Semenow’s Explorations in Central Asia. 229 
But the transition zone between the mountain-land and this 
Steppe, is on the contrary, one of the finest agricultural tracts 
onthe continent. It possesses a deep vegetable mould, a luxuri- 
ous growth and such an abundance of water that the inhabitants, 
the Kirghese, the Buruti and the Russian Cossacks, apply an 
artificial irrigation to their fields with surprising facility. 
Wwe now take a general survey of this region in its practical 
Zone, from 1,500 to 4.000 feet of altitude, contains rich arable 
lands. 8. The pine-tree zone, from 4,000 to 7,000 feet in altitude, 
Yields abundance of timber wood for building; and 4, the Alpine 
meadow zone, from 7,600 to 9,000 feet in altitude, entices the 
omads by its wholesome air and its rich pasturage to resort 
thither during the summer. There are two other zones, viz.: _ 
the High- Alp and glacier-zone from 9,000 to 11,200 feet m alti- 
five briefly the results of his observations upon the Issyk-kul 
lake, ces the Transilian Ala-tau and the Thian-schan 
lone there is a plateau of 4,200 feet altitude, 230 wersts in 
iat th, and 70 in breadth, in which the charming lake of Issyk- 
18 Situated. This lake is 150 wersts in its extreme length by 
OND SERIES, Vor. XXVII, No. 80.—MARCH, 1859. 
30 j 
