310 GEOLOGY OF THE BLACK HILLS. 



Hills, near Inyan-Kaia ; tlio fruit was of a pleasant acid flavor and of 

 good' size, only differing from the ordinary western wild gooseberry in being 

 blue-black in color instead of dark-red. 



Several species of currants, including the black, red, and fetid varieties, 

 were occasionally seen, but are valueless. 



The wild w^estern strawberry grows throughout the Hills. It is a very 

 shy bearer, and the fruit is deficient in flavor 



The bunch-berry, or cornel {Cornus canadensis), was found in the ex- 

 treme northern ])art of the Hills. I have never seen it elsewhere, except in 

 Maine and Nova Scotia. 



Service-berries {Amclanchier canadensis) were quite plenty on Spring 

 and ria})id Creeks in July. The common wild red plum grows in patches 

 among the foothills, along the bottoms of the ravines The fruit was ripe 

 about September 20 



The only variety of grape noticed was a kind of frost-grape, found 

 along the banks of the streams, near the edge of the plains. 



Quite extensive patches of the two varieties of hazel-nuts were observed 

 in the southeastern part of the Hills, associated with alder, wdiite birch, 

 iron-w'ood, wdiite elm, burr-oak, sumac, the poison ivy {Rhus toxicodendmt), 

 the Virginia creeper, and many other plants of wide range and distribution. 



Wild flax and wild hops attain a rank and luxuriant growth on the 

 bottom-lands along the streams, and the soil and climate seem to be remark- 

 ably well suited to the growth of these plants. 



The flora of the Black Hills bears quite a resemblance to that of South- 

 ern Maine and New Hamp.shire in the same latitude, and it is probable that 

 man}' of the agricultural productions, fruits, and vegetables which can be 

 grown in perfection there will also succeed in favorable portions of this 

 region. The luxuriance with which the heavily seeded grasses known 

 commonly as wild r3'e, cheat, and wild oats grow on the rich bottoms 

 along the eastern slope, would indicate that an equally rank growth 

 of the cultivated cereals and grasses is to be expected. Except at a low 

 elevation among the foothills near the edge of the plains, the nights will 

 probably be found too cool for the successful growth of Indian corn, which 

 is a tropical plant, but oats, rye, barley, and wheat should yield well, and 

 potatoes of tJie best quality may be produced in the fertile valleys. 



