916 SHEEP INDUSTRY OP THE UNITED STATES 



The Eio Grande is the largest river of the Territory. It rises in 

 southwest Colorado, at an elevation of 11,900 feet, iiows centrally 

 and southerly through the Territory, mainly through a broad valley, 

 and furnishes abundant water to irrigate all the land available through- 

 out its entire length in the Territory. The annual rise of this stream 

 takes place in May or June, when the deep snows in the high moun- 

 tains about its head are melted and sent down by numerous tributaries 

 into the main river. 



The northeastern portion of the Territory is drained by the Ca- 

 nadian Eiver emptying into the Arkansas in the Indian Territory. 

 The principal tributaries in New Mexico are the Vermejo, the Cimar- 

 ron, and Mora Elvers, all with fertile valleys and affording large sup- 

 plies of water. 



IsText after the Eio Grande, the Pecos is the most important river in 

 the Territory. It rises in the high mountains west of Las Vegas, 

 where it is fed by the everlasting snows, and flows southerly through 

 the eastern part of the Territory a distance of about 30-) miles. The 

 principal tributaries are the Yaca, Gallinas, Salado, Tecolote, Hondo, 

 Panasco, Seven Elvers, Black, and Delaware. The upper portion of 

 the river has many fine valleys of considerable extent in the mountains 

 and foothills, and further south the water can be taken out for irriga- 

 tion and distributed over a vast extent of country. 



The northwestern portion of the Territory is drained by the Eio San 

 Juan, with the following tributaries: Pinos, Navajo, Animas, La Plata, 

 and Manco. The Puerco of the West, the Zuni, and Tulerosa Elvers 

 are in the central west. 



The Eio Mimbres, Eio Gila, and San Francisco are in the extreme 

 southwest of the Territory. 



JSTumerous small streams, arroyas, and springs are to be found aU over 

 the Territory. 



New Mexico has an average breadth of 335 miles; length of eastern 

 boundary, 345 miles; length of western boundary, 390 miles ; the whole 

 covering an area of 122,444 square miles. By geographical divisions, 

 it is bounded on the north by the State of Colorado, on the east by the 

 public domain and the State of Texas, on the south by the State of 

 Texas and the Mexican States of Chihuahua and Sonora, and on the 

 west by the Territory of Arizona. 



If we calculate the area which is covered by mountains (where tim- 

 ber, however, is valuable and the sides are, as a rule, covered with the 

 most nutritious grasses) at about 14,125,203 acres, and arid or barren 

 lands at 3,610,793, there is left a total of 38,640,446 acres of irrigable, 

 agricultural and grazing lauds. 



The present principal agricultural districts are: The Eio Grande 

 Valley from the thirty-seventh parallel of north latitude to the southern 

 boundary of the Territory; the Pecos Valley; the Canadian Eiver 

 section situated in the northeastern corner of che Territory and drained 



