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FEETILB VALLEYS ALONG THE PUEGATOIEE. 85 



shrubs. The snhfloTvxrs grew so high as to tower above us 

 as we rode through them. Cactus plants^ which^ as we went 

 westward, had gradually become larger and more numerous, 

 here attained the height in some places of five feet, and bore 

 rich crimson flowers. Doves cooed and fluttered about amongst 

 the trees and long grass; magpies Yisited us for the first time, 

 and followed us hooting, as is the wont of these inquisitive 

 birds ; graceful deer hid themselves in the thickets, and wild 

 turkeys took refuge in the highest trees ; while two cinnamon 

 bears were found amongst the currant and gooseberry bushes 

 which grew in great abundance by the water's edge". Wlier- 

 ever the earth is especially bountiful, there we are sure to find 

 abundance of animal life. 



By taking advantage of the rapid descent of the river, 

 every one of these valleys could be most easily irrigated. A 

 main ditch^ or ^^acequia madre," running close to the bluffs, 



could be dug around each of them, and smaller ramifications 

 could be brought across the space thus enclosed. Our guide 

 boasted of having raised by iiTigation on his faim eighty 

 bushels of Sonera wheat to the acre, and forty bushels of 

 N oats; and showed us a number of wheat ears as specimens, 

 J which, both in size and weight, were astonishing samples. 



The fields of maize and other produce which we saw looked 

 most beautiful; the wild hops were twice as large as any I 

 have ever seen in Kent, and unpleasantly reminded me of the 

 absence of bitter beer. Besides the fertility of the soil, two 



facts 



the high price 



icultm-al produce, and the inexhaustible nature of 



the 



conToIvul 



Professors Gray and Durand, and probably unique (No. 54 in my collection), 

 tbe other is an equally delicate species of CommeJyna (No. 35). 



