, and there are some small grazing-fields. 
Passing westward out of this valley we enter upon the margin of the 
plains, which spread out with a gentle slope to the northwest. The 
little streams that run down from the mountains and pass off into the 
plains afford a belt of arable spots along the foot of the range, concern- 
ing which the following particulars have been obtained. Going south 
from the latter point, after passing some ten miles over the divide, we 
reach a little stream where there is a settlement and a small extent of 
irrigable land, and an area ten to twelve miles long and four or five 
wide, suitable for grazing sheep or cattle. Passing over a dry level 
plain for about eight miles, we reach Chalk Creek, bordered by a val- 
ley eight to ten miles long and about two miles wide, the greater 
part of which can be irrigated. Crossing another dry level of about 
four miles, we reach Meadow Creek, which has but little bottom land 
adapted to agriculture, and not sufficient water to irrigate more than a 
few hundred acres. It is probable, however, that a ditch could be 
brought around from Chalk Creek, by which a considerable area of the 
upper level could be rendered tillable. 
Corn Creek, which is about five miles farther south, is flanked by a 
moderately-broad area of flat land, which can be irrigated to the full 
extent of the supply of water. Cove Creek Vailey, about ten miles 
farther on, furnishes but little farming land, but contains some good 
grazing fields, and is already occupied to a considerable extent for this 
purpose. Five or six miles south is another small stream, (probably 
Pine Creek,) where sufficient land for a few farms might be irrigated. 
Passing over a divide of nine to ten miles, we reach Indian Creek, 
