AGEIOULTURE OF COLORADO. 



By Cyrus Thomas. 



Dear Sir : Having been directed by you, in addition to my otliei: 

 duties, to collect such iuformatiou as I could in regard to the agricul- 

 ture of those portions of Colorado and New Mexico through which your 

 expedition should pass, I have the honor to report to you that I haveper- 

 formed this duty to the best of my ability and opportunities. And here- 

 with I present a partial report of my investigations, being unable to pre- 

 sent even a coiinplete or full preliminary report, for want of statistics, 

 which I cannot obtain in the held, where this is written ; and, also, be- 

 cause I have not yet received answers to some of the most important in- 

 quiries I have sent out to some of the best informed citizens of these Terri- 

 tories. I hope to be able, shortly, to present you a much fuller and more 

 satisfactory report on this very important subject. I trust that even the 

 imperfect and partial report herewith presented will be sufficient to fully 

 justify the interest you have taken in the development of the agricultu- 

 ral resources of the Great West. 



Although the chief object of your expedition may be to determine 

 the geological features of these regions, and thus increase the store of 

 scientific facts b^ which the great problems of nature maybe solved, 

 yet the economic'value of these investigations will be shown in the in- 

 creased impetus they give to the development of the agricultural and 

 mineral resources of the country. 



Our line of travel having been along the eastern flank of the Eocky 

 Mountain range, from north to south, my personal examinations have 

 necessarily been confined to the margin of the arable lands of these 

 territories. And as we were constantly moving, seldom remaining at 

 any one point more than a day or two, I have been compelled to rely 

 upon the statements of residents for much of my information in regard 

 to the climate, seasons, crops, &c., &c. But I have endeavored to con- 

 sult the best sources of information. Two circumstances have very 

 much favored my efforts: 



First. The proper appreciation of your elforts in this direction by the 

 citizens, and their willingness to furnish all the information and aid in 

 their power to facilitate the matter. 



Second. The fact that the passage of your expedition through the 

 country happened to be made during harvest, and m one of the most 

 favorable seasons, for agriculture, that has been experienced in these 

 Territories for many years. This enabled me to make a partial compari- 

 son of the statements received from others, in regard to the yield and 

 quality of the crops, with my own observations on these points, thus 

 testing the accuracy of these statements. I am glad to inform you, that 

 so far as I have been able to make this test, it has confirmed the reports 

 which I have received from others, showing them to be reliable. 



Trusting this may prove satisfactory, I remain vours, trulv, 



CYRUS THOMAS. 



Dr. F. V. Haydbn, 



United States Geologist. 



