Not before passing over the rim of the great basin, within a 

 short day's travel of my destination, was there any appearance of 

 advancing vegetation ; but on dropping down suddenly into the 

 valley of the Virgen, on April 5th, the whole lloral aspect assumed 

 a change almost magical ; orchards in full bloom including peach, 

 almond, and apricot, marked at a distance by a perfect blaze of 

 blossoms the scattered settlements, while the lucerne fields with 

 their deep green foliage were nearly ready for a first forage crop. 



Over the intervening desert table-land the aspects of advanced 

 spring were evidenced in rainbow-colored patches of Phacelia Fre- 

 montii Torr. and bright yellow clusters of Ev.rianus Bigelovii Gray 

 (No. 147). The approach to St. George, which I had previously 

 selected as the central point of my explorations, was at this 

 season, and under the circumstances of the case in contrast with 

 the bleak country just passed over, peculiarly attractive. The va- 

 riety of rock exposure in the form of steep mural cliffs of red 

 sandstone, and high basaltic mesas, with their slopes of broken 

 talus, gave promise of a rich harvest, which the result of my 

 labors fully realized. 



From the 5th of April up to June 1st, there was a continuous 



lar botanical features. Early in the season, the chief atlraetion 

 centred on the evanescent annuals, which were scattered in great 



leant shelter of the'dull colored desert shrubbery. Largely rep- 



montii Torr. (No 177), whose' showy -pike, continue to unfold a 

 succession of blossoms for four weeks or more. Hardly less 

 showy is the Phacelia crassifolia Torr. (No. 182), -with flowers of 

 an intense blue shade, thickly scattered over gypseous clay knolls. 

 This latter species frequently becomes dwarfed in exposed places, 

 and si iciIs out in the form of numle patches over the bate soil. 



