Reclamation of the arid Region. 169 



Within this great area, the extent of which is nearly half that 

 of the United States, there is almost every variety of topography 

 and climate, from the low sandy plains exposed to almost tropical 

 heat to the lofty mountain ranges with alpine snows and winds. 

 Portions of it are as truly humid as any part of the east, but 

 these are too small and isolated to be severally distinguished in 

 a broad survey of the whole. Plant life is everywhere abundant, 

 but it is of a kind strange to the eyes of the traveller from the 

 Eastern states, appearing to him sparsely distributed and ]3ar- 

 taking of the general dry sun-burned character of the landscape. 

 The bright green of fields and trees is rarely seen in the natural 

 conditions, except after the rainy season, or on the high, well- 

 watered mountain slopes. During the long seasons of drought 

 the vegetation becomes brown and dusty, apparently dying, to 

 revive, however, after the occasional rains. 



During the many years in which the population was spread- 

 ing from the Atlantic coast westerly over the broad Mississippi 

 valley the arid regions were regarded as of little or no value, 

 and were left for the Indians, the wandering trapper or pros- 

 pector, and the despised Mormon ; but when at last the fertile 

 areas of the east were exhausted and places for homes jiiust be 

 had elsewhere, the people of the eastern part of the United States 

 suddenly awoke to the realization that there were great resources 

 yet to be developed within this vast extent of country. Thus 

 within comparatively few years the population of the arid region 

 has enormously increased. Every possible resource is being 

 rapidly exploited, and the results of geographers and other in- 

 vestigators are being immediately acted upon to aid in pushing 

 forward the development of this new land, which from its 

 enormous extent promises to furnish homes for future millions. 



The arid regions, as a whole, are best known by their mineral 

 wealth, especially of the precious metals. For many years min- 

 ing has been the principal industry, the necessary supjslies being 

 originally brought from great distances. Agriculture was then 

 deemed not only as too slow a road to wealth, but it was even 

 asserted that owing to drought it would be utterly impracticable. 

 Stock-raising, however, gradually encroached upon the areas 

 hitherto regarded as deserts, the cattle men, as they were forced 

 westward by the advance of civilization, gradually displacing 

 the roving bands of Indians and buffaloes. A peculiar form of 

 agriculture, looked down upon by the adventurous miners and 



23— Nat. Grog. Mag , vol. V, 1803. 



