The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-01-07
THE VALLEY.

THE FLATHEAD VALLEY.
The Flathead valley. ten years ago an
almost unknown region, the home Of The
savage and wild beast, to-day is tho
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.
b'a ell Red River Valley of the North in
the superior quality of it's cereals. 1t is
the o lly agricultural section in the state
o. Montana, where crops can be raised
without irrigation. Vegetables of all
kinds ara grown in abundance, while
apples, plums, peaches, cherries, pears,
and the small fruits such as strawber.
ries, blackberries, goosehe rles, raspber-
ries are being laised successfully. With
a ready market tor all products of TIE
soil 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 %infiuen-
TAIL of this new countrf. 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 Whitefish
rivers, with tn Sir hume roll 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 and cedar.
Under thu recent law enacted by con-
gress these boundless tracts of timber
land can lie purchased at $3.50 per acre.
According to the state auditors report,
OF the 1O3,4S9,2S3 feet OF lumber cawed
in the IT lie during the year 1891, l00,-
O5OUOn was sawed in M ssoula county,
thus demonstrating this portion Of the
states SUI remacy in the lumber In.
dustry.
In the nor;hern portion of the valley
are hidden asst measures OF a superior
quality OF coal towards which the rail-
roads are already building, and the de-
veloIment OF this resource alone WI
render this section the Pittsbuag of ths
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, q thirty-foot start
um Of the finest quality of fire
clay is found, which offers excep.
tional opportun ties for the manufac-
ture of potlevry, and affords the brick
maker a convent mt and unlimi cd 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
valley stand as TO this in-
dus, ry.
Montana's mineral output, which now
surpasses that of any osher state in he
uni, n, will be largely augnen cd by the
development of The hidden 'reasures in
the mountain ranges surrounding tho
Fl held valley. Rich veins OF gold,
silver, upper and lead, which have
already beer discovered, arc attracting
the attention OF the CAPT elis,s who
hive invested largely in mining proper.
ties throughout This section, and aie
RAPIDLY pushing their DEVELOPMENTS