The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1900-10-29
THE FLATHEAD
FRUIT EXHIBIT,
Splendid Display From That
Section.
PREMIUMS AT SPOKANE
Shows What Montana Can Accomplish
With Intelligent Effort
heads Resources.

From the Butte Inter Mountain.
A display of Flathead county fruit
and vegetables is being made ON the
second floor of Hennessys store and
it is a genuine surprise to the major
ity of the people who have seen it for
Flathead county as a fruit producing
seton had not peen seriously thought
of.
The principal feature of the display
is the apples, and they are the same
that were exhibited with such sue
cess at the Spokane fruit fair. the
display there was limited, and yet
4 iatneau Nailey against the entAe
northwest, was awarued five prem
lums. The fruit now is not in the
same perfect condition that it was
when it was exhibited in Spokane
and yet it excites the wondering ad-
mi dtlOH vi Slll WHO see H.
}. Z. wood OF l\alspell has the eX-
l.Aolt III onolSe anu ne IS one Oh lne
most enthusiastic horticulturists that
Ads ever visited the city. The fruit
pyA.tl IS on a frame nlne leeL
square and is displayed to its best a1-
vantage. The high colorlng OF some
OF the apples has been the cause
many questions and has keep MI.
Wood busy explaining the cause OF 1t.
eAppIes OF the same variety grown o,4e
mlle apart appear to have no relation
one to the other, and according to Mr..
Wood, it is all a matter OF the treat
ment accorded to them. One lot OF
apples is colored brilliant red on all
sides and this is produced by thinning
lne top OF the trees SO as to give
plenty of air and light; growing the
fruit on western slope SO as to get
the 1ull benent OF an afternoon sun
and the reflected rays from the lake.
A person cannot understand the
beauty of ,ne apples from a des-
cription as the coloring is something
that few have ever seen and is sell
dom encountered in the ordinary fruit
exhibit. Some of the vegetables are
of such abnormal size that it is nee
essary to label them so that .le peo-
pie may know what they are looking
at
Ten years ago the man who planted
an orchard in Flathead valley was
regarded as a crank, Dut that same
crank thoroughly demonstrated that
one of the most favorable, if not the
most favorable, fruit belt in the state
lies within the borders of Flathead
county, and the fruit now ON exhibit
in this city, all OF which was grown
without irrigation, goes to prove the
truth OF the statement. An average
OF 10000 fruit trees are being planted
in the valley every year and these in
clude apples of 100 different varities,
plums, pears. prunes and cherries,
which are grown to perfection with
n-kor, color and size surpassed by
none other in the state or in the
Northwest. While the Bitter Root
is fruit growing section of which
the residents of this state may be
proud, Flathead valley will run it
close race for first place.
The object of the display of fruit
in INIT &c, IN ind in,
that section. Flathead county is in
the extreme northwestern part Of
the state and contains $500 square
miles of territory, of which about
two-thirds consists of forests; 1000
square miles are covered with water
and about 100000 acres are under
cultivation. The uncultivated land
may be divided into four classes
railroad, state. forest reserve and
government. OF the latter there are
about 100000 acres, 100000 of which
are surveyed and open to filing.
Flathead valley is 35 miles in length
and 20 miles wide, and is one of the
most beautiful and productive to be
found in the mountainous region of
the northwest. 1t produces all kinds
of cereals, fruits and vegetables "a
has mineral resources which are in
their infancy. Recent discoveries of
petroleum and natural gas gives
promise to rival those which have
have made Pennsylvania famous.
The valley is peculiarly suited for the
growing of fruit. 1t is surrounded by
high mountains and blizzards are un-