The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-26
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 the
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 cele.
b'a ell Red River Valley of the North in
the superior quality of it's cereals. 1t is
the oaly 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, gooseberrles, 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 and south, the farmers Of thu
Flathead valley will soon be classed
among the wealthiest and most infuen-
tail of this new country. 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 its tribu-
taries-the North, South and Middle
forks-the Saltwater and Whitefish
rivers, with their numerous 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, t%amarack, 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 1O3,4s9,2S3 feet of lumber oawed
in the state during the year 1891, 100,-
OyO0O0 was sawed in Missoula 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 will
renGer this section the Pittsbuag of the
northwest. Adjoining these immense
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 qualt y of fire
clay is found, which off,rs excep.
tional opportunities for he manufac-
ture of pot evry, and affords The brick
maker a c~onyeli nv and unlimi ei sup
ply for his kiln, Common and pressed
brick of a most superior quail y have
b en- made from This clay, and numtr-
Gus handsome buildings hrougt Out no
Va ley and as monumen 8 10 this in
dus ry.
Montanas mineral output, which now
SURPRISES hal of any o her s u . in ho
uni n, will be largely augmen cd by tho
de selopmenI of he hidden reasures in
tho mountan rnnges surrounding tho
+ a head valley. Rich veins of gold,
silver, O pper and lead, which hive
already b on dis,ov red, are "A lrac ing
the attention of the CAPT alis s VIII
nave invested largely in mining proper.
ties throughout this sec ion, and a,o
| rauidly pushing their DEVELOPMENTS