14 ABSABOKA DIVISION OF YELLOWSTONE EOKEST RESERVE. 



region along and at the head of Crevice Creek. Lesser and little known or 

 prospected mineralized areas occur in the canyons of East and West Boulder 

 rivers. The great mass of the reserve, all the granite areas of the Absaroka Range 

 west of Boulder River and the vast granite uplift east of Stillwater River are, so 

 far as known, devoid of mineralized areas. 



The mineral areas embrace both quartz and placer mining. Most of the 

 placer districts are confined to the Boulder drainage. Cooke City and Horseshoe 

 Mountain districts are chiefly mining in quartz. The Horseshoe Mountain camp 

 and Cowles, at the head of the Boulder, were the only camps in which active 

 mining operations were in progress at the time this , examination was made* In 

 the foothills in T. 6 S., R. 18 E., indications of petroleum are believed to have 

 been found, and prospecting has been in progress for some years without any 

 very definite results. 



AGEICUIiTURAL LAN^I>8. 



The areas actually tinder cultivation or susceptible of tillage without special 

 irrigation works comprise 34,840 acres. Of this amount, 4,000 acres exist in 

 small scattered tracts, forming bench lands, swales, reclaimed or drained wet 

 meadows, in the various canyon bottoms, chiefly in those of Boulder and West 

 and East Boulder rivers, in Stillwater Valley, and in the lower portions of Rocky 

 Fork Canyon. The remainder of the agricultural areas lie in the foothill region, 

 especially in Tps. 4 and 5 S., Rs. 16 and 17 E., and in T. 6 S., R. 18 E. The amount 

 actually under cultivation on areas situated within the mountain region amounts 

 to 1,200 acres, approximately, while in the foothill areas, chiefly in the townships 

 enumerated, there are possibly a total of 8,000 or 9,000 acres under more or less 

 complete tillage. The altitudinal limit of the arable lands lies between 6,000 

 and 6,000 feet. The large tracts of subalpine meadow lands lie at altitudes too 

 high for the successful raising of crops of any. sort. The agricultural lands in 

 the foothills actually under tillage usually occupy swales and bottoms along the 

 different creeks. They have a deep and rich soil, while the lands under tillage 

 in the various canyons consist of shallow strata of loam spread over a clear gravel 

 pebble, or bowlder basement, and, therefore, have onlj' a small and passing 

 value for farming purposes. Most of the lands require irrigation for the pro- 

 duction of crops. 



GRAZING LANDS. 



The nontimbered lands in the reserve available for range or pasture purposes 

 comprise 388,170 acres. To these should be added grassed woodlands of 37 200 

 acres, making a total of 425,370 acres of grazing lands. These tracts are of different 

 values for range purposes, depending on their general character and their situation 



