In its geological construction the azoic formations prevail in the w., and eastward first the jurassic appears, next the cretaceous, and near the Dakota line the Along the base of the mountains are beds of jurassie and carboniferous rocks. Potsdam sandstone and briek-making clay are abundant, and there is some granite. Slate is found in large quantities in the p'acer-mining districts. In all sections the strata are much broken, and present formations of almost every geologic age. The plains, which at the month of the Yellowstone are 2,010 ft. above the level of the sea, rise gradually to 4,091 ft. at the base of the Mountains, the elevation of the valleys varying from 3.000 to 5,000 feet. The cretaceous strata in the n. yield coal of the best quality, which is mined in the vicinity of Bannack, Helena, Virginia, Deer Lodge, and Benton, and there are evidences of its presence on the Missouri„\Inseleshell, and Yellowstone. All kinds of petrefac tions are found near the Missouri, snails, snakes, sea-serpents, buffaloes' bones, wood, etc.
Its most important mineral wealth is in its vast deposits of gold and silver, which are mined in every method from the modern scientific machinery of quartz-crushing and hydraulic mining, to the homely pan of the original .` honest miner," with his little retort and crucible, quicksilver and rough sluice-boxes, vexed and worried by drought and flood. Gold was first discovered on a small creek w. of the main divide of the Rocky mountains, in 1852, contiguous to the site of the present town of Deer Lodge. In 1861 the first mine was opened, and in 1803 the first quartz mill was erected. The principal quartz mines are near Argenta, Bannaek, and Helena, and the latter place and Virginia are the great mming centers. The Barker silver mines, 60 in. from Fort Benton, have been recently opened, and large quantities of ore were sent down the river to Omaha to be assayed in the autumn of 1880. Iron and coal, lignite, copper, and petroleum are found.
In the e. section there is much controversy as to which is the more susceptible to cultivation, the bench or the bottom lands, experiments having been made by the mili tary and other residents along the rivers; but, subject to certain conditions of season and locality, either level has been found to be productive, furnishing excellent wheat land, and fine crops of turnips and the hardier vegetables are raised with very little Tabor. Groves of cottonwood, resembling the birch trees of the east, ash, and hickory grow on the banks of the Missouri, furnishing fuel for the steamers, being cut by a solitary wood man, and laid ready in long piles. It also supplies a convenient medium of exchange whereby the proprietor of the wood-yard procures his whisky, canned vegetables, and clothing. Thickets of willows are common, in which the tourist searches, frequently with success, for "diamond willow," the favorite wood for walkins_s-sticks. At the Coal Banks, 35 m. from Fort Benton, it new government freight station, there is an elegant park laid out in serpentine paths, and furnished with rustic seats by the industry of the soldiers in leisure hours. Previous to the severe winter of 1881, the bunch, buffalo, and grama grass were sufficient food for stock throughout the year, and it was not considered necessary to provide shelter, but in that year the snow blocked all the roads for weeks at a time, cutting off all communication between principal points, and the thermometer registered 59° below zero at Fort Benton. Poor cottonwood sold at $15 per cord, and
coal was 1 et. per lb. In ordinary times a military telegraph gives all the facilities for rapid communication as far n. as Fort Benton. The climate is subject to great varia tions; in a journey of 150 m. a traveler may start in a linen duster and arrive in a fur coat, and a November sun shines with as much intensity as in July. Hay is made on the river bottom lands and carried into the interior, but little is required, except at the forts, and barns are little needed, the hay being stacked on the open prairie. Untoward circumstances have conspired to cause time failure of crops in certain seasons, but in the w. the Prickly Pear, Gallatin, and Bitter Woof valleys, and in the n. the valley of the Teton and Sun River valley present a region unsurpassed for agrieultural advantages. In the BitterRoot valley, called the Garden Valley of Montana, splendid apples (which sold at Fort Benton in 1880 for 30 cts. per lb.) mild plums are raised, $20,000 worth of trees being imported annually from New York nurseries. Potatoes are raised weighing 2i lbs., 9x10 in. in size. This is a pleasant prospect for the country, the n. and e. depending principally on canned vegetables from the states. The valley lying n. and s. of Fort Owen is 3,284 ft, above theleyeIof the sea, and is 80 m. long, varying from 5 to 10 m, in width. The soil ika rich dark loam. lit additioti to4la4 Main stream, many tributaries flow down from the mountains. Cottonwood and pine trees grow to a height, the former of 70 ft. and the latter of 150 feet. The Missoula valley is 15 m. wide for 30 m., is well wooded, and has a moderate climate. Prickly Pear valley, from 5 to 15 in. wide and 20 in. long, with beautiful smooth meadows, is in the vicinity of Helena. The valley of the Teton is from 2 to 6 in. wide, with bordering table-lands 75 ft. above the valley level, and is within easy distance of Fort Benton. Deer Lodge valley is 5,000 ft. above the level of the sea, and is 40 in. long and about 12 m. wide, with a central stream flowing through it, and rivulets running down from the mountains on either side. Sun River valley is from 1 to 3 in. wide. The stream is rather swift, and from the " cross in..," on the road from Fort Benton to Helena, the valley is about 5 m. wide for 25 miles. The timber is cottonwood and ash. The Judith basin is 50 m. wide and 80 in. long, and is traversed by the Judith river and 3 tributaries, West Fork, South Fork, and Big Spring creek. In the area between these valleys arc extensive cattle ranges, taken up by residents of the towns, and visited semi-annually. The bright-winged grasshopper, gay and harmless, is found skipping about on the plains, resembling the little butterflies of the states. Butter is found to be the most lucrative product of the farm; 150 lbs. a week were made in 1880 by the owner of from 40 to 60 cows. It sold at 50 cts. per lb. Prices fur tire necessaries of life approach nearer to those of the east than they did in City in 1861, when flour sold for $100 in gold per sack of 100 lbs. The pay of laborers on ranches is $35 a month; in the winter $80. Timber is most abundant in the n.w., particularly along the Flathead and Kootenay rivers.