The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-12-14
THE FLATHEAD ALLEY

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 or the Dakotas,
and is the oaly section west of the Miss.
issippi river which can rival the cele.
b a Q Red River Valley of the North in
the superior quality of it's cereals. 1t is
the 0 lily agricultural section in the state
o \ ontana, where crops can be raised
without irrigation. Vegetables of all
kinds re- grown in abundance, while
apples, plums, peaches, cherries, pears,
and the small fruits such as strawber.
ries, ~blackberries, goosehe rles, raspber.
RES are be ng raised successfully. With
a ready market for all products of tie
sol in the rich mineral di tricts to the
east, west a 4 south, the farmers of thu
F1athead' valley will soon be classed
| among he wealthiest and most intiuen-
iail of this new countr' ,. Wheat averages
thirty five bushels par acre, oats sixty
bushels, barley forty bushels, rye thirty
bushels. potatoes 400 bush s, cabbfge
| ten tons per acre, rutabagas thir y tons
per acre.
The Flathead riv>r, with it's tribu.
taries-tl @ North, South and Middle
forks-the Saltwater and Whitefish
| rivers, with tn sir hume Gus br anches,
making a to.al Of over uO) miles OF 10 =
g.ng streams, al of which converge at
| kalispell, flow through vast fores' OF
pine, tamarack, tir, larch aid cellar.
| Under the recent law enacted by con-
gress these TO ;rdless tracts of timber
land can lie purchas ID at $3.50 ror acre.
| According to the state aud tors report,
ofthe l03, 1925 feet OF lumber cawed
in The it tie during the year 1891, l00,-
O O0O0 was sawed in M ssoula county,
thus demonstrating this portion ef the
states SUI renacy in the lumber III.
dustry.
In the nor, hern portion o. the valley
are hidden vast measures OF a superior
quality of coal towards which the rlil-
roaC 8 are already building, and the de-
velorment of this resource alone W u
render this section the Pitt buag of thu
northwest. Adjoining these INN anss
bodies of coal lie large tracts Of oil lad,
which give promise of equa'ing the rich
petroleum fields of Pennsylvania.
Natural ga has also been discovered in
this region.
Underlying a large portion Of
tie valley, n thirty-foot start-
UNI OF the finest quail ty OF ii Q
clay is fourd, which oilers excep,
tional opportunities for he manufao-
ture Of pot,eVry, and aft rds 'he brick
maker a convent n and unlimi o sup
ply for his kiln, Common and pressed
brick OF a most superior quail y have
b zen made from this clay, and numfr-
ous handsome buildings throughout no
valley stand RS IN TO this in-
dustry.
Montana's mineral output, which now
surpasses that of any O her s n a in Tho
mi II, viii be largely augmen cd by the
development of The hidden easur in
the mountain ranges surrounding the
+ a head valley. Rich veins of gold,
silver, copper and lead, which hive
already been discov red, are attrac ing
the attention OF the CAPT alis's whJ
have invested largely in mining proper
ties throughout this section, and 40
rauidly pushing their deyelopmeu1