Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1882-01-05

very scanty one indeed.
The tree forests are exclusively evergreens
and only on the banks of streams and in the
deep, shady and moist mountain gOrges do
deciduous trees grow at all. Several of them
extend from the eastern forest region, enter
ing the limits of the Territory without reach
ing the mountains. Such are the bOX-elder
and ash, reaching the falls on the Missouri
and Saltwater on the Yellowstone; the elm,
barely entering Montana at the confluence of
the Missouri and Yellowstone; the eastern
cottonwood, following these two rivers to the
vicinity of the mountains where its place IS
taken by the balsam and willow-leaved pop
lars. The plum grows only along the streams
between the Big Horn Mountains and the
Yellowstone. The trees of chief economic
value are those locally known under the
names of white and yellow pine, red fir and
white spruce, all confined to the mountain
region Only where these are absent is re-
course had to the cottonwood, the only de-
ciduous tree attaining sufficient size to be
used for lumber
1t is very striking feature OF the forest
growth that ON the Atlantic slope the ever
green forest stops everywhere abruptly at the
foot of the mountains. The slope may be
covered with trees to its lowest edge, but if a
few evergreens are seen in the valleys they
will be found growing on some outcropping
ledge of rocks On the Pacific slope, and es-
pecially in the extreme northwest, it is very
different Along the Bitter Root and Big
Blacktoot rivers, and throughout the country
surrounding the Flathead and Cpur d'Alene
lakes the mountains and plains together are
covered with continuous forest, and here is
found the finest forest growth of the Rocky
Mountains, almost rivaling that of the Puget
Sound country The rich alluvial soil of
such old lake basins as the Gallatin valley
for instance seems to be entirely unsuitable
to the growth Of the native evergreens, which
flourish so luxuriantly in the lighter, more
porous soil of the northwestern valleys.
Among the shrubs the first place belongs
to the sagebrush and greasewood. On the
dry, alkaline plains these are often prominent,
although not here reaching the development
attained by them in Utah and Nevada. But
they are in many places abundant enough to
give character land not very inviting one)
to the landscape. Among the mountains
they are found in comparatively few locall-
ties. 4 more attractive and almost as widely
distributed shrub is the rose, forming dense
thickets wherever it can find a moist, rich
soil, whether in the river valleys of the
prefers partial shade, and is often found as
underground in the groves Of cottonwood or
poplar Fruit-bearing bushes abound, espe-
cially in the mountains. Service berries,
red raspberries, thimble berries buffalo ber-
ries choke cherries, several species of whor-
tleberries. and half dozen or more species
of currants and gooseberries. Wild grapes
and plums grow in the Big Horn region, and
blackberries are said to be found near Flat
head lake Of Towering shrubs, besides
those already mentioned, we have several spe-
CloS OI lldN3 CiuSI, SpliNt%o,.
cornus, syrnga, berberis and others.
OF the herbaceous plants the most impor
tant economically are of course the grasses
Throughout the plains there are the western
buffalo or bunch grasses, so-called from their
habit of growth in scattered tufts already
referred to- This peculiar manner of grow
ing is not however due to any popularity Of
the Species but to the climate The drier
the soil the scantier the growth. The nearer
one approaches the mountains the closer the
approach to real greensward, until in the
moist basins high up in the mountains this
same bunch grass is met with forming a
dense growth, reaching waist high. Under
the same favorable conditions are also found
fine natural meadows of timothy and red-top
grasses In fact the finest pastures of Mon
tana lie high up in the open mountain parks,
so numerous in our ranges, where the snow
lies many feet deep in winter and melts only
late in the spring. These pastures are now
never used, but the time will undoubtedly
come when the lower valleys will be reserved
for winter pastures and our people will follow
the example of the herdsmen of the Alps
and Scandinavia, driving their cattle into the
mountains during the summer months.
When that time comes Montana will rival
those countries in the products of the dairy.
This is not the place to dwell on the extent
and importance of our magnificent pastures,
many thousand square miles of which have
as yet been grazed over only by buffalo, an
telope and Indian horses. But they are now
filling rapidly and have in some few instances
even already been overstocked. Where
grazed too closely it is noticeable that here,
as in other places in the West, the buffalo
grasses thin out, and their place is taken by
the blue-stem, which is valuable grass and
makes good hay, but it is not nearly as valu-
able and nutritious as the bunch grass when
drying standing on the plains.
Our summers are short. The snow falls
early and lies late, at least here in the moun-
tain valleys; but even while the drifts are still
piled high in sheltered corners and hollows,