﻿CHARACTERISTICS 
  OF 
  THE 
  BASIN 
  AREA. 
  299 
  

  

  ley. 
  This 
  valley 
  resembles 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  Malade 
  in 
  most 
  essential 
  feat- 
  

   ures 
  of 
  vegetation. 
  

  

  , 
  Thence 
  westward, 
  the 
  country 
  in 
  Northern 
  Utah 
  and 
  Nevada 
  and 
  

   Southern 
  Idaho 
  and 
  Oregon 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  similar 
  succession 
  of 
  narrow 
  

   ranges 
  and 
  valleys, 
  the 
  former 
  grassy, 
  or 
  containing 
  a 
  sparse 
  growth 
  of 
  

   inferior 
  timber, 
  while 
  the 
  latter 
  are 
  poorer 
  in 
  grass 
  and 
  richer 
  in 
  sage- 
  

   brush. 
  

  

  Along 
  the 
  Central 
  Pacific 
  Railroad 
  the 
  vegetation 
  is 
  very 
  scanty 
  as 
  

   far 
  as 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  Humboldt, 
  and 
  grows 
  still 
  worse 
  to 
  the 
  south- 
  

   ward. 
  This 
  is 
  the 
  country 
  which 
  formed 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  bed 
  of 
  the 
  fossil 
  

   lake 
  Bonneville, 
  and, 
  while 
  the 
  water 
  has 
  departed, 
  the 
  solid 
  portions, 
  

   in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  saline 
  incrustations, 
  remain 
  in 
  immense 
  amount, 
  covering 
  

   thousands 
  of 
  square 
  miles 
  with 
  a 
  white, 
  shining 
  floor 
  of 
  alkali. 
  Of 
  

   course, 
  here 
  it 
  is 
  impossible 
  that 
  vegetation 
  should 
  grow. 
  Even 
  on 
  the 
  

   few 
  groups 
  of 
  mountains, 
  which 
  rise 
  here 
  and 
  there 
  like 
  islands 
  from 
  a 
  

   placid 
  sea, 
  there 
  is 
  little 
  vegetable 
  growth. 
  

  

  The 
  country 
  along 
  the 
  western 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  Wahsatch 
  Range, 
  extend- 
  

   ing 
  thence 
  to 
  the 
  Great 
  Salt 
  Lake, 
  is 
  a 
  fertile, 
  well 
  settled 
  region. 
  The 
  

   inhabitants 
  are 
  Mormons, 
  and 
  their 
  occupation 
  farming. 
  At 
  the 
  base 
  

   of 
  the 
  mountains 
  a 
  continuous 
  line 
  of 
  springs 
  breaks 
  forth, 
  which, 
  with 
  

   the 
  Weber 
  and 
  Ogden 
  Rivers 
  and 
  Box 
  Elder 
  Creek, 
  water 
  nearly 
  the 
  

   whole 
  of 
  this 
  strip. 
  

  

  The 
  lower 
  slopes 
  of 
  the 
  mountains 
  produce 
  a 
  fine 
  growth 
  of 
  bunch 
  

   grass, 
  while 
  on 
  the 
  flat 
  below 
  sage 
  becomes 
  a 
  component 
  to 
  some 
  extent 
  

   of 
  the 
  vegetation. 
  Along 
  the 
  shore 
  of 
  the 
  lake 
  there 
  is 
  much 
  marshy 
  

   land, 
  producing 
  reeds 
  and 
  coarse 
  grasses. 
  All 
  this 
  strip 
  of 
  land 
  can 
  be 
  

   burned 
  over 
  easily. 
  

  

  The 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  Jordan 
  was 
  originally 
  an 
  expanse 
  of 
  sage, 
  bordered 
  

   at 
  the 
  base 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  slopes 
  of 
  the 
  Wahsatch 
  Range 
  by 
  fine 
  pas- 
  

   turage. 
  The 
  grass 
  improves 
  southward, 
  among 
  the 
  valleys 
  on 
  the 
  trib- 
  

   utaries, 
  to 
  the 
  Utah 
  Lake, 
  and 
  on 
  Sevier 
  River, 
  while 
  the 
  mountains 
  and 
  

   higher 
  plateaus 
  are 
  timbered. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  eastern 
  slopes 
  of 
  the 
  Wahsatch 
  Range 
  there 
  are 
  several 
  fine 
  

   valleys, 
  where 
  the 
  plateaus 
  break 
  off 
  against 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  mount- 
  

   ains. 
  One 
  of 
  the 
  largest 
  of 
  these 
  is 
  known 
  as 
  Castle 
  Valley. 
  

  

  Comparatively 
  few 
  of 
  the 
  ranges 
  of 
  Nevada 
  are 
  timbered, 
  and 
  most 
  of 
  

   those 
  are 
  but 
  sparsely 
  covered 
  by 
  a 
  stunted 
  growth 
  of 
  desert 
  species, 
  

   such 
  as 
  Piiion 
  pine 
  and 
  cedar. 
  Of 
  these 
  the 
  Toano, 
  Goshute, 
  East 
  

   Humboldt, 
  Diamond, 
  Piiion, 
  Snake, 
  Antelope, 
  and 
  Cedar 
  Ranges 
  in 
  the 
  

   eastern 
  part, 
  the 
  Pancake, 
  Hot 
  Creek, 
  Monitor, 
  Toyabe, 
  Desatoya, 
  and 
  

   West 
  Humboldt 
  in 
  the 
  center, 
  and 
  the 
  Walker 
  River, 
  Sierra 
  Nevada, 
  

   and 
  Pyramid 
  Lake 
  Ranges 
  in 
  the 
  western 
  part 
  contain 
  nearly 
  all 
  the 
  

   timber 
  of 
  the 
  State. 
  The 
  other 
  ranges 
  are 
  grassy, 
  or, 
  in 
  the 
  south, 
  

   covered 
  with 
  Artemisia, 
  or 
  are 
  barren. 
  

  

  Few 
  of 
  the 
  valleys 
  contain 
  grass 
  enough 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  economic 
  value, 
  ex- 
  

   cept 
  in 
  the 
  northern 
  part. 
  Most 
  of 
  them 
  are 
  waterless 
  and 
  covered 
  

  

  