Word: arid
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Dates: during 1880-1889
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...Charles A. Gregory, of Chicago. delivered last evening, under the auspices of the Harvard Natural History society, an extremely interesting lecture on "The Great American Desert," or, as Mr. Gregory calls it, "The Arid Region...
...lecturer spoke as follows: Roughly speaking, the arid region extends from the 100th meridian to the Pacific ocean, between the 100th and the 105th lies the so called "debatable ground." an enormous piece of territory upon which agriculture is in some years profitable, in others, not. Washington Oregon, and the northern part of California are excluded from this rough outline. The total area is about 1.300,000 square miles, or 40 per cent. of the United States. The question is how to make this region profitable for agriculture...
...flora of the arid region consists of good timber in the north and in the south at great heights; brush wood in the north, cactus and similar plants in the south. The grass in the western part is excellent for grazing purposes. The rainfall in this region is from 10 to 15 inches per year, while 23 inches are necessary for profitable agriculture. The snow in the mountains, however, fills the streams and brooks, and although a great deal of the water is wasted, a large amount of it is used to great advantage by irrigation. Reservoirs are being built...
...Gregory recently visited the arid lones west of the Papas river. At present work is being rapidly pursued in the construction of a very large canal, and it is expected that this part of the arid region will soon be a most fertile land. A large number of the the smaller rivers cross this territory. The frost is never severe; the mean temperature is 620, and the summers are long and hot. The soil of the arid region is rich, and the opportunities for irrigation are great. The population of the United States is rapidly increasing, and the rising generation...
...Gregory, of Chicago, who will lecture this evening on "The Great American Desert, or the Arid Regions and the Means of its Reclamation," is a member of the class...