The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-24
THE FLATHEAD L L

THE FLATHEAD ALLEY
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 csle.
b!a ed 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 ia abundance, while
apples, plums, peaches, cherries, pears,
and the small fruits such as strawber-
ries, blackberries, goosehe 'rles, raspber-
ries are be ng raised successfully. With
a ready market for all products Of tie
soil in the rich mineral di tricts to the
east, west a"d south, the farmers of ths
Flathead valley will soon be classsd
among the wealthiest and most int1uen-
tail of this new countrl Wheat averages
thirty five bushels per acre, oats sixty
bushels, barley forty bushels, rye thirty
bushels, potatoes 400 bush s, cabbfge
ten tons per acre, rutabagas thirty tons
per acre.
The Flathead river, with its tribu-
taries-tEe North, South and Middle
forks-the Saltwater and Whitefsh
rivers, with tn Dir numerous br anches,
making a total of over oO) miles of. log
ging streams, all Of which converge at
X alispell, flow through vast fores's OF
| pine, t%amarack, fir, larch and ceaar.
Under the recent law enacted by con-
gress these bolndless tracts Of timber
, land can be purchased at $3.50 per acre.
| According to the state aud tors report,
of the 103,489.293 feet OF lumber cawed
in the st ito during the year 1891, 1O0,-
10000 was sawed in M ssoula county,
| thus demonstrating this portion CT the
states SUI remacy in the lumber III.
dustry.
In the northern portion o. the valley
are hidden vast measures OF a superior
quality of coal towards which the rail
roaGs are already building, and the de-
velol ment of this resource alone W II
renler this section the FIT buag of the
northwest. Adjoining tn 80 immansa
bodies OF coal lie large tracts oil oil land,
which G We promise of equa ing the rich
letloleum fields of Pennsylvania.
Natural gas has also been discovered in
this region.
Underlying a large portion OF
the valley, u t~hirty-foot start
UNI of the finest quail ty of fis
clay is found, which of, RS excep.
tional opportdn;t ties for he manufac.
ture of pot evry, and ffcrds The brick
maker Il conye.i n and unlimi ell sup.
ply tor his kiln. Common and pressed
BRICK of u most super or quail y have
b en- male from this clay, and numer-
Gus handsome buildir gs throughout he
va ley q and as monumen s 10 this In
dus ry.
Mcntana's mineral Oh put, which now
surpasses hai of any o her IS q G in no
uni N, will be largely nugnen cd by Tho
development OF he hidden rea ures in
the mounta n ranges surrounding the
T. a head valley. Rich veins of gold,
silver, 0 3pper and lead, which hive
already b on dis, GOV. red, are attrac ing
the attention OF tho CAPT alis's who
have ed largely in mining proper
ties throughout this section, and ale
] RAPIDLY pushing their DEVELOPMENTS