The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-12-08
THE FLATHEAD VALLEY.

E1E = LA lHEAD ALLEY Y.
The Flathead valley, ten years ago au
almost unknown region, the home OF tho
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.
b a ell Red River Valley of the North in
the superior quality of it's cereals. 1t is
the o lily agricultural section in the state
o Montana, where crops can be raised
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 the
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 infiien-
tail of this new counirz. Wheat averages
thirty five bushels per acre, oats sixty
bushels, barley forty bushels, rye thirty
bushels, potatoes 400 bushss, cabbf ge
ten tons per acre, rutabagas thirty tons
per acre.
The Flathead river, with it's tribu.
taries-tEe North, South and Middle
forks-the Saltwater and Whitetish
rivers, with thsir hume -ous br anches,
making a total of over 600 miles OF log
ging streams, all of which converge at
kalispell, flow through vast forests OF
pine, tamarack, fir, larch and oeitr.
Under the recent law enacted by con.
gress these boundless tracts of timbsr
land car be purchased at $3.50 per acre.
According to the state auditors report,
of the 1884 ,2S3 feet Of Timber cawed
in tho st tie during the year 1891, lOO,-
10000 was sawed in M ssoula county,
thus demonstrating this portion Of the
states SUI remacy in the lumber in
dustry.
In the nor hern 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-
velol ment of tins resource alone W Il
render this section the Pittsbuag of the
northwest. Adjoining these immens,
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
tie valley, Il thirty-foot start
um of the finest quality of fire
clay is found, which of, r. excep.
tional opportunities for The manufao-
ture of potlerry, and affords the brick
maker Il convent NJ and uniimi ell sup
ply for his kiln. Common and pressed
brick of a most super or quality have
b zen made from this clay, and numer-
Gus handsome buildings throughout ihe
valley sand as monumen s 10 this in
dusiry.
Mcntana's mineral output, which now
SURPRISES that of agy o her 3 a,e in The
uni n, will be largely augmen ed by the
Development OF ,he hidden reasures in
The mounta ranges surrounding the
F.a head valley. Rich veins of roll,
silver, copper and lead, which have
already b on discov red, are attrac ing
the attention OF the CAPT alisfs who
have invested largely i'll mining proper.
ties throughout this section, and a.s
rapidly pushing their ~deyelopmenL