NORTH WESTERN MONTANA 



143 



and Missoula coniities in tliis inililicat ion ((ncr areas out of which Lake county 

 was created, except as to liydro-rlcctric ixiwer ( TtX) horse power are developed in 

 Lake county l, population and ranlc. ai'ea and rank', and acres of reserxation other 

 than national forests. 



LAKE COUNTY — Ranks twenty-first in pcipiilation (9.064): forty-second in area 

 (1.015.140 acres); aiies Indian reservations (partially allotted), 624,154 acres. 



CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA At Poison. Elevation 2,919 feet. Average date last 

 killing frost in spring. May 13; average date first killing frost in fall, September 28. 



An- 



Jan. Feb. Mar. April Mav June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. nual 



Ave. Free. 1.14 .89 1.07 1.23 1.49 2.37 1.19 .89 1.52 1.16 1.42 1.29 15.66 



Ave. Temp. 24.1 27.9 35.1 43.6 51.6 60.1 67.6 66.1 55.5 46.1 34.6 26.9 44.9 



County Seat, Poison. Population County Seat, 1,132. 



(bounty Agricultural Agent — No. 



LINCOLN COUNTY 



'5 INCOLN county presents an anomaly. Not- 

 withstanding that it is tucked away in the 

 rugged mountains of far northwestern Mon- 

 tana, the lowest elevation above sea level 

 in the state is found within its borders — an 

 altitude of l.SOO feet along the Kootenai 

 River, according to Bulletin 689 of the 

 U. S. Geological Survey. The Canadian 

 boundary marks its northern, and the 

 Montana-Idaho line, its western borders. 

 Lumbering and minin.g are its chief indus- 

 tii'es. Though its agricultural areas are 

 limited in extent they are just being de- 

 veloped. Scenically, it is one of the most 

 attracti\e counties in Montana and in fish- 

 in.g and hunting is unsurpassed. It is de- 

 clared to be the best watered county in the 

 state, its principal stream, the Kootenai, 

 being credited with carrying a larger vol- 

 ume of water than does the Missouri. It has more than 100 mountain lakes and 

 in nearly every gulch there is a brook fed from mountain springs. 



The Tobacco River empties into the Kootenai in the northeastern part of the 

 county, the Yaak river, flowing southerly tlirough the county, joins the Kootenai 

 near the western border, and the Fisher river in the southern end of the county 

 discharges into it near Jennings, in the geographical center of the county. 



The only considerable body of open land is the Tobacco Plains valley, near 

 Eureka, in the northeastern part of the county, and more progress has been made 

 here in farming than in other districts. The Kootenai valley 

 is long but narrow. In places a series of benches lie between 

 the river and the mountains, which, when cleared, will be till- 

 able. There are also numerous small valleys all of which must 

 be cleared for farming operations. In the Tobacco I'lains valley 

 soil types range from sandy loam t() glacial loam and clay, and on the bench 

 lands are chiefly glacial loam. In other districts a black loam is found in the 

 valleys, a light red volcanic ash, frequently iniderlain with gravel, on the benches, 

 while in places a gray loam occurs in both the valleys and on the benches. The 

 elevation of the agricultural land ranges from 1,800 to 3,000 feet above sea level. 

 Most of it consists of timbered or cut-over lands. There are 00.000 acres of open 

 land in the Tobacco Plains valley. Both irrigated and non-irrigated farming is 

 followed. The average annual precipitation is about 20 inches, which is more than 



The 



Agricultural 



Areas 



