-SOIL AND FROST CONDITIONS. 29 



everywhere in the Cceur d'Alenes under like circumstances. This is 

 fire, which is largely employed to clear the land of its forest covering. 

 There is a stratum, 30 to 75 cm. (12 to 30 inches) in thickness, every- 

 where in the forest, except in the yellow pine portion, composed of a 

 humus made up of pine needles and woody debris generally in a state 

 of decay. This burns readily, and the ashes which are left as a sort of 

 compensation soon wash off" and are lost. 



Furthermore, a great quantity of ferruginous matter is held in the soil, 

 possibly in part as sulphides and in part as carbonates. The heat oxi- 

 dizes tins element and the land assumes a fiery red color. Soils which 

 have been oxidized to this extent become exceedingly infertile. The 

 richest lands in the higher parts of these valleys are the beaver flats. 

 Centuries ago the beavers were very numerous here. They dammed the 

 streams in many localities, causing extensive pools. A great amount 

 of alluvial washings accumulated in these places as time passed on. 

 With the disappearance of the beavers their dams were broken down 

 and the places formerly covered by their ponds furnish now some choice 

 agricultural areas, though limited in extent. 



On the whole, the land fit for cultivation in the Coeur d'Alenes is cir- 

 cumscribed in area, and the configuration of the country is such that 

 no extensive agricultural operations are possible even were the forests 

 wholly cleared off. Another serious drawback to farming in these 

 mountains is their liability to frosts during the growing season, which 

 are pretty sure to occur with greater or less severity every year. There 

 is no way to mitigate them. The removal of obstructions in the shape 

 of logs, brush heaps, and the like in the streams may create a deeper 

 channel, as it causes a more rapid current, and in consequence a better 

 drainage of the adjacent lands. If this should prevent the formation 

 of the dense fogs which rise on cold nights and serve as a sort of 

 blanket to the earth, it would only result in a greater lowering of the 

 temperature. The removal of the forests also contributes to bring on 

 frosty nights, for it has been abundantly demonstrated that a denuded 

 area in the forests of the Cceur d'Alenes experiences sharper differences 

 and a wider range in the daily temperature than do the places sheltered 

 by the growing timber. 



AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. 



These are the common grains and vegetables. By far the largest 

 quantity of farm produce is hay. In the basin of the St. Mary this is 

 principally timothy. Very little grain is raised here. I saw but a sin- 

 gle small tield of wheat, and that was raised somewhat as an experiment. 

 There were small garden spots around the farms, on which were planted 

 potatoes and a few of the more hardy vegetables. There were a num- 

 ber of very small orchards; the trees in these were in some instances 

 8 or 9 years old. They had never fruited, as the frosts during the 

 growing season had invariably killed the blossoms. Small fruits — 



