10 BOTANY. 



Rocky Mountain ranges It is known according to Mr. Watson, in the 

 Uintah Mountains as "Bear River or Swamp Pine". 



Abies Menziesii, Lindl. — This tree attains an average height of from 

 50 to 60 feet. Timber hard and coarse-grained, but is serviceable for 

 rough work. 



Juniperus Virginiana, L. — A much branched, dwarfed tree, found asso- 

 ciated with the Pifion Pine. It is of great value as furnishing the most 

 durable fencing-posts. It is probably abundant enough in Southern Co- 

 lorado to meet the demands for many years. 



There are, besides, several species of cottonwood, none of them, how- 

 ever, being of any great value except for shade. 



It may be well to remark that, on almost any, if not all of the ranches 

 where irrigation is possible, in a few years the settler may relieve the con- 

 stant glare of the sun by a fine, thrifty cottonwood grove about his build- 

 ings. The experiment has so often succeeded that it is no longer a problem 

 to solve. 



AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES. 



Taking Denver as a starting-point, it is known that fair crops of wheat, 

 rye, oats, barley, and corn may be raised with a tolerable degree of cer- 

 tainty where irrigation can be resorted to. The same statement is true of 

 the region east of but bordering the foothills, as far south as the survey 

 extended this year (1873) ; the certainty (other things being equal) increasing 

 toward the south. Grasses and sedges suitable for grazing purposes flourish 

 in greater or less abundance, especially as the foothills are approached and 

 the valleys between them penetrated into. 



The drier portions of the country (especially where water is within 

 reach) may be advantageously utilized as sheep-walks. The grass of such 

 regions is nutritious and abundant enough for this purpose. As an illustra- 

 tion I may allude to Huerfano Park, which now affords pasturage to 

 immense droves of sheep. The great, objection to allowing them indiscrimi- 

 nate range is, that where they go, the grass is so soiled that horses and 

 cattle refuse to touch it. Hence the bitter antagonism between the two 

 classes of herdsmen. An equitable division of the public lands would be to 

 confine the sheep to the region of the shorter grasses, giving cattle and 



