The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-01-04
THE FLATHEAD l.

THE FLATHEAD VALLEY.
The Flathead valley, Ter 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,
bra ed Red River Valley of the North IN
the superior quality of it's cereals. 1t id
the only agricultural section in the state
o. Montana, where crops can be raised
without irrigation. Vegetables of az
kinds are grown in abundance, whil4
apples, plums, peaches, cherries, pears1
and the small fruits such as strawber}
ries, b~lackberries, goosebe- rles, raspber4
ries are being raised successfully. With
a ready market for all products Of the
soil in the rich mineral districts to thd
east, west ard south, the farmers of th3
Flathead valley will soon be classed
among the wealthiest and most infiuen+
,ailof this new country. Wheat averages
thirty-five bushels per acre, oats sixty
bushels, barley forty bushels, rye thirty
bushels, potatoes 400 bushels, cabbage
ten tons per acre, rutabagas thirty ton4
per acre.
The Flathead river, with it's tribul
taries-the North, South and Middle
| forks-the Saltwater and Whitefsh
rivers, with their br anches,
| making a total of over 600 miles of log.
ging streams, all of which converge at
kalispell, flow through vast forests Of
| pine, tamarack, fir, larch and cedar.
Under the recent law enacted by IN
gress these boundless tracts of timber
land can be purchased at $3.50 per acre.
According to the state auditors report,
| OF the 1O3,489,2s3 feet Of lumber sawed
in the state during the year 1891, 10O,.
| 100000 was sawed in NJ ssoula county,
thus demonstrating this portion of the
states supremacy 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-
] velopment of this resources alone will
render this section the Pittsbuag of the
northwest. Adjoining these immense
bodies of coal lie large tracts OF oil land,
which give 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, a thirty-foot start-
um of the finest quality of fire
clay is found, which offe rs excep.
tional opportunities for the manufac.
ture of potlevry, and affords the brick
maker a convenilnt and unlimi cd sup
ply for his kiln. Common and pressed
brick of a most superior quality rave
bsen made from this clay, and numer-
Gus handsome buildings throughout tho
valley stand as monuments 10 this Inc
duslry. 5
Montana's mineral output, which now
surpasses that Of any other staseln me
uni, n, will be largely augmen cd by the
development of the hidden reasures in
the mountain ranges surrounding the
Fla head valley. Rich veins OF gold,
silver, c1pper and lead, which hlve
already been discovered, are attrac ing
the attention OF the CAPT; alisls who
have invested largely in mining proper
ties throughout this section, and are
rapidly pushing heir deyelopmenL