Arizona weekly miner., 1874-06-05
The New York Tribune of May II, de-

The New York Tribune of May II, de- votes one entire page to correspondence from Washington, reviewing the work re- gently done by exploring parties under It Wheeler, of the engineers. The writing is accompanied by "a map, which gives one a very clear idea of the country west of the Tooth meridian, and explorations therein made.
 We will extract little from that portion of the article which speaks of New Mexico and Arizona:
 There is an immense forest in Arizona and New Mexico, something like those in the region of the lakes, larger. Pine, fir and quaking aspen the principal trees. There is some tim Der that could be utilized in the building of rail- roads, for ties etc. It would be of great atlyan- tage to the Southern Pacific and Atlantic and Pa cfc roads. We have discovered new route for tie former road.
 The forest above spoken of commences some 40 miles west of Prescott and runs, for over 200 miles through Arizona; then through New Mexico. It averages in width, from 10 to 75 miles. And it is not the only forest in Arizona; not by any means,-if we count Santa Rita and other ranges of mountains Again:
 those on the Sierra Preta, Pinal, Natanes The region above 1000 feet receives nightly dews, and has occasional springs and abundance of timber and grass. The country below this all titude suffers from the dryness of the climate, but the streams often flanked by belts of good bottom lands that may be irrigated. A report will be made describing in detail the lands suit able for farming. In New Mexico and Arizona many soils analysed. Lithia was present in all of them-a substance not common in other countries. Potassa and phOsphoric acid were found in all in sufficient proportions to insure production of crops. In some localities the soil contains much of these elements the best soils known. Some soils were found deficient in lime, some in sulphuric acid; but this want can be easily supplied by addition of gypsum, which occurs in many places.
 There is also class of soils productive with out irrigation. In such cases the underlying strata probably furnish water, which ascends by capillary attraction. Specimens of such soils have been taken in sealed bottles to determine the | hvgroscopic moisture of the subsoi This was found to be to per cent, while at the surface it was from 1 to ?.
 There are many plants growing in New Mexico and Arizona which have strong fibers that could be utilized for the manufacture of rope, paper, etc. One such species, IUccd AnguStifOila, is now utilized at Denver, but there many more. The root of this plant is used by the natives as substitute for soap, and is highly prized ac- count of it's cleansing properties for wooden goods. Another plant of great interest is the nlG9Wey or HneScGl, growing ill Southern Arizona "a peculiar species of yucca. The plant consists of about 50 to 100 lanceolate leaves from two to three feet long, pointed to sharp thorn at the end all the developed leaves are concentrically united at the ground; those undevelOped-the heart of the pant-remain soft and perfectly white so long as the sunlight is kept away by the surrounding outer leaves The Indians bake this heart in coals for eight or ten hours when it ac- quires an exceedingly sweet taste, much like hon. ey. The McXicans, also, prepare from this baked mescal an alcoholic beverage. The fact of this substance turning into sugar by simple heat has no parallel in our experience. Specimens of all valuable plants collected daring the survey, inclu- ding such are used by Mexicans and Indians for specific diseases, will be subjected to chemical investigation. The geographical distribution of plants affords study of peculiar interest in those regions where the altitude changes from 5000 to 5000 feet, and on some occasions, 10000. Above $500 feet there vast forests of pine and fir, and the climate of the eastern mountains, while below 5000 feet, is region where the cactus grows. The cacti especially developed in Southern Arizona, where the grand cactus (Cere- gigante7tS) 30 to 10 feet in night, and three 10 four feet in diameter, is pre-eminent. Between the region of these cact and the of the pine, grows the everywhere prevalent juniper in high CT attitudes accompanied by pinon, peculiar confer, with eatabe fruit. A large collection of plants made in New Mexico and Arizona.