The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-12-03
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 CT the Dakotas,
and is the only section west Of the Miss.
issippi river which can rival the cello
bra ell Red River Valley of the North in
the superior quality of it's cereals. 1t is
the olly agricultural sction 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 s%trawber-
ries, blackberries, goosebe 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 intuen-
tail of this new countr 7. Wheat averages
thirty five bushels per acre, oats sixty
bushels, barley forty bushels, rye thirty
bushels, potatoes 400 bush9 g, cabbi SO
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 their br anches,
making a total of over Coz miles OF log
ging streams, all of which converge at
kalispell, flow through vast forests OF
| pine, %tamarack, 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 Gawed
in the 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 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-
veloLment of this resource alone W II
TenGeF bIiS beCllOn me IlubsUudb u tno
northwest. Adjoining these immense
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
the valley, thirty-foot start
UNI of the finest quail ty of fire
clay is found, which offers excep.
tional opportunities for The manufac-
ture Of potteyry, and affords tho brick
maker Il conyeai n and unlimi cd sup
ply for his kiln. Common and pressed
br.c of a most super. or quality have
b en- made from this clay, and numer-
Gus handsome buildings throughout The
va ley stand us monumen 8 TO this in
dus,ry.
Montana's mineral output, which now
surpasses iha, OF any o her 8 a 6 in Tho
uni n, will be largely augrnen ed by the
Development OF he hidden reasures in
tho mountain ranges surrounding the
Fa head valley. Rich veins of gold,
silver, copper and lead, which have
already en discovered, are attrac, ing
the attention of the CAPT alis 8 who
have ed largely in mining proper.
lies throughout this sec ion, and sc
] RAPIDLY pushing their deyelopmenI