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Show 46 IMMIGRANTS' .AND SETTLERS' GUIDE the obstacles of travel a health t" d f. . forced its way into this new aJa. ~is~~nti::~ration has CLIMATE AND SOIL. The Territory of Idaho degrees of latitude that o t~~tends across so many ~races a great vari;ty of c1~matl! account alone it em. ~s the difference of altitude of"t ;nr.But, ad de~ to this, Its lowest plains and II 1 s I erent sections, from region, which contribute:atoef~ to the high mountain The southern t" e sam~ result. from the testimo!;:;o~ o{ ~he Terntory is mild, and from m·y own experienc~p a~IJrs and se~tlers, as well as northern portion is fav d . o~servatwn, the extreme quite as mild as that of~e Wit a healthy climate, and Western States This 0 • man:y of the Northern and the mountains i~ accord: parti?ularly the case west of that the isothermal li ~c~ WI~h the well known fact proceed westward fro!et~s Ert er to the north as you Pacific shore. e astern States towards the At Fort Benton, on the Missour· . . . ~ost of the American Fur Com I ~1ve1, a tradmg tion of 2,662 feet above th 1 p~ny, which has an elevaand cattle, of which th e ;ve of the sea, their horses never housed or fed . e-., ave a large number are without difficulty. m wmter, but get their own living The fall of the temperat . appears to be much mo bure, as Winter approaches, · h · · re a rupt east f th · In t IS latitude than t th ~ e mountains, Great Lakes. ' a e west or In the vicinity of ~rhe meteorological record :D D anomalous and gives or. ecember is quite t~re. At 'all other m~~a~xtraordinarily high tenlperaVIz. Forts Snelling K Y posts of the North-West 01 . , earney L . · S ' ympia, the ten1perature ' al amie, tevens, and degrees below those of N 0 8 of Dece~ber are several Fort Benton the tern ve!flher, while as recorded at than the preceding Jerathture In December is 13 o warmer on . > TO THE NEW STATES .AND TERRITORIES. 47 In the Deer Lodge Prairie, in the valley of the Deer "Lodge River, just west of the mountains, are very fine farming lands. Beautiful prairie openings occur at frequent intervals in the valleys both of the llell Gate and Bitter Root Rivers. At the settlement called Hell Gate, situated at the junction of the river by that name and the Bitter Root, are several farms which yield all the cereals and vegetab1es in great abundance, bringing prices that would astonish farmers in the States, as parties are constantly passing through that region on their way to the mines and glad to purchase supplies. "I estimate that in the valleys on the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains, and extending no farther than the Bitter. Root range of mountains, there may be some 6,000 square miles of arable land, upon grassed lands with good soils, and already prepared for occupation and settlement; and that in additiori to this amount, there are valleys having good soils, and favorable for settlement, which will be cleared in the removal of lumber from them. The faint attempts made by the Indians at cultivating the soil have been attended with good success, a.nd fair returns might be expected of all such crops as are adapted to the Northern States of our country." ''The numerous mountain rivulets, tributary to the Bitter Root R~ver, that run through the valley, afford excellent and abundant mill-seats; and the land bordering these is fertile and productive, and has been proved beyond a cavil or doubt to be well suited to every branch of agriculture."* ~ In these valleys much grain is already grown, and along the Bitter Root several flouring mills may be found. Produce brings a good price, and the in~n·easing demand for breadstuffs at Bannock City and other Inining towns, will insure a more vigorous effort on the part of the husband1nen. STOCK-RAISING, ETC. .The cattle in the Deer Lodge· Valley run at large in ~Inter, and thrive and fatten rapidly. There is a conSld. erable settlement in the Valley, and stock-raising is qu1ckly becoming a lucrative business, the mining pop·u- * Extract from the official report of Governor Stevens. |