202 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OP THE TERRITORIES. 



the average yield being thirty bushels, which he considers a low esti- 

 mate, as he has seen fields turn out as much as sixty bushels to the acre. 

 He says the reason why their harvest is so late is because the cold nights 

 in the spring check its growth, and in the latter part of the summer 

 retard its ripening. Oats grow finely, and yield about forty bushels 

 to the acre. Some corn is raised, principally in the southern end of the 

 valley, yet the seasons are so short, and its growth so much retarded by 

 the cold nights, that it is often injured by autumnal frosts, and even 

 when it matures is of an inferior quality, and the yield light. He finds 

 by experience that in the northern part of the valley it is less liable to 

 injury if planted near the mountain than on the open plain. 



Irish potatoes do well, yielding moderate returns of fine-flavored tubers. 

 Turnips and Mexican squashes can be easily raised. Such garden vege^ 

 tables as cabbages, beets, carrots, peas, &c, can be grown here without 

 difficulty 5 and tomatoes and beans can be raised, but are liable to be 

 injured by the frosts. Very little fruit has hitherto been raised in the 

 valley, but I think if the proper varieties of apples were selected and 

 well managed, a sufficient quantity might be produced to supply the 

 local demand. Currants, raspberries, gooseberries, and strawberries 

 will grow here and produce fruit, but the cultivated varieties will have 

 to be planted, for although the mountain sides furnish an abundance of 

 the wild kinds, they appear to fail when transplanted to the Plains. 



Ample water power for milling and manufacturing purposes can be 

 readily obtained ; and a supply of timber can be had by going to the 

 mountains, especially at the northern and southern extremities of the 

 valley, and it is very probable a large amount of the better kind for 

 building purposes might be floated down the Eio Grande, as far as this 

 river has accessible points. 



The roads within the valley are mostly good ; and those which lead 

 out of ,it at Poncho and Sangre de Christo passes and at the south end 

 can be made good without any great expense. 



I have been thus minute in my description of this basin because much 

 interest has been manifested concerning it of late years, and yet so lit- 

 tle in regard to its agricultural capacity seems to be known. 



The reader will notice that I have omitted to speak of the Taos Val- 

 ley in my description of this basin, although in giving the boundaries 

 I included it. I did so because it is wholly distinct in its character 

 from the rest of the basin, and is almost completely isolated. 



TAOS VALLEY. 



" The valley in which Taos is situated may be said to be formed by a 

 notch or bend in the mountain range. On the southwest is the Picaris 

 Eange, with a strike nearly northeast and southwest. The next range 

 east of this trends about north and south." It is about eighteen miles 

 in extent from east to west and sixteen from north to south, the narrow 

 valley of the Arroyo Hondo forming its northern extremity. There is 

 also an open area, about eight miles wide, on the west side of the Eio 

 Grande, which may properly be counted as a part of it. The entire 

 area, including the strip west of the river, amounts to about two hun- 

 dred and fifty square miles, or one hundred and sixty thousand acres, 

 a large part of which may ultimately be brought under cultivation. 



The deep arroyo or valley at the north end is from one to two miles 

 wide, affording a fertile spot, easily irrigated, where there is a small 

 Mexican settlement and village. 



The entire valley of the Taos seems to have been one broad field of 

 sage, (Artemisea,) which, on the paris where it has not been disturbed, 



