CHAPTER XVIII. 



PASTURES ON THE RANGE. 



The pastures of the western ranges are of immense 

 extent, as are also those of western Canada. Roughly 

 speaking, it would be correct to say that they embrace 

 considerably more than one-third of the entire surface 

 of the United States and even a larger proportion of 

 the northwestern provinces of Canada. 



The Range States. The distinctive range states in- 

 clude Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, 'New Mexico, Ari- 

 zona, Utah, Nevada and Idaho. The range country 

 also includes western North and South Dakota and the 

 western portions of Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and 

 Texas, also the eastern portions of California, Ore- 

 gon and Washington. The range pastures cover from 

 about one-third to two-thirds of the states named, as 

 being partly range, the other portions being arable. 



The Range Country Described. This region is cov- 

 ered with immense areas of mountains, table land and 

 plain, with a considerable area classed as valley land 

 beside the streams. The plains, which lie in great part 

 eastward from the mountains are destitute of trees, 

 except beside the streams which flow through them 

 and which are fed by the melting snows upon the moun- 

 tains. They are usually, but not always sufficiently 

 even in surface, to admit of cultivating the soil and 



