30 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 



Each summer one notes an improvement in living conditions in 

 Montana. About 20 years ago a great number of people moved into 

 the State and took up homesteads in almost all possible situations. 

 Houses were built, often at places to which water for domestic pur- 

 poses had to be hauled considerable distances. The ancient soil was 

 ploughed up and large quantities of wheat were produced l)y crude 

 dry-farming methods. After a few seasons, the rainfall returned to 

 normal and below, thus compensating for the moist years. At once 

 these people began to feel want and soon were actually facing starva- 

 tion. Hundreds of the houses were abandoned, the land either revert- 

 mg to its wild state or l^eing farmed by individuals or corporations 

 liaving consi(leral)le cai>ital. About ten years ago the modern era of 

 diversification began. Since then people have learned not to depend 

 solely on one uncertain crop but to keep a few animals and to plant 

 every crop the climate and soil will permit. As a consequence today 

 the people are making a comfortal)le living, the banks have large sur- 

 pluses, and the population is increasing. 



The latter part of the season was spent in a return trip to the west- 

 ern side of the Teton Mountains in Wyoming, extending the studies 

 of the previous season. Several trips on horseback were made high up 

 on the range to points just within the boundary of the new Teton Na- 

 tional Park. At no other place in the world so far as I know are the 

 different effects of granitic and sedimentary rocks on the development 

 of topographic forms so clearly illustrated as along the crest of this 

 range. A person standing on the small knob called Table Rock 1 1 ,000 

 feet above sea level and looking directly east will see deep canyons 

 from which rises the spire of the Grand Teton to an altitude of over 

 13,000 feet, with precipitous walls of granitic rock whose height is 

 measured in thousands of feet; if he turns either to right or left he 

 will see cliff's of a different kind, the castellated masses and the gentler 

 topography produced by the nearly horizontal Cambrian and younger 

 shales and limestones resting on the gneiss. It struck me as I stood at 

 this point that it is a great pity that the new national park does not 

 include any of the .sedimentary series of beds. l)ut is confined to the 

 jagged, granitic rocks. The full grandeur of the magnificent Tetons 

 can be seen only from this jjoint, which is reached bv trail from the 

 west side. 



During most of the summer, particularly after July 10, the smoke 

 from the numerous forest fires rendered photography difficult and at 

 times impossible. Once or twice our camp was moved a little earlier 

 than had been planned in order to escape the possible sweep of the 

 fires. 



