566 THE FORESTS OF THE UNITED STATES. 



yellow pine, with some red fir and larch, and at the higher elevations (above 5,000 feet) of red fir, larch, and scrub 

 pine. In the higher cailons of the main range to the south it is probable that Abies subalpina and Picea Engelmanni 

 also occur, as I heard of a soft tamarack found at Gwendale, whivh appeared from the description to be the latter 

 species. Total timbered area of the county i8 estimated at 2,250 square miles. 



" Missoula, county (21,000 square miles). The Bitter Root mountains, which separate this county from Idaho, 

 are a direct continuation of the Eocky mountains north from the point of divergence of that range in latitude 45 

 iW. While broadening out until they cover a base of 100 miles or more, they rarely reach a height of 8,000 feet. 

 There is nothing alpine in the character of their higher vegetation, nor do they anywhere rise above the limit of 

 forest growth. The summits are not often very rugged, and though the slopes may be steep they are not generally 

 greatly broken. For the most part they are well wooded upon both sides, with no meadows along the streams and 

 little grass anywhere until the foot-hills are reached. Upon the Montana side it is from 20 to 40 miles from the 

 base to the summit of the divides, and the Bitter Root valley, which skirts their feet for 60 miles, separates them 

 from the low and comparatively bare spurs of the Eocky mountains on the east. 



"Upon crossing the main divide upon the southern border, between the Big Hole and the Bitter Eoot valleys, 

 at an altitude of 7,000 feet, the yellow pine immediately appears, of large size, and with its usual massive habit, 

 and is henceforth the most conspicuous forest tree along the usual routes of travel, coming farther down into the 

 valleys than any other tree, and more frequently attaining a large size, probably from its less liability to serious 

 injury from fires! The descent from this southern divide to the Bitter Eoot valley is well wooded with large trees 

 of the yellow i)iue and red fir (with at first some small Pinus Murrayana), which continue to be the only trees 

 seen bordering the vallej'. These mountains were crossed by me on the Lolo trail up the Lolo creek, and by the 

 Mullan road, which follows the Saint Eegis de Borgia river. In the lower canons only yellow pine and red fir are 

 found, of the usual scattered growth the trees rarely much over 2 feet in diameter with larch and Abies subalpina 

 coming down the side gulches, and white pine in the middle cafion. The yellow pine gradually gives place to Picea 

 JEnyelmanni, Abies subalpina, and A. grandis, though none of these reach the size which they attain on the Idaho 

 side of the range. The large timber is mostly confined to the neighborhood ef the streams, where the larch and 

 white pine sometimes reach a diameter of 3 or 4 feet, but it becomes much smaller upon the ridges, and iu the upper 

 caiions rarely is more than a foot or 18 inches through, while the mountain slopes are usually much burned over 

 and covered with fallen timber, largely of Pinus Murrayana. The largest and most abundant tree in the upper 

 canons is probably the Picea Engelmanni. Small trees of the Thuya gigantea are also occasional, but nowhere in 

 northern Montana does it become large enough to be of importance. The Thuya and Abies grandis extend as far 

 south as the Nez Perc^ creek. I think that no hemlocks were seen on the Montana side of the range, but they 

 may occur. 



"North of the Mullan road to Clarke's Fork the eastern slopes of the range continue well wooded. On the 

 eastern side of the county the low spur of the Eocky mountains lying to the east of Bitter Eoot vallej' is to a large 

 extent bare, but has some young yellow pine (known as 'scrub pine' or 'blackjack pine') and Pinus Murrayana. 

 Approaching Hellgate river the timber becomes more prevalent iu the ravines ; and in the government timber 

 reservation near Missoula, where there is a saw-mill run for government purposes, the timber was found to be 

 yellow pine and red fir (not large) and considerable larch fine trees 2 feet in diameter or more and 100 feet high. 

 In Granite canon, in the mountains north of Missoula, where there is also a saw-mill, the lower caQon was occupied 

 by yellow pine and larch, with some red fir rarely over a foot through, and in the upper canon Abies subalpina and 

 Picea Engelmanni a foot in diameter. On the mountain sides above the caiion the timber is, as usual, small and 

 worthless for lumber. In the eastern portion of the Flathead Indian reservation a very high and rugged range of 

 mountains extends nearly as far north as the head of Flathead lake, and parallel with the main Eocky Mountain 

 range, which here enters the county and continues across the northern boundary. Both of these ranges are 

 throughout densely wooded, though on the eastern side of the Eocky mountains the timber wholly ceases a few 

 miles (8 or 10) below the summit, giving place to the open grazing region of the upper Missouri. On crossing over 

 the lower end of the western range, from the Big Blackfoot to the Jocko river, the timber was found to be at first 

 almost entirely yellow pine, with red fir and larch in the gulches, the yellow pine ceasing toward the divide (at 

 6,000 feet altitude) and Pinus Murrayana taking its place, but reappearing on the northern side, with occasional 

 Picea Engelmanni and even small Thuya gigantea. Iso white i)iue was seen. The same trees probably continue 

 northward to the boundary (the larch is reported from about 30 miles south of the boundary). 



"The remainder of the county, lying west of the Flathead Eiver valley, is wholly occupied by mountains, of 

 less altitude, but, so far as is known, generally densely wooded, with the exception of some of the spurs toward 

 the Flathead river and Clarke's Fork and some small prairies bordering the streams. 



" The total timbered area of the county is estimated at 17,000 square miles." 



WYOMING. 



The highest mountain ranges in Wyoming only are well timbered. The high rolling table-land which occupies 

 the central part of the territory is destitute of all tree growth, while the low ranges which rise from this plateau 



