Xlviii BOTANY. 



perennial streams, especially in the East and West Humboldt Monntains or 

 more frequently in the Wahsatch and Uintas, and in the cold springs of Ruby 

 Valley. Of the 97 species 82 are common to Europe, 32 have been found 

 in Arctic America or Greenland, and four are subarctic. Forty-three extend 

 from the Atlantic to the Pacific and sixteen others occur in the Eastern 

 States. Of the 15 species not European 8 are considered new, 2 are found 

 in Cahfornia, 2 in the Rocky Mountains, 2 both in the Rocky Mountains and 

 westward, and one from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Three of the European 

 species had not been before identified as American. 



The few Hepatias collected were found only in the higher mountains, 

 mostly in the Wahsatch and Uintas. Lichens are sometimes abundant in the 

 the lower ranges of the Basin, but confined to a few well known genera and 

 species. The Lecanorae are most conspicuous, covering large surfaces of the 

 rocks and chfts with their bright colors. In other mountains all kinds are 

 rare. Fungi were very seldom met with in any part of the territory. 



Ageicultukal Resources. It is evident from what has already been 

 said that the agricultural resources of the Basin are not great. The actual 

 hmit is fixed by the deficiency of water. With a moderate supply for 

 irrigation during the growing season there is no difficulty in securing good 

 crops of cereals and vegetables in any of the valleys and lower canons of the 

 territory. The most fertile localities lie at the base of the Sierras, but as a 

 rule there is an apparent absence everywhere of a true soil or mould result- 

 ing from the decomposition of vegetable matter. It is well known, however, 

 that the Artemisia tridentata is always evidence of a considerable degree of 

 fertility, and as also the presence of a moderate amount of alkalies is by no 

 means detrimental it follows that a very large extent of surface must be 

 adapted to agricultural purposes. But with the present actually available 

 supply of water from the rivers and mountain streams, even were the whole 

 of it employed in th^, most economical manner, it is estimated that out of 

 the 34,000 square miles in Northern Nevada within the limits of the maps 

 of the survey not over 1,000 square miles could ever be brought under culti- 

 vation. The relative amount in Western Utah and in the more southern 

 portions of the Basin must be less. The labor and expense of making canals 

 and ditches, the limited markets for produce, and the competion in those 

 markets of the overflow of California's abundance will probably long prevent 

 more than a very partial development of the real capabilities of the region. 



