The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-07
Washington Office Of The Herald,
1415 G Street. N. w.

Professor c. Hart Merriam, chief of the
biological survey has made a report on
Life Zones and Crop Zones in the United
States which contains great deal of
information of interest to the people Of
tn mountain states. He thinks the Lower
Virgen valley viii intimately become a
vastly important section of Utah. This
valley" says Professor Merriam, affords
good illustration of the fact that farms
favorably situated in northern extensions
of southern crop zones should be worth
considerably more per acre than those
situated within normal parts of the same
zones. The reason is that by growing
particular crops at points remote from
same time conveniently near market,
the cost of transportation is greatly re-
duced and the profit correspondingiy IN
creased
''The lower Virgen is not only the sole
Lower Sonoran area in Utah, but lies
nearly 800 miles in straight line, ana
little more than LOCO miles by railroad,
from the nearest point Wnere slnlldr
crops and fruits are commercially pro-
duced. 1t is an insular pocket or basin,
completely hemmed in by mountains, and
marks the extreme northeastern extern
sion of the typical Sonoran desert fauna
and flora The creoSote bush, mesquite,
desert willow, Gregg acacia ana otner
Sonoran shrubs, and the Gambel ouall,
bird, cactus wren. yellow-headed tit,
Albert chewink, black phainopepla, vermil-
lion fly-catcher and Texas nighthawk
serve as guide to its faunaI position
The valley is traversed by the Virgen
river and its tributary, the Santa Clara,
which, together with copious springs. at
Mormon settlements st. George, Santa
Clara, Toquerville, and a few others of
smaller size, with an aggregate popula-
ton Of about 5000. Among the important
n.y. NT1rr-r tala ~ =in ora mas
ton, almonds, olives and figs; and among
the ornamental shade trees are the pep
per tree, tobacco tree and China tree, or
Pride of India. The fertility of the SOIL
is marked and the limit of rs agricul-
tural capacity, measured either by num-
Der of varieties of quantity of output, is
still far in the future; Nevertheless, pres
ent production greatly exceeds the pos
sibilitieS of local consumption, as shown
by the cotton crop, which, for the year
1861, was no less than 123 bales of 800
pounds each, and was worth A,3O5- a
feature of special interest in relation to
the future possibilities of the valley is
the fact that the yield of cotton per acre
is very much higher than in any other
state of the Union and more than double
that of the gulf states. What is true of
cotton is true in greater or less degree of
fruits and other crops. There can be lit
tie question, therefore, that when rail-
road connection with northern Utah is es-
tablished, the St George valley is bound
to play an important part in the history
and commercial prosperity of the young
state.
The case of this remote valley brings
into prominence the necessity for study
ing a much neglected subject, and one on
which profitable agriculture largely de-
ponds. 1t is not enough to succeed in
growing crops well adapted to a. partic-
ular locality, for bountiful crops are of
little value unless they can be profitably
marketed. But in order to reach the best
markets it is necessary to ascertain the
prices various products bring from year
to year in different parts of the country
to make cumulative studies of produc-
and exports. and give thoughtful atten-
ton to questions of transportation; in
short, to study commercial geography, at
least so far as it relates to the products
of ones own farm"