264 GEOLOGICAL SUEVEY OF THE TEEEITOEIES. 



jointing. Currants, gooseberries, strawberries, and raspberries do very 

 well, their fruit growing and maturing without any dilSculty from the 

 climate 5 in fact, the soil and climate seem peculiarly adapted to the 

 growth of the first two. The native varieties of gooseberries and cur- 

 rants bear transplanting without injury, improving under cultivation. 

 Native raspberries and strawberries have not been tried ; it may be that 

 the former will bear transplanting, though, as shown in my previous 

 report, the experiment failed in Colorado. Other fruits, so far as tried 

 in this valley, have proved a failure ; but Major Forbes thinks that some 

 varieties of the apple might succeed. He says that an experiment made 

 with hemp shows that it grows remarkably well. He planted some seed 

 in a yard in Helena, which is some 400 or 500 feet above the valley-level, 

 and some of the stalks grew to a height of 10 or 12 feet, and as large 

 round at the base as a man's wrist. He is now testing it on his farm, 

 and at the time I met with him (July 12 to 15) it was growing finely. 

 He has raised hemp in Missouri, and is satisfied, from his experience 

 with it in that State, that it can be produced here as easily and of as 

 good quality as there. The climate, he states, is variable ; often the 

 weather is mild and open at Christmas, but with previous killing frosts 3 

 but at other times winter commences much earlier. Snow does not 

 generally set in until in December, and does not often fall in the valleys 

 after March ; it never falls to any great depth, seldom enough for good 

 sleighing. This fact in regard to the fall of snow appears somewhat 

 paradoxical to those who have never visited those mountain regions. 

 They read and hear statements in regard to snow in the mountain 15 

 and 20 feet deep, and then in the next breath are told that cattle 

 can graze out all winter, the snow not being sufficient to prevent this. 

 It must be acknowledged these statements do appear to be somewhat 

 contradictory, yet both are true ; an explanation of which will be found 

 in my former report. 



In order to afford as much data as possible in regard to the valley 

 under consideration, it should be stated that barometric measurements, 

 taken in Major Forbes's door-yard, show the elevation to be just 4,000 

 feet above the level of the sea. 



On the east side of the Missouri, in the bend which this river makes 

 here, from a north to a northeast course, are two or three valleys, which 

 may be considered, in this connection, though not strictly, belonging to 

 the southern section. E^orth Deep Creek, which rises in Belt Mountains 

 and flows north to the Missouri, has a valley some forty or fifty miles in 

 length, which averages about three in width. At one place, for a distance 

 of fifteen or twenty miles, it widens out to an average-of five miles, but 

 at other points the spurs of the mountains close in upon it, rendering it 

 quite narrow. South Deep Creek gives a valley of twenty-five or thirty 

 miles in length and four or five in . width, at no point within this dis- 

 tance being less than two miles wide. Water sufficient to irrigate these 

 valleys can be obtained from these creeks and their tributaries, and 

 near the mouth of the latter any deficiency can be supplied from the 

 Missouri. The soil is good, and considerable settlements have already 

 been made here. 



NOETHEEN SECTION. 



This section comprises all that part of the Territory lying east of the 

 Eocky Mountains and north of the divide which separates the waters 

 of the Missouri from those of the Yellowstone. It is an extensive re- 

 gion, stretching from east to west some three hundred and fifty or four 

 hundred miles, and varying in width, north and south, from one hundred 



