100 
above the level of the sea. Comparing these with the altitudes of the 
other Territories, we find the difference much greater than would be 
anticipated. Tor this purpose I give here the elevations of a few points: 
Feet. 
Alibuquierque;: NoWiexe: occ. con see ee ee 5, 032 
Ptah PHONE MOR See - toc tan os eet eee ae ae 6, 840 
Denvers@ OlO8. 2 o.oo sec ete eee eee eee 5, 300 
Green River, at the railroad crossing, Wyoming.......-- : 6, 140 
Salibake City, Utah ® 2.220) ae oe ne see ee Siete 4,350 
hes aumbolt Sink, Utahocse- a. ees seen sea non nee 4,017 
Hort warame, WY 0s cuesssoe to oe eee eee ee ana Soe 
Sweet Water River, at Independence Rock, oe So wee MOOS 
South Pass City, Wo Parone Sen ea cere TES es ape as 7, 857 
From this we see that even the lowest maine of the Great Basin near 
the “Humboldt Sink” is 1,126 feet above the mouth of the St. Regis de 
Borgia, and 733 feet above Fort Owen. This very important fact in re- 
gard to the physical geography of this Territory will serve as an expla- 
nation of its comparatively mild climate, notwithstanding its northern 
latitude. 
Probably none of the southern and central ranges reach the line of 
perpetual snow. Those in the extreme north are unexplored. It is 
said that glaciers flow from some of them. 
The western or mountainous portion of Montana is interspersed with 
many fine valleys well adapted to agriculture and stock raising. The 
principal forests of the Territory are in this section. 
The most dense and continuous bodies of timber are found on the 
western flanks of the main range, and on the Cabinet, Coeur d’Aléne, 
and Bitter Root Mountains, which are contiguous to it, or form the 
boundary line between Montana and Idaho. These forests, which ex- 
tend to eastern and northern Idaho, are the most extensive and valu- 
able of any in the Rocky Mountain region. They guard the sources of 
many important streams, and furnish timber supplies for an adjacent 
treeless territory of wide extent. ‘Their careful conservation is of the 
greatest consequence. 
The forests of Montana are composed mainly of Yellow Pine (Pinus 
ponderosa); White Pine (Pinus flexilis, Pinus albicaulis and Pinus mon- 
ticola), Lodge-Pole or Tamarack Pine (Pinus Murrayana); Red or Yel- 
low Fir (Pseudotsuga Douglasii) ; White or Balsam Fir (Abies grandis); 
Cedar (Thuya gigantea and Juniperus Virginiana) ; and Yew (Taxus brevi- 
folia). The Yellow Pine and Red Fir predominate, forming the bulk of 
the forests at the lower altitudes. At higher elevations are found the 
White Spruce, Tamarack, and Balsam. 
The deciduous species most worthy of mention are ite Cottonwood 
(Populus monilifera and P. angustifolia); Balsam Poplar (P. balsami- 
fera); Aspen (P. tremuloides); Box-Elder (Negundo aceroides); and 
Mountain Mahogany (Cerco-carpus ledifolius). 
Yellow and White Pine, and White Spruce are the principal timber 
trees. The first named is the largest and most useful, and furnishes 
aa < a we OT 

