The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-10-30
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 cole
bra cd Red River Valley of the North in
the superior quality of it's cereals. 1t is
the only 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, goosebe' RES, raspber-
ries are being raised successfully. With
a ready market for all products of TIE
soil in the rich mineral di tricts to tho
east, west ard south, the farmers of tn,
Flathead valley will soon be classsd
among the w%ealthiest and most intluen-
tail of this new countrl. Wheat averages
thirty five bushels per acre, oats sixty
bushels, barley forty bushels, rye thirty
bushels, potatoes 400 bushes s, cabbf ge
ten tons per acre, rutabagas thir y tons
per acre.
The Flathead river, with it's tribu-
taries-the North, South and Middle
forks-the Saltwater and Whitefish
rivers, with their hume rous br anches,
making a total of over COZ miles Of loy-
ging streams, all of which converge at
kalispell, flow through vast forests of
pine, tamarack, fir, larch aud 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 aud tors report,
of the ~1O3,4S9,2S3 feet OF lumber sawed
in the st tie during the year 1891, 1O0,-
100000 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
roaGs are already building, and the de-
velopment of this esource alone WILL
render this section the Pittsbuag of the
northwest. Adjoining th.se 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 large portion of
the valley, Il thirty-foot start
UNI of the finest quality of fire
clay is found, which oil, rs excep-
tional opportunities for The manufac-
ture Of POTTERY:. and affords the brick
maker a conyeai Mt and unlimi ell sup
ply for his kiln. Common and pressed
brick of a most super or quality have
b,en made from this clay, and numsr-
Gus handsome buildings throughout he
va ley sand as monuments 10 This in
dus ry.
Montana's mineral output, which now
surpasses that of any o her s a G in he
uni, n, will be largely augnen ed by the
Development of lhe hidden treasures III
The mountan ranges surrounding the
Fla head valley. Rich veins of gold,
silver, copper and lead, which have
already ben discov red, are attrac ing
the at ention OF the CAPT ais who
have invested largely in mining proper
ties throughout This sec ion, and are
rapidly pushing their development.