The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-17
THE VALLEY.

THE FLATHEAD VALLEY.
The Flathead valley, ten years ago an
almost unknown region, the home of The
savage and wild beast, to-day is tho
most productive section of the north.
west, yielding per acre double the out.
put OF Kansas, Iowa or the Dakotas,
and is the only section west of the Miss.
issippi river which can rival the cale.
b a ell Red River Valley of the North IN
the superior quality of its cereals. 1t is
tho O lly agricultural section in the sii's
O. Montana, where crops can be raised
without irrigation. Vegetables Of all
kinds are grown ia abundance, while
apples, plums, peaches, cherries, pears,
and the small fruits such as %strawber-
riea, blackberries, goosehe RES, raspber-
ries are beng raised successfully. With
a ready market for all products of the
sol in the rich mineral di tricts to the
east, west a 4 south, the farmers of tho
Flathead valley will soon be Slassed
among the wealthiest and most int1uen-
tail of thisnew countrf. Wheat averages
thirty five bushels per acre, oats sixty
bushels, barley forty bushels, rye thirty
bushels, potatoes 400 bushels, cabbage
ten tons per acre, rutabagas thirty tons
per acre.
The Flathead river, with it's tribu.
taries-tbe North, South and Middle
forks-the Saltwater and Whitefish
rivers, with their hume br anches,
making a total of over Co miles Of log
ging streams, all of which converge at
kalispell, flow through vast forests OF
| pine, tamarack, fir, larch and cedar.
Under the recent law enacted by con
| gress these boundless tracts of timber
, land can be purchased at $3.50 per acre.
According to the state auditors report,
of the 1O3,489,2s3 feet OF lumber sawed
in the st tie during the year 1891 lO0,-
| 100000 was sawed in M ssoula county,
| thus demonstrating this portion of the
states SUI remacy in the lumber in
dustry.
In the northern portion Of the valley
are hidden vast measures of a superior
quality of coal towards which the rail
roads are already building, and the de.
velopment of this resource alone VII
render this section the Pittsbuag of the
northwest. Adjoining these immense
bodies of coal lie large tracts of oil land,
which give promise of equa'ing the rich
petroleum fields of Pennsylvania.
Natural gas has also been discovered in
this region.
Underlying a large portion OF
the valley, thirty-foot start
UNI of the finest quality of fire
clay is found, which offers excep.
tional opportunities for the manufac-
ture of pottevry, and affords the brick
maker a convenient and unlimi, ed sup
ply for his kiln. Common and pressed
brick of n most superior quality have
ben made from this clay, and numer-
Gus handsome buildings throughout the
va ley stand as monuments 10 this in
dustry.
Montana's mineral output, which now
surpasses that of any O her safe in The
uni n, will be largely augmen ed by the
development of The hidden reasures in
the mountain ranges surrounding the
Fla head valley. Rich veins Of gold,
silver, copper and lead, which have
already been discovered, are attrac ing
the attention OF the CAPT alis's VIII,
have invested largely in mining proper.
tics throughout this section, and are
4 rapidly pushing thair DEVELOPMENT.