it often happens that while a violent storm is raging in one locality, a few miles distant there will be sunshine and a clear sky.

Experience has shown in Kansas, Nebraska, and other localities, where the country is settled and the land cultivated, that this erratic and irregular rain-fall is greatly modified and the moisture more evenly distributed. It is believed, from the experiences of this and other countries, that as settlement advances the climatic conditions will be very much improved, although there may not be much increase in the aggregate of precipitation. It is also anticipated that much irrigation may be practiced throughout these plains by the local storage of the stormwaters in small artificial reservoirs constructed by the farmers themselves.

There is another and a very remarkable development of water supply in various portions of these plains. Artesian wells have been bored along the valley of the James River, in the States of North and South Dakota, which surpass in the flow of water any wells in the United States, and probably any in the world. Wells have also been bored with success in Colorado, Kansas, Texas, and other places east of the Rocky Mountains.

All the country west of the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean requires irrigation, except that part of Washington, Oregon, and northern California west of the Cascade Mountains, and comparatively small areas in eastern Oregon, Washington, and northern Idaho, which receive moisture from the storms of the Pacific Ocean passing through the gap in the Cascade Mountains where the Columbia River flows. This arid region includes Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, nearly all of California, the larger portion of Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, and more than one-third of Texas.

The principal rivers and streams are the headwaters of the Missouri, the Platte, the Arkansas, the Rio Grande, and Red on the east of the summit of the Rocky Mountains. The great basin between the Rocky and the Sierra Nevada Mountains is drained by the Colorado and the Columbia Rivers and their tributaries The principal ranges of mountains are the Rocky, the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade, the Wasatch, and the Bitter Root.

A GENERAL DESCRIPTION.

Montana extends from the one hundred and fourth degree of longitude to the one hundred and sixteenth degree of longitude, west from Greenwich, and is bounded on the north by the British possessions, and on the south by Idaho and Wyoming. It contains 143,776 square miles. While it equals, if it does not surpass, any other State or Territory of the United States in mineral resources, it has a vast amount of good agricultural land, and an abundant supply of water for the purpose of irrigation. The eastern half of the State is watered by the numerous branches of the Missouri River, which head in high mountains where the precipitation is very great. The streams are of such an altitude as to afford an opportunity to divert them over very large areas of the most fertile land. The western half of the State is watered by the tributaries of the Columbia River, which find their sources in the Rocky Mountains, and flow west through numerous fertile valleys. The agricultural capacity of the State is very great, and the farmers in this region have great advantages in the home market created by extensive mining operatious carried on, which must be continued for an indefinite period.

IRRIGATION AND RECLAMATION OF ARID LANDS.

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Washington, east of the Cascade Mountains, would be greatly benefited by irrigation, and large areas of it must be irrigated to produce crops. It is, however, more favorably situated than any of the other interior States on account of the great opening in the Cascade Mountains through which the Columbia River flows. The mouth of the Columbia River is a great storm center. The western or Chinook winds in winter focusing there, drive the clouds through the Columbia River Pass and their contents are precipitated when they strike the Bitter Root Mountains in northern Idaho and other elevations in eastern Oregon and western Montana and Washington. In these localities farming is successfully conducted without irrigation, although in most places the prac tice would be highly beneficial. There are large sections not reached by sufficient rain fall, occasioned by the passage of clouds through the Columbia River Pass. These sections must be cultivated, if at all, by irrigation. To what extent the Columbia River and its tributaries may be utilized for this purpose in eastern Oregon and Washington is not yet determined. There is a large extent of Oregon east of the Cascades which possesses great natural fertility, but it is entirely dependent upon irrigation.

Idaho comprises 86,294 square miles. The northern part of it, com monly known as the Pan Handle, is well supplied with water, and farming is prosecuted with success without irrigation, although it would be of great advantage, and the water for that purpose can be easily obtained. The great valley of southern Idaho, through which the Snake River and its tributaries flow, is the largest interior valley in the United States which can be irrigated by one general system. The Snake River passes through this great valley and heads with its numerous branches in the high mountains of Wyoming, near the Yellowstone Park, where there are numerous important lakes which can be utilized as reservoirs to keep back the flood waters until the season of irrigation. The land of this great valley is exceedingly productive. That in the vicinity of Boisé City is already under a high state of cultivation, producing all the crops and fruits of the temperate zone to perfection and in great abundance. The climate is mild, being modified by the Chinook winds from the Pacific Ocean passing through the opening in the Cascade Mountains where the Columbia River flows. Their ef fects are felt in Montana and as far east as Utah. Idaho is also celebrated for its mineral resources and has, like Montana, a most important home market for its agricultural products.

