4 Western Live-stock Management 



an altitude of 2000 feet or more. The 2000-foot contour 

 line runs north and south through the United States fol- 

 lowing almost accurately the one-hundredth meridian and 

 it is only a short distance west of that line to the 30n0-foot 

 contour and east to the 1000-foot contour. (See Fig. 1.) 



Fig. 1. — Altitude Map of United States. 



A high altitude, however, is about the only feature of topog- 

 raphy which is nearly universal in this region. There is 

 every possible variation of surface ; immense plains almost 

 absolutely level, rolling hills, and the wildest and most 

 rugged mountains. The soil varies from the richest and 

 deepest to solid rock. Generally speaking, however, the 

 soil of the West, wherever tlie country is not too rough and 

 rocky for tillage, is of extreme richness, whether it be in 



the lower vallevs or on the rolli 



hills 



