WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI KIVER. 803 



of acres covered by present ditches is 735,226, leaving the number of 

 acres that can be used when irrigated at 1,568,774. Thus it will be 

 seen that only about one-third of the irrigable land suitable for agri- 

 cultural purposes is under irrigation. One of the largest and most im- 

 portant irrigating canals in the Territory is that owned by the Bear 

 Eiver Canal Company, which, when completed, will irrigate 200,000 

 acres of land and also furnish Ogden with a large portion of the water 

 necessary for that city. This canal heads in the Bear Eiver Canyon 

 and has a never-failing source of supply in Bear Lake. This company 

 has expended nearly $2,000,000, and has over 100 miles of canals. Near 

 the Topouee Eanch the water is carried over the Malad, 100 feet below 

 the top of its banks, on an iron viaduct costing $30,000. 



NUMBER OP SHEEP IN THE TBRRITOEY. 



The number of sheep in the Territory in 1860 was 37,332; in 1870, 

 59,672; in 1880, 233,121; in 1890, 1,950,900, and in 1892, 2,800,000. 



In obtaining the above access has been had to different records and 

 careful comparisons were made, so that the figures given can be relied 

 upon as nearly correct. It is hard to tell how the figures were obtained 

 for the years 1890, 1891, and 1892. They have been published nearly 

 everywhere, yet the assessors were not able to find quite one and a 

 half million sheep in 1891 ; but they do not include any on their list 

 under twelve months old. From conservative estimates carefully made 

 by those who are in a position to know, there were owned in the Territory 

 the 1st of January, 1892, 2,000,000 sheep one year old and over. 



There would seem to be more than three times as many sheep in the 

 Territory as of all other farm animals combined. Sheep husbandry is, 

 in fact, the leading live-stock industry of Utah. This is especially true 

 of the past three years, when sheep, in numbers, have reached their 

 highest limit. This growth has made the greatest progress during the 

 past five years, until now the range is pretty nearly stocked up to its 

 capacity. Yet the sheep-feeders of Nebraska, Kansas, and Iowa have 

 bought more largely in Utah than elsewhere dtiring the past two years, 

 and they are likely to keep the number down to an even basis. An- 

 other thing that will tend largely to keep the numbers from increasing 

 is the demand that has sprung up the past year for lambs to feed for 

 the mutton market. Buyers have been all over the Territory this sea- 

 son trying to contract for lambs, and some contracts for picked lambs 

 are reported to have been made at or near Ogden at $2.25 per head. 

 The usual asking price is $2, yet some have sold for $1.75 and as low 

 as $1.50 per head, for October delivery. 



RANGE FACILITIES. 



Of the 52,600,000 acres in Utah, there is but little over 2,000,000 

 acres that can be used for agricultural purposes when irrigated. There 

 are covered with salt and fresh water, and barren land where no vege- 



