390 ME. M. p. PRICE ON THE VEGETATION OF 



the river-side. Some of these sandy river-terraces also contained a new and 

 much drier floral association, which began to appear here for the first time. 

 It was represented by Diantlms versicolor, Caragana Buiujei and ('. arbo7'- 

 escens, Sedvm hyhridum, lliymiis Seiyi/Uum, Potentilla hifurca, Aijrojnjrou 

 '■ristatian, Veronica iiicana. Higher up the Bei Kem River this steppe-like- 

 flora began to enlarge and covered some considerable areas fdjoining the 

 river. These areas were largely used as grazing-grounds for the Urian-HaL 

 natives. The steppe-like association here was "sandwiched" in between the 

 Siberian Larch-forest association of the hills and that surrounding the river- 

 banks. There was a large area of this type of steppe association in the 

 neighbourhood of Lake Tod ju Kul. Descending the Bei Kem River we came- 

 to a series of rapids about 50 miles above its junction with the Khua Kem. 

 The plateau valley above the rapids stood at about 2500 feet in altitude and 

 was clothed with dense jungle of Picea ohovata, Lari.r sibirica, and Popuhis 

 siiaveoleiis. 



The mountains surrounding the gorge of the Bei Kem at this point were 

 ascended by Mr. C'arruthers, who observed that the iorest oi Piiius si/iirira 

 and Picea ohovata was not so dense as on the Sayansk mountains. He also- 

 observed that the ground was covered with deep half-dry moss, as if it were 

 a sponge which had just run dry. The forest-line here was 5800 feet, and- 

 Piniis .sihirica was the last tree on the forest-line. On the summit there was- 

 a flat tableland on which there was very little reindeer-moss but much grass.. 

 It seems probable that these mountains in the centre of the Upper Yenisei 

 plateau are intermediate in climate between the Sayansk and the Tannu-ola 

 mountains. The more southern latitude brings less snow in winter than on 

 the Sayansk and proportionately more heat in summer, while the altitudes in, 

 both cases are the same. 



In the valley of Bei Kem below the gorge, which is also continued in the 

 Dlu Kem further to the west, the valley-sides become gradually barer and 

 the dry steppe-like flora begins to creep in, till at last the forest completely 

 disappears. 



It is worth noticing that throughout the upper reaches of the Upper Bei- 

 Kem Russian traders and settlers have attempted agriculture. Thus, near the 

 junction of the Shabash and Bei Kem (about 3000 feet alt.), rye was grown 

 in patches by the river. It was impossible to grow wheat on account of the 

 short summer, and sometimes even rye failed to ripen. At a point just 

 above the Bei Ivem rapids (2800 feet) both rye and wheat were sown, but 

 rye was the only certain crop. Just below the Bei Kem rapids (2000 feet) 

 we found a fur-trader on the steppe growing wheat to perfection. Here 

 the climate was, if anything, too dry, and it was apparently necessary to 

 irrigate during the summer. Water-melons, cucumbers, apples, and pears 

 were also being grown successfully. 



