The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1901-12-18

II y Ill Z 5 Dc-
cause of any thought that the valley
was adapted to fruitgrowing.
One day in the fall of 1891, before
the railroad was built into the valley
and the city of Kalispell consisted
principally of shanties, man made
this remark while eating dinner at a
kalispell hotel: This valley would
be paradise to live in if they could
only grow fruit here Eeverything
else was satisfactory, and this man
would undoubtedly have found him
self home here "if he could only
have grown fruit" He was not the
only man who said fruit could not
be grown here. Not very many then
believed that it would do well here,
and the few that did have faith in
this valley as a fruit country were
ridiculed.
Attempts were made at starting or
chards about Is years ago, but with
poor success as general rule, as it
was difficult to get trees here, the
means of transportation not being as
convenient as at the present time. no
railroad being nearer than the North
ern Pacific. All freight had to be
hauled across the reservation to the
foot of the lake on wagons, and from
there by boat to it's destination
The disadvantage of transportation
not only made the trees more expen-
sive, but being on the way so long,
most of them were dead from expos
ure when they arrived here, and those
that were still alive had struggle
for existence. Many who spent from
$50 to 500 for fruit trees have not
now half a dozen trees left to show
for their efforts, and most of them
are of varieties unsuited for this
country.
The first planters knew nothing
about what to plant. and if they did.
the chance of getting what they had
ordered was very poor as most of
the trees sold here were job lots
(surplus and culled stock bought
from the nurserymen by tree jobbers
and sold to the planter under any
name he might wish. What variety of
apple that first fruited in the valley
the writer is not in position to say,
but among the first was the Red AS
trachan. This apple fruited in the
orchard of George Lakin about ten
years ago. In the same orchard the
Pond Plum or Hungarian Prune
fruited in 1892 for the first time
Among the pioneers in fruit culture
in the Flathead valley no one has
done more to demonstrate the posi-
bilities of it as fruit country than
the late Geo. