THE IRRIGATION AGE 43 



and the business is separate from farming. Carbon county in the 

 southern part of the state contains many good farms and nice homes. 

 The farm products are all sold on the home market. Ditches are 

 small and of the individual character. The tillable land is at an alti- 

 tude of about 7,000 feet and the cereals, grasses and hardy vegetables 

 constitute the crops. 



Converse county lies in the center of the eastern tier of counties, 

 at an altitude of about 5000 feet and is a stock raising section, Water 

 wheels are used for raising from the Platte, and with the aid of small 

 creeks several ranches are irrigated chiefly for hay. Crook county 

 is in the northeast and contains a few farms at an elevation of 4000 to 

 5,000 feet, where cereals and grasses grow profusely. Some good 

 crops are reported to have been grown without irrigation but ditches 

 insure harvests and the farmers have small individual canals for each 

 ranch. Fremont county comprises a large area in the western part of 

 the state and is pretty well watered. The same objection to general 

 farming applies here as in nearly all other counties, in the lack of 

 anything but a local market on account of distance from the railroad. 

 Johnson county in the northern portion of the state has several irri- 

 gated farms and agriculture has been developed much in the past few 

 years. Some successful attempts at individual reservoirs are reported 

 from this county. Laramie county lies in the southeast and is well 

 watered by several streams. The valleys range about 6,000 feet in 

 altitude and are best adapted to stockraising and general ranching in 

 which the people are successful, 



Natrona county lies east of the center of the state and is crossed 

 by the Platte river. The elevation is over 6,000 feet and hay is the 

 principal crop. Sheridan county is situated in the north-center of the 

 state and has some well developed farms. Sweetwater county in the 

 southern part is practically a plain section containing few farms and 

 not many irrigating ditches. Uinta county on the west rises up to an 

 elevation of about 7,000 feet, and contains many hay ranches. Weston 

 county in the eastern part is a plains division containing few farms. 

 The dozen county divisions are practically the same as to altitude, 

 water supply and general aridity. The rainfall is not sufficient to 

 produce crops and the canals are nearly all of the individual ditch 

 character. Wyoming presents an inviting field to the general farmer 

 who will utilize his hay and grain in raising sheep, cattle, horses and 

 hogs. There are but little inducements for the truck farmer and fruit 

 grower, but both occupations can be made profitable in protected val- 

 leys along the lines of railroad. 



The chief cities and towns of Wyoming are Cheyenne, Laramie, 

 Evanston, Rawlins, and Green River along the Union Pacific railroad, 

 lead mines are operated at Evanston, Rock Springs and other points 

 and some general mining is carried on in different sections. Good 

 public schools are maintained everywhere that the population justifies 



