The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-03
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 or 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 its cereals. 1t is
the Only agricultural section in the state
o Montana, where crops can be- raised
without irrigation. Vegetables of all
kinds ire grown il abundance, while
apples, plums, peaches, cherries, pears,
and the small fruits such as strawber-
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
Fiathead valley will soon be classsd
among the wealthiest and most inhuen-
tail of this new countrT. Wheat averages
thirty five bushels per acre, oats sixty
bushels, barley forty bushel', rye thirty
bushels, potatoes 400 bushes, cabbage
ten tons per acre, rutabagas thirty tons
per acre.
The Flathead river, with it's tribu-
taries-tfe North, South and Middle
forks-the Saltwater and Whitetish
rivers, with thoir hume, ous br anches,
making a total of over COZ miles of log
ging streams, al of which converge at
kalispell, flow through vast forests of
pine, tamarack, tir, larch aud cedar.
Under thu recent law enacted by con-
gress these boundiess tracts of timber
land can be purchased at $3.50 per acre.
| According to the state auditors report,
OF the 1O3,489,2S3 feet of lumber Cawed
in the st tie during the year 1891, 1OO,-
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-
velol ment of this resource alone W II
render this section the Pittsbuag of the
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, a ~thirty-foot start
um of the finest quail ty of fi.e
clay is found, which otft rs excep.
tional opportrn ties for The manufao-
ture of POTTERY:, and affords the brick
maker a convent mt and unlimi Q | sup
ply for his kiln. Common and pressed
brick of IA most superior quality have
b zen made from this clay, and numer-
GUS handsome buildings throughout The
valley stand as monumen s 10 this in
dus ry.
Montana's mineral output, whi,h now
SURPRISES that of any o her s a Z in he
uni, II, will be largely augmen ed by the
development of The hidden treasures in
the mountan ranges surrounding tho
F a head valley. Rich veins of rold,
silver, copper and lead. which have
already bsen discovered, are attrac ing
the attention OF the capi alis's who
have invested largely in mining proper
ties throughout this section, and ae
RAPIDLY susLiny their Developments