The extremes of tempt. raging exist for a short period each year. The recalls show the maximum to be 116' above zero mil the minimum, 45' below zero. The b' it usually about 100' and the lowest . The mean temperature for January in Cheyenne WA vicinities is 25.1'; in the northern part of the State, 18.1'. The mean temperature for ea whole State for July is 67'. The extreme mid is not severe because of the dryness of the at mosphere. The precipitation vanes from 8 te 18 inches, the average being 123 inches. A heavier rainfall in the Bear Lodge and Black Hill district is not unusual. The lofty and wdll timbered mountain ranges receive a great &ad of moisture both in the form of winter snows and, during the summer, as frequent teary dashing rains. High winds prevail in may parts of the State, especially in spring. The climate is uniformly salubnous and various points are becoming prominent as health resorts.
The soil of nearly all the river val leys is a dark loam and most fertile. On tie higher lands and mountain slopes occurs a sandy loam, most of which is productive maw irrigation. In the eastern counties dry farm ing has been practised on the whole swots. fully. The Red Desert is the infer tile area in the State. Extreme andity is bete combined with alkali deposits. The soil is all the high mountain inter-vales or parks is tret7 rich and although at too high an altitude for cereal crops, produces large yields of nutritive native hay.
Flora and In Wyoming are found widely-varying types of animal and plain Nit This is due larvly to the diversified cram* conditions occasioned by extremes in akin* and a wide range of local physiographic condi tions. The luaer portions of the State (aearb one-third the total area) are marked Ity re broad-leaved cottonwood, juniper, sall-btais and yucca. A little higher, in the Transition Life zone, covering about half State, one finds the yellow pine, narrow-leaved cottonwood and pure sage brush; higher still the spruce, fir, lodgepole pine and aspen cover ing the mountain slopes and higher foothills. The very highest portions of the State produce only the white barked pine, the dwarfed spruce and fir, while the mountain peaks are well above umber-line and are characterized by Arc tic flora.
About 13 per cent, or 12,500 square miles of the State is timbered. Of this 3,500 square miles are located within the Yellowstone Na tional Park. and 13,490 square miles within United States forest reserves.
The fauna of the lower altitudes includes the coyote, badger, ground-squirrel, prairie-dog, gopher, cottontail rabbit, among the mammals, and such birds as the mourning dove, warbler and lark. Reptiles are few. The animal life of the Transition zone includes the white-tailed deer, coyote, jack-rabbit, cottontail rabbit, skunk, sage-hen, hawk and various types of lil ac& Still higher one finds the elk, snow-shoe rabbit, mountain lion, black bear and an occa sional grizzly. All life is rare above 12,500 feet and mammalian life practically non-exist ent at this elevation.
Wyoming is still one of the most favored resorts of sportsmen. The vicinity of Jackson's Hole in the northwestern corner of the State abounds in elk and deer. In many other portions hunting is also excellent. Besides elk and deer, bear, mountain lions, mountain sheep, wolves, grouse, etc., are found in nearly every county. The game laws are liberal. The streams are richly stocked with trout and Wyo ming until 1919 was one of the few States not requiring fishing licenses so abundant is the supply.
Aviculture and Stock lure has made rapid strides during the past few years. In many ways it is still in the omen' mental stage and its possibilities limited by a cool climate due to low average base level. There are, however, certain areas of compara tively low elevation and moderate climate where a variety of crops and some of the hardier fruits have proved decidedly successful. A spe cial value attaches to these low-lying districts inasmuch as they are immediately surrounded or bordered by extensive non-agricultural areas where mining, lumbering and stock raising are the principal industries. The melting snows of the mountains furnish a never-failing supply of water for irrigation purposes and Federal, State and private irrigation projects have al ready reclaimed considerable sections. In 1910 out of the total number of farms (10,987) 6,297 were wholly or in part under irrigation, the total irrigated acreage being 1,333,302, an increase of 87.1 per cent over 1900. The largest proportion of irrigated farms is in Park County (963 per cent), but in four other counties the propoi don is over 80 per cent. Of the various unga tion enterprises in the State, 71.8 per cent are operated by individuals or partnerships; 7.8 per cent by commercial concerns; 10.3 per cent by co-operative enterprises, leaving only 10.1 per cent controlled by the various governmental projects. In 1910 there were 13.231 miles of ir rigation ditches. In that year about one-eighth of the total area of the State was in farms or ranches. The average value of farm land was $10.41 per acre though in Big Horn County the average rose to nearly $50. An indication of the tendency for agriculture to supplant stock raising is seen in the fact that in the decade 1900 to 1910, there was an increase of 80.3 per cent in the total number of holdings but a de crease of 41.7 per cent in the average number of acres per holding. In the same period the value of farm lands increased 279.4 per cent, being placed in 1910 at $88,908.276, while the average value of farm land per acre increased 261.5 per cent. Tenant farming is growing though not alarmingly. Much valuable agricul tural land in the valleys and basins awaits de velopment. The following table shows the acreage, yield and value of the principal crops in 1916: The raising of orchard and small fruits and of sugar beets though at present slight is annually increasing. There are three sugar factories in the State, at Lovell, Sheridan and Worland.