Wyoming comprises 97,883 square miles. Much of this Territory lies at a high altitude, and its mountain peaks are covered with perpetual snow. It abounds in mineral resources, particularly in coal and iron. Its coal mines along the line of the Union Pacific Railroad are already being developed on a magnificent scale. It also has great agricultural resources. The line of the Union Pacific Railroad passes through the least inviting portion of the Territory. The traveler over this thoroughfare will necessarily underrate the value of Wyoming as an agricultural country, but it is now ascertained that the Laramie Plains and other parts of the Territory traversed by the Union Pacific Railroad, when irrigated, produce cereals and the hardier vegetables in great abundance. The northern part of the Territory is, however, the best. agricultural country. The Yellowstone and other branches of the Missouri have their sources in Wyoming, and the numerous valleys through which they flow produce all the crops and fruits of the temperate zone. There are also large areas in the eastern part of Wyoming that can be irrigated and brought under cultivation. There can be no question about the natural resources of this Territory and that it is capable of

supporting a very large population. It also has a home market which must increase indefinitely as its coal and iron mines are developed and utilized.

Colorado comprises 104,500 square miles, and it possesses many natu ral advantages. The Platte and Arkansas extend their branches into the Rocky Mountains, which constitute the backbone, so to speak, of this State, and their waters are already distributed over many thousands of acres of irrigated land. The Rio Grande also heads in the mountains of this State, and before it enters New Mexico passes through extensive valleys which are rapidly being brought under cultivation by irrigation works of great extent. On the western slopes, in the valleys of the Grande and Uncompahgre Rivers, there are considerable areas under ditch. Colorado is drained on the west by the Colorado River and its tributaries. It is also a great mineral State and contains mines of almost every description. It abounds in gold, silver, iron, and coal. The enterprise of the people of this State seems to know no bounds. The wisdom of its laws regulating the use of water challenges the admiration of all who investigate them. The success of the pioneers of this State in reclaiming the desert by means of irrigation, and their wisdom in legislating for its regulation, furnish examples which are worth following throughout the arid region.

Utah comprises 84,476 square miles. Here irrigation was first begun in the United States by the Anglo-Saxon race. It was inaugurated in 1848 by the Mormons when this was the most isolated portion of the continent between the British line and the City of Mexico. The frugality, enterprise, and perseverance of the Mormons in reclaiming the desert lands of Utah, and their mode of distributing the water and dividing the land among their people, furnish an example of what is possible in the arid region, and has already done much to encourage the pioneers of the West to build up States in a country which fifty years ago was designated on the maps as the Great American Desert. A person familiar with the history of the Mormon settlements in Utah, their hardships, privations, and successes, must necessarily sympathize with them as a people and look forward with anxiety and hope to the day when their institutions will be in harmony with the laws of the United States, and Utah be permitted to join the sisterhood of States. The Great Salt Lake basin is watered by rivers and streams flowing from the Wasatch Mountains, the Bear and the Jordan being the largest. The amount of land under cultivation by irrigation in this Territory is about 600,000 acres, which may be increased to 3,000,000 acres when the waters which are found in it and which flow through it are utilized and properly distributed. Utah has also mineral resources of vast extent, which are comparatively untouched. It has extensive coal-fields, rich and valuable mines of gold, silver, and lead, furnishing an important home market.

Nevada comprises 112,090 square miles. It abounds in mines of gold, silver, copper, salt, borax, and other minerals. Its agricultural resources by irrigation are sufficient, when developed, to support a large population. The western part of the State is watered by the Truckee, Carson, and Walker Rivers, which head in numerous lakes in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where the precipitation is greater than in any other part of the United States, except in the Cascade Mountains in Washington. These streams flow into Nevada and sink in the sand or form lakes. It is estimated that from a million to a million and a half acres of land may be irrigated by these streams. The Humboldt River heads near the Utah line, and the Central Pacific Railroad passes through

IRRIGATION AND RECLAMATION OF ARID LANDS.

the valley of this river for about 250 miles. Much of this valley may be reclaimed by storing, and an economical use of the water. This river has many branches and fertile valleys, both to the north and to the south, which are already cultivated to a considerable extent by means of irrigation. While there are large parts of the State that must remain deserts for want of water, still there are valleys interspersed in the mountains throughout the State of exceeding fertility, and for which water can be procured for irrigation. In the southern part of the State there is a large extent of rich land, and the remains of irrigation works found in that vicinity show that the country was once inhabited by a race which cultivated the soil. The people of Nevada were at first exclusively engaged in mining, the agriculture that was pursued being solely for the purpose of supplying mining camps. But they are now turning their attention to agriculture with good success. This State will also have the advantage of a large home market in supplying the mining communities.

