The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-27
THE 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 cele.
bra ell 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, 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 acd south, the farmers of thu
Flathead valley will soon be classed
among the wealthiest and most inf1uen-
tail of this new countrI. Wheat averages
thirty five bushels per acre, oats sixty
bushels, barley forty bushels, rye thirty
bushels, potatoes 400 bushes, cabbage
ten tons per acre, rutabagas thirty tons
per acre.
The Flathead river, with it's tribu.
taries-tEe North, South and Middle
forks-the Saltwater and Whitefish
rivers, with TIL ,ir 9 br anches,
making a total of over COO miles of log
ging streams, al 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 auditors report,
OF the 1~O3,4s9,2s3 feet OF lumber eawed
in the st tie during the year 1891. 1OO,-
10000 was sawed in NJ 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-
roa6s are already building, and the de-
velol ment of this resource alone will
TeHLeT tnlb s6CliOn me IlJUsDuaR OF Un0
northwest. Adjoining these immense
bodies OF coal lie large tracts of oil land,
| which give promis, 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 t~hirty-foot start
um of the finest quality of fire
clay is found, which Off rs excep.
tional opportun ties for The manufac.
turea of potlevry, and affords the brick
maker Il conve ii n and unlimi ell sup
| ply for his kiln, Common and PRESSED
BRICK of a most superior quality have
b,en made from this clay, and numer-
| GUS handsome buildings throughout tho
| va ley stand as monumen s 10 this in
dus ry.
M~ontana's mineral output, which now
surpasses that OF any o her & a.e n Tho
uni n, will be largely augmen cd by tho
| development of he hidden reasures in
the mountain r4nges surrounding the
Fa head valley. Rich veins of gold,
silver, Q pper and lead, which hive
already b. on discovered, are attrac ing
the attention or The CAPT alis o who
have invested largely in mining proper.
| ties throughout this section, and ats
! RAPIDLY gushing thoir DEVELOPMENTS