The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-08
THE FLATHEAD 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 tie cele,
b,a ed Red River Valley of the North in
the superior quality of its cereals. 1t is
the oaly agricultural section in the state
o Montana, where crops can be.rlised
without irrigation. Vegetables of all
kinds arc grown il abundance, while
apples, plums, peaches, cherries, pears,
and the small fruits such as s%trawber-
ries, blackberries, goosebe rles, raspber-
ries are be ng laieed successfully. With
q ready market for all products of t o
soil in the rich mineral di tricts to tho
east, west a d south, the farmers of thu
Flathead valley will soon DO class sd
among the wealthiest ard most inhuen-
tail of this new countr,. Wheat averages
thirty five bushels per acre, oats sixty
bushels, barley forty bushels, rye thirty
bushels, potatoes 400 bushe 8, cabbfge
ten tons per acre, rutabagas thir y tons
per acre.
The Flathead river, with it's tribu-
~taries-tte North, South and Middle
forks-the Saltwater and Whitetish
rivers, with tn Sir hume, ous br auches,
making a total of Q LO) miles of log
glng streams, al of which converge at
kalispell, flow through vast forests Of
pine, t%amarack, fir, larch and cedar.
Under thu recent law enacted by CON
gress these boundless tracts of timber
land can he purchased at $3.50 per acre.
According to the state aud tors report,
of the 1O3,4S9,2S3 feet OF lumber cawed
in the st tie during the year 1891, l0O,-
10000 was sawed in M ssoula county,
thus demonstrating this portion Ct the
states SUI remacy in the lumber in
dustry.
In the nor hern rorticn OF the valley
are hidden vast measures Of a superior
| quality OF coal towards which the rail
| roaCs are alree dy building, and the de-
NSl1 lleiu vi bHl5 ISSuuIIS ulOle W IL
render this section the Pittsbuag of tho
northwest. Adjoining these immsnse
bodies Of coal lie large tracts OF oil land,
| which 6 We promise of equa ing the rich
letto,eum feds of Pennsylvania.
Natural gas has also been discovered in
this region.
Underlying a large portion Of
| tie valley, a thirty-foot stprt-
UNI of the finest quail ty of fl g
clay is found, which oil, rs excep.
| tional opport n ties for he ma1usac-
ture of POTTERY:, and aft rds The brick
maker Il conye n and unlimi el sup
| piy for b g kiln. Common and pressed
| brick OF Il most super or quail y have
b zen made from Ills clay, ana numtr r.
| Gus handsome buildings throug out hs
Va ley S and ;s monumen s oths III
dus ry.
Mentana's mineral output, With now
SURPRISES lha OF az, o her s a q in tho
uni n will be largely augmen ell by the
degelopmen, OF he hidden reasnres in
The mounta u ranges surrounding tho
Pa head valley. Rich veins of roll,
| silver, O o and lead, which hive
| already b en- discov red, are atirac ing
| the attention OF the CAPT alis's who
have invested largely in mining proper-
lies throughout This section, and az
] RAPIDLY uu-hing their Developments