The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-23
THE L

The Flathead valley, ten years ago an
almost unknown region, the home OF The
savage and wild beast, to-day is the
most productive section Of the north.
west, yielding per acre double the out.
put OF Kansas, Iowa CT the Dakotas,
and is the only section west of the Miss.
issippi river which can rival the cale.
ba ell Red River Valley of the North IN
the superior quality of it's cereals. 1t is
the only agricultural section in the state
o Montana, where crops can be rlised
without irrigation. Vegetables of all
kinds are grown in abundance, while
apples, plums, peaches, cherries, pears,
and the small fruits such as strawber-
ries, blackberries, goosehe rles, raspber-
ries are being raised successfully. With
a ready market for all products Of t Q
soil in the rich mineral di tricts to the
east, west a d south, the farmers of thu
Flathead valley will soon be classed
among the wealthiest and most int1uen-
tail of this new countr ,. Wheat averages
thirty five bushels per acre, oats sixty
bushels, barley forty bushels, rye thirty
bushels, potatoes 400 bushes s, cabbt ga
ten tons per acre, rutabagas thir y tons
per acre.
The Flathead river, with its tribu-
taries-tke North, South and Middle
forks-the Saltwater and Whitstish
rivers, with tn sir hume GUS br anches,
making atotal of over CO.. miles OF log
cling streams, all of which converge at
| L ,1,crol1 Aor fhro,nb yacf fCras, q nj
| pine, tamarack, fir, larch and cedar.
Under the recent law enacted by con-
gress these bolndless tracts of timber
, land can he purchased at $3.50 per acre.
According to the state aud tors report,
of the 103,4S9,2S3 feet OF lumber Gawed
in the st tie during the year 1891, lOO,-
o. OOOO 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
roa(s are alreedy building, and the de-
velol ment of this resource alone W II
renCer this section The Pitt buag of tho
northwest. Adjoining tnSSe lhnm 7ns'
bodies Of coal lie large tracts OF Oil land,
which g We 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, a thirty-foot start
UNI of the finest quality of he
clay is found, which ole rs excep.
tional opportl III ties for he manufao-
ture Of pot evry, and affords The brick
maker a ~conveai n and unlimi ed sup
ply for his kiln. Common and pressed
brick of a most superior qualify have
b1en II ade from this clay, and m
Gus handsome buildings 1hroug out he
va ley sand as monumen b 10 this III
dus ry.
Montana's mineral output, which now
surpasses lha, of any her s a in he
uni II, will be largely augmen cd by tho
development of he hidden easures in
The mountain ranges surrounding the
+ a head valley. Rich veins of rol1,
silver, copper and lead, which h i've
already been discov red, are attrac ing
the attention OF tho capi alis 8 who
have invested largely in mining proper
ties throughout this section, and aHs
RAPIDLY pushing iheir ~de,elopmena