California is one of the most remarkable States in agricultural resources, variety of climate, and products in the United States, and probably is unsurpassed by any country in the world. It also commenced its career as a mining State, and for twenty-five years after the discovery of the gold mines little attention was paid to agriculture. It is noteworthy that the great valleys of California, now so productive, were regarded a few years ago as deserts, and were occupied only by roaming herds of Mexican cattle. Irrigation in this State is being developed on a grand scale and with wonderful success. Land that remained subject to private entry at $1.25 per acre for twenty-five or thirty years now commands $100 to $1,500 per acre, and a family can secure all the comforts of life upon 20 acres of this land. The work of irrigation in this State has only just begun. Enough has been accomplished, however, to demonstrate the fact that the possibilities of the growth and development of this country must continue indefinitely. Cities have sprung up within the last ten years in its alleged deserts, which rival the splendor of the most prosperous centers of the Atlantic States.

The methods adopted for irrigation in California furnish valuable lessons. They show that year by year the supply of water becomes more plentiful for new fields as the ground becomes saturated. It is estimated by the best judges that nearly all the valley land of California may be ultimately brought under cultivation by irrigation. The Sierra Nevada Mountains, as before remarked, are lofty, and the snow and rain that fall on them during ordinary seasons is simply immense. The Sacramento, the Feather, the Yubas, the Bear, the American, the Tuolumne, the Stanislaus, the Merced, the Kings, the San Joaquin, the Kern, and many smaller streams flowing from the Sierra Nevada into the great valley of California, when utilized with a proper high storage system in the mountains, will be found amply sufficient to bring under cultivation all the valley land from Red Bluffs to the Tehachapi Pass, a distance of about 500 miles with an average width of about 40 miles. The great valley of southern California, bounded on the west, north, and east by mountain ranges connecting with the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and on the south and west by the Coast Range and the Pacific Ocean, is fast becoming the most highly cultivated and productive part of the United States, abounding in semi-tropical fruit of all kinds as well as the productions of the temperate zone. A visit to its beautiful vineyards and its prosperous towns offers a new revelation to the traveler.

Arizona comprises 113,916 square miles. No part of it can be culti vated without irrigation. The southwest section of the Territory lies very low. The climate is warm and healthful. Its products are also semi-tropical. The grape, the orange, the fig, the date, the apricot, and all other fruits and products of the temperate and semi-tropical countries are cultivated here to perfection. The Colorado River, although furnishing an abundance of water, can not be utilized to any extent in Arizona without great expense. It may, however, be used above to reclaim a large section of country in California known as the Mojave Desert. This matter has not been fully investigated. The Gila and its branches are the principal streams of southern Arizona. This river discharges an immense volume of water in the wet season, but in the dry season it sinks and flows under the surface for miles on each side. The engineering problem to be solved here is how to bring this water to the surface. There are points where it crosses reefs of rock where dams can be constructed and the water conveyed in canals to reclaim large sections of country. The largest tributary of this river is known as Salt River. In the vicinity of the town of Phoenix, on Salt River, about 100,000 acres of land are already irrigated. The facilities for storing the water of Salt River are very good, and where the river leaves the mountains an immense reservoir of water may be had at comparatively small expense, which would irrigate an extensive region of country. This section is well adapted to the grape, orange, lemon, and other semi-tropical fruits. It also produces the cereals and all other crops of the temperate zone. There are many other parts of this Territory that can be reclaimed by irrigation. As a mining country it will furnish a valuable home market. There is no doubt of the capacity of Arizona to support a large and prosperous population.

New Mexico comprises 121,201 square miles. Along the valley of the Rio Grande the country has been cultivated by the Mexicans from a very remote period. The supply of water, however, for this Territory is very much diminished by irrigation at the headwaters of the Rio Grande in the State of Colorado. To what extent the waters of this river can he stored and utilized is a problem not yet solved, but it is confidently believed that, by storage of the flood waters, a very large extent of country, in addition to that heretefore cultivated, may be irrigated from the Rio Grande. There are numerous other streams in the Territory which are being diverted and utilized for irrigation. Water is also found under the surface in many parts of the Territory, and by means of pumping and flowing wells a sufficient supply may be obtained to reclaim much of the desert land. The Pecos River, in the eastern part of the Territory, is an important stream and is being diverted on a large scale by canals. This river extends into Texas, where it enters the Rio Grande, and may also be used, and is now being used, to reclaim a portion of that State. The Mexican grants, which cover a large part of the Territory of New Mexico, have been a drawback to its development, but the time is not far distant when these - titles will be settled and the land divided up, as it is now being done in California. New Mexico has great mineral resources, particularly coal, which is found in abundance. Taken all in all its future will surpass what the most sanguine have heretofore anticipated.

The western half of Texas, which was supposed to be uninhabitable, constituting in that section the plains region first mentioned, will be largely reclaimed by the use of the running streams, artesian wells, and pumps. The experiments already made there have demonstrated that a large part of it may be reclaimed and rendered exceedingly fertile by such irrigation. Artesian wells have been bored in various