The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-12-25
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.
ba 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 rlised
without irrigation. Vegetables of all
kinds are grown il abundance, while
apples, plums, peaches, cherries, pears,
and the small fruits such as straWber.
ries, blackberries, goosebe RES, raspber-
ries are be ng 1a'sed successfully. With
a ready market Tor all products of the
SO in the rich mineral di tricts to the
east, west a d south, the farmers of tn,
Flathead valley will soon be classed
among the wealthiest and most %intluen-
tail of this new countr . Wheat averages
thirty five bushels per acre, oats sixty
bushels, barley forty bushels, rye thirty
bushels, potatoes 400 bush 8, cabbrga
ten tons per acre, rutabagas thir y tons
per acre.
The Flathead river, with its tribu
taries-tle North, South and Middle
forks--the Saltwater and Whltetish
rivers, with thsir hume Gus br anches,
making a total of over 6OD miles OF log
ging streams, all of which converge at
L oI;c,on HNur fLrnInh y,oci foract G nj
pine, t%amarack, fir, larch and cedar.
Under the recent law enacted by con-
gress,,hese boundless tracts of timber
land can be purchased at $3.50 per acre.
According to the state aud tors report,
of the 103,4S9,2s3 feet OF lumber Gawed
in the st tie during the year 1891, l0o,-
Oao 600 was sawed in M ssoula county,
thus demonstrating this portion Ct the
| states SUI reuacy 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 VIII
render this section The Pitt buag of the
northwest. Adjoining these imm ense
| bodies OF coal lie large tracts oil oil lad,
which g We promise Of equa ing h rich
petroleum fields of Pennsylvania.
Natural gas has also beSn discovered in
this region.
Underlying a large porti-n OF
the valley, u thirty-foot start
UNI of the finest quail ty Of fire
clay is found, which of,rs excep.
tional opportunities for he manufac-
ture OF pot, evry, and aft rds The brick
maker a convent n. and unlimi ell sup.
| ply for his kiln. Common and pressed
brick OF n most superior quail y have
ben made from this clay, and numer-
GUS handsome buildings throughout tho
valley sand as monument 3 10 this in
dustry.
Montana's mineral output, whish now
surpasses that Of any o her 8 n . / he
uni n, will be largely augmen ed by the
| development OF The hidden reasures in
the mountain ranges surrounding the
Fla head valley. Rich veins OF gold,
silver, copper and lead, which have
already b on discov red, are attrac ing
the attention OF the CAPT ais who
have invested largely in mining proper
ties throughout this section, and at0
rapidly pushinI their DEVELOPMENTS