The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-14
THE FLATHEAD l. L

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 tie osle.
ba ell Red River Valley of the North in
tae superior quality of it's cereals. 1t is
the oaly 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 strawLer-
ries, ~blackberries, goosehe 'rles, raspber-
ries are being raised successfully. With
a ready market for all products of the
sol in the rich mineral di tricts to the
east, west a d south, the farmers of thu
Flathead valley will soon be classsd
among the wealthiest and most i%nfiuen-
tail of this new countr +. Wheat averages
thirty five bushels per acre, oats sixty
bushels, barley forty bushel' rye thirty
bushels, potatoes 400 bushes, cabbfg e
ten tom per acre, rutabagas thir. y tons
per acre.
The Flathead river, with it's tribu.
taries-tte North, South and Middle
forks-the Saltwater and Whitefish
rivers, with tn ,ir hume br anches,
making a total of over Coz miles of log
ging streams, all of which converge at
kalispell, flow through vast forests OF
| pine, tamarack, fir, larch aad CO itr.
Under thu 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 1~O3,I89,2S3 feet OF lumber cawed
in the st tie during the year 1891, l00,-
100000 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
roads are already building, and the de-,
velo, ment of this resource alone VII
renaer this section the Pitt. buag of the
northwest. Adjoining these imm ensa
bodies OF coal lie large tracts OF oil lald,
which G VI plomis, 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
UNI of the finest quail ty of he
clay is found, which Offers excep.
tional opportunities for the manufae-
ture of pot,evry, and affords the brick
maker u %conveDi n and unlimi Q sup
ply for his kiln. Common and pressed
br.cK of a most super. or quail y have
b zen male from this clay, and numep-
GUS handsome buildings throughout lie
va ley stand as monumen 8 10 this in.
dustry.
M,ntana's mineral output, which now
surpasses hal Of any o her s Il I in no
uni n, VIII be largely augmen ed by the
development, of he hidden reasures in
The mountain ranges surrounding tho
Fa head valley. Rich veins of gold,
silver, C pper and lead, which h we
already b on dis ,ov red, are attrac ing
the NJ enlion OF the CAPT alis 3 who
have inves' ed largely in mining proper
ties throughout this sec ion, and a-s
] Tauidly pushing their d~eyelopmen.