916 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The Eio Grande is the largest river of the Territory. It rises in 

 southwest Colorado, at an elevation of 11,900 feet, flows centrally 

 and southerly through the Territory, mainly through a broad valley, 

 and furnishes abundant water to irrigate all the land available through- 

 out its entire length in the Territory. The annual rise of this stream 

 takes place in May or June, when the deep snows in the high moun- 

 tains about its head are melted and sent down by numerous tributaries 

 into the main river. 



The northeastern portion of the Territory is drained by the Ca- 

 nadian River emptying into the Arkansas in the Indian Territory. 

 The principal tributaries in ISTew Mexico are the Yermejo, the Cimar- 

 ron, and Mora Rivers, all with fertile valleys and affording large sup- 

 plies of water. 



Next after the Rio Grande, the Pecos is the most important river in 

 the Territory. It rises in the higli mountains west of Las Vegas, 

 where it is fed by the everlasting snows, and flows southerly through 

 the eastern part of the Territory a distance of about 30 ) miles. The 

 principal tributaries are the Yaca, Gallinas, Salado, Tecolote, Hondo, 

 Panasco, Seven Rivers, Black, and Delaware. The upper portion of 

 the river has many fine valleys of considerable extent in the mountains 

 and foothills, and further south the water can be taken out for irriga- 

 tion and distributed over a vast extent of country. 



The northwestern portion of the Territory is drained by the Rio San 

 Juan, with the following tributaries: Pinos, Navajo, Animas, La Plata, 

 and Manco. The Puerco of the West, the Zuni, and Tulerosa Rivers 

 are in the central west. 



The Rio Mimbres, Rio Gila, and San Francisco are in the extreme 

 southwest of the Territory. 



Numerous small streams, arroyas, and springs are to be found all over 

 the Territory. 



New Mexico has an average breadth of 335 miles; length of eastern 

 boundary, 345 miles; length of western boundary, 390 miles; the whole 

 covering an area of 122,444 square miles. By geographical divisions, 

 it is bounded on the north by the State of Colorado, on the east by the 

 public domain and the State of Texas, on the south by the State of 

 Texas and the Mexican States of Chihuahua and Sonora, and on the 

 west by the Territory of Arizona. 



If we calculate the area which is covered by mountains (where tim- 

 ber, however, is valuable and the sides are, as a rule, covered with the 

 most nutritious grasses) at about 14,125,203 acres, and arid or barren 

 lands at 3,610,793, there is left a total of 38,640,446 acres of irrigable, 

 agricultural and grazing lands. 



The present principal agricultural districts are: The Rio Grande 

 Valley from the thirty-seventh parallel of north latitude to the southern 

 boundary of the Territory; the Pecos Valley; the Canadian River 

 section situated in the northeastern corner of che Territory and drained 



