GEOLOGICAL SUEVEY OF THE TERRITORIES. 



237 



December shows the lowest monthly mean, and July the highest, at 

 both places. 



The record of Camp Douglass indicates a climate very favorable to 

 agriculture, the mean of the five months April, May, June, July, and 

 August being 64.91, and the thermometer at no time, from May to Sep- 

 tember, inclusive, falling as low as the freezing-point. Other meteoro- 

 logical data which I have at hand, although fragmentary, corroborate 

 this, and, as a means of reference, I present a summary in the following 

 table, calling attention to the fact that the records were not all kept at 

 the same point, but all in Salt Lake Basin, and therefore can only be 

 considered valuable as indicating the climate of the basin, (the lake 

 basin proper,) taken as a whole : 



Localities. 



Spring. 



Summer. 



Autumn. 



Winter. 



Yearly. 



Camp Doa""lass 



47.51 



51.7 



47.17 



72. 03 



75.9 



75.65 



69.7 



72.32 



69.2 



54.77 



31.73 



32.1 



23.32 



21.87 

 27.5 



51.51 



Great Salt Lake, (Blod^et) 





Camp Floyd, (Disturnel) 



48.44 

 (Oct.) 54. 7 



48.65 



Wanship, (Agricultural Report, 1868) 





Salt Lake City, (ditto, 1868 and 1869) 







Coalville, in the mountains, (ditto, 1869) . . . 



45.9 



48.9 











]^ean 



48.07 



72.47 



5L70 



27.30 



50 08 







The record kept by Captain Stansbury while in Salt Lake Valley em- 

 braces but a part of the year, as follows : January to May, inclusive ; 

 parts of June, July, and August j and a few days in September and De- 

 cember. In this the maximum is, August 10, 3 p. m., 98^; minimum, 

 February 3, 8 a. m., 6<^, while at 11 p. m. of the previous day it was 8°. 



The only record of rain-fall within the basin that I have is that of 

 Camp Douglass, which is given in one of the foregoing tables. There 

 is some doubt in regard to the reduction of the snow, which materially 

 lessens the value of this column, so far as the winter months are con- 

 cerned. I will simply call attention to the fact that this gives for the. 

 four growing months, April, May, June, and July, a total of 7.71 inches, 

 which is but 0.37 above my estimate in my last report of the general 

 average for spring and summer. 



FORESTS. 



The Wahsatch Eange is covered with a moderately heavy growth of 

 pines and firs, but these are confined chiefly to the upper half of the 

 mountains, leaving a wide border alon g the base uncovered. The Oquirrh 

 Mountains, the range west of Utah Lake, and the Promontory also con- 

 tain considerable quantities of pine timber. But as a general thing, the 

 timber within the rim of the basin, south of the Pacific Kailroad, is small. 

 On some of the ranges north a better quality is found, but it is not very 

 abundant at any point. In regard to the forest growth west and south- 

 west of the lake, I know very little. 



CHAPTER III. 



NORTHERN PART OF SALT LAKE BASIN AND THE SNAKE RIVER PLAINS. 



Having in my last report given short descriptions of the principal 

 valleys of Utah, with rough estimate^ of their arable areas, will only 



