DEMING TO CASAS GRANDES. 3 1 
noticed one peculiarity of the rocky soil 
on the ridges extending down from the 
foothills of the mountains that I have 
never seen elsewhere, and might not have 
noticed even here had it not been pointed 
out to me by one of my guides. Great 
areas of the soil were covered with stones, 
mostly flat in shape, and so numerous 
% 
that but little vegetation could exist 
between them. A decidedly desolate 
aspect was thus presented; indeed no 
one would believe that anything except 
the oquetilla cactus could possibly grow 
here. One of my Mexican men, how¬ 
ever, assured me that the stones were 
only on the surface, and that by removing 
them the richest of red soil could be 
found underneath, not affording a single 
stone in a cubic yard of earth. The soil 
had not been washed away when the rains 
