The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-12-10
THE VALLEY.

- A~A~ -
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 cale.
bra 81 Red River Valley of the North in
tne 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 ere grown in abundance, while
apples, plums, peaches, cherries, pears,
and the small fruits such as strawber-
ries, blackberries, goosehe 'rles, raspber-
RES are beng laieed successfully. With
a ready market for all products of the
soil in the rich mineral di tricts to the
east, west and south, the farmers of thu
Flathead valley will soon be classsd
among the wealthiest and most i%ntiue.t.
tail of this new countr,. 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-the North, South and Middle
| forks-the Saltwater and Whitetish
rivers, with their nume Gus br anches,
making a total of over 20 miles Of los.
ging streams, all 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 aud tors report,
OF the 1O3,4S9,283 feet OF lumber cawed
in the st ate during the year 1891, lO0,-
o O00o 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
roa6s are already building, and the de-
yelol ment OF this resource alone VII
render this section the Pittsbuag of the
northwest. Adjoining these immense
bodies of coal lie large tracts OF oil land,
which & We 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, II t~hirty-foot start
UNI of the finest quail ty of fite
clay is found, which offer excep.
tional opportunities for he manufao-
ture of pot,evry, and affords the brick
maker a couyeui. NJ and unlimi ell sup
ply for his kiln. Common and pressed
brick of "A most superior quality have
b on male from This clay, and numeR-
GUS handsome buildings throughout the
va ley stand as monumen 8 10 this ln-
dus ry.
Muntana's mineral output, which now
SURPRISES that of any o her 8 n e IN The
uuitn. will be largely augmen ed by the
Development OF The hidden treasures in
the mountain ranges surrounding the
+ n head valley. Rich veins of gold,
silver, copper and lead, which have
already been discov red, arc attrao ing
the attention OF the capi nlis's VIII
have invested largely in mining proper.
tries throughout this section, and q .
'rauidly pushing their DEVELOPMENT.