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as far as El Paso, because grasshoppers and other insects do but little injury to vegetation in the region under consideration. Grasshoppers in numbers sufficient to do damage, have visited El Paso, only once during the last twenty years. This was in the spring of 1875, when their stay was so short that good crops of fruits, grain and vegetables were made after the grasshoppers had left.

One of the best irrigated farms we saw is that belonging to Messrs. Taylor & Spears, at Ben Ficklin near Fort Concho, in Tom Green county. Here nine hundred acres are irrigated from the south branch of the Concho river. We went over the place on the 17th of June. Six reaping machines drawn by horses were cutting the barley; large barley stacks were being made; barley gathered by horse rakes; threshing done by machines; wheat and oats had been harvested; corn, large and growing luxuriantly. Rarely have we seen so much order and agricultural beauty. Last year (1874), six hundred acres were irrigated, and about fifteen thousand bushels of barley grown; ten thousand of which were sold at Fort Concho at $1.89 per bushel; corn, three thousand bushels grown; worth $2.00 per bushel; oats, ninety tons worth $30 per ton.

All kinds of vegetables are grown, which are suited to the climate. At Mr. Taylor's table we had Irish potatoes, green peas, beans, beets, etc. Fruit trees had been planted and were growing finely. After the barley is harvested, millet and beans succeed.

The river is dammed, which gives an abundant supply of water at all times, with a fall of water fifteen feet. From twelve to fifteen miles of ditch are made, four feet wide at the bottom, and six feet at the top. These are the main ditches, from which water is conveyed by small gateways into side ditches, running more or less parallel to each other, and from there distributed over the fields so as to cover the whole ground. This is done a short time before sunset or during cloudy days. After the ground is thoroughly saturated, the water is shut off. The side ditches are so shallow as not to interfere with the machines used in harvest time.

At the stage stand, near the forks of the roads leading to Forts McKavit and Concho, are fine large springs, from which about forty acres are irrigated. At Fort McKavit, the troops have irrigated gardens of from eight to ten