﻿THE 
  CLIMATE 
  OF 
  THE 
  PERMANENT 
  REGION. 
  

  

  23 
  

  

  cific 
  across 
  Eastern 
  Dakota 
  from 
  the 
  Eed 
  Eiver 
  to 
  the 
  Missouri. 
  That 
  

   but 
  a 
  comparatively 
  small 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  land 
  along 
  the 
  line 
  from 
  Black 
  

   Hills 
  to 
  the 
  Yellowstone 
  can 
  be 
  brought 
  under 
  cultivation 
  we 
  are 
  fully 
  

   aware, 
  but 
  fortunately 
  for 
  the 
  object 
  in 
  view 
  the 
  locusts 
  deposit 
  their 
  

   eggs 
  and 
  breed 
  only, 
  or 
  at 
  least 
  chiefly, 
  in 
  these 
  restricted 
  areas. 
  

  

  Between 
  the 
  Yellowstone 
  and 
  the 
  point 
  where 
  this 
  railroad 
  would 
  cross 
  

   the 
  Missouri 
  the 
  country 
  is 
  rough 
  and 
  broken, 
  but 
  there 
  are 
  a 
  number 
  

   of 
  fertile 
  valleys 
  and 
  small 
  areas 
  that 
  can 
  be 
  irrigated 
  and 
  cultivated. 
  

   Forth 
  of 
  this 
  it 
  would 
  run 
  through 
  as 
  fine 
  an 
  agricultural 
  region 
  as 
  there 
  

   is 
  in 
  the 
  Territory. 
  

  

  Another 
  fact 
  which 
  is 
  often 
  overlooked 
  should 
  be 
  borne 
  in 
  mind 
  in 
  

   discussing 
  this 
  scheme; 
  that 
  is, 
  that 
  the 
  elevation 
  of 
  this 
  region 
  is 
  much 
  

   less 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  plains 
  along 
  the 
  east 
  flank 
  of 
  the 
  mountains 
  in 
  

   Wyoming 
  and 
  Colorado, 
  which 
  tends 
  to 
  very 
  materially 
  moderate 
  the 
  

   climate. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  statistics 
  from 
  the 
  meteorological 
  records 
  kept 
  at 
  Fort 
  

   Shaw 
  will 
  furnish 
  some 
  data 
  in 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  chmate 
  of 
  this 
  region 
  : 
  

  

  Monthly 
  means 
  of 
  the 
  temperature 
  for 
  two 
  years. 
  

  

  August 
  67.15 
  

  

  September 
  54.04 
  

  

  October 
  49.12 
  

  

  November 
  39. 
  92 
  

  

  December 
  26.75 
  

  

  Year 
  47.33 
  

  

  January 
  21.28 
  

  

  February 
  30.39 
  

  

  March 
  36.58 
  

  

  April 
  46.51 
  

  

  May 
  56.04 
  

  

  June 
  64.98 
  

  

  July 
  70.22 
  

  

  This 
  certainly 
  shows 
  a 
  very 
  moderate 
  climate 
  for 
  this 
  northern 
  lati- 
  

   tude. 
  Wheat, 
  oats, 
  rye, 
  and 
  barley 
  grow 
  well, 
  and 
  Indian 
  corn 
  is 
  also 
  

   raised 
  without 
  difficulty 
  and 
  produces 
  good 
  crops. 
  Such 
  fruits 
  as 
  apples, 
  

   plums, 
  cherries, 
  currants, 
  raspberries, 
  and 
  gooseberries 
  may 
  be 
  grown 
  

   and 
  matured 
  here, 
  the 
  climate 
  presenting 
  no 
  serious 
  obstacle. 
  

  

  The 
  amount 
  of 
  land 
  that 
  can 
  be 
  brought 
  under 
  cultivation 
  depends 
  

   wholly 
  upon 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  water 
  that 
  can 
  be 
  obtained 
  for 
  irrigation. 
  

   If 
  the 
  plan 
  for 
  making 
  reservoirs 
  for 
  preserving 
  the 
  winter 
  supply 
  should 
  

   ever 
  be 
  adopted, 
  the 
  breadth 
  of 
  the 
  agricultural 
  belt 
  would 
  be 
  very 
  

   largely 
  increased, 
  and 
  this 
  would 
  be 
  doubly 
  beneficial 
  in 
  assisting 
  to 
  

   destroy 
  the 
  locusts 
  and 
  tending 
  to 
  increase 
  the 
  moisture 
  in 
  the 
  atmos- 
  

   phere 
  by 
  forming 
  a 
  larger 
  evaporating 
  surface. 
  The 
  growth 
  of 
  trees 
  and 
  

   shrubbery 
  around 
  these 
  reservoirs 
  would 
  also 
  be 
  beneficial 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  

   direction. 
  

  

  Bat 
  experience 
  in 
  the 
  settlement 
  of 
  these 
  mountain 
  regions 
  and 
  West- 
  

   ern 
  Territories 
  show 
  that 
  no 
  such 
  extensive 
  works 
  will, 
  or 
  in 
  fact 
  can 
  be, 
  

   undertaken 
  by 
  a 
  pioneer 
  agricultural 
  population. 
  Some 
  efficient 
  aid 
  of 
  

   some 
  kind 
  must 
  be 
  given 
  if 
  such 
  a 
  scheme 
  is 
  ever 
  carried 
  into 
  effect, 
  and 
  

   if 
  the 
  land 
  itself 
  will 
  do 
  this, 
  the 
  government 
  will 
  act 
  wisely 
  in 
  giving 
  

   it 
  for 
  this 
  purpose. 
  

  

  In 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  bearing 
  of 
  the 
  locust 
  problem 
  on 
  the 
  agricultural 
  

  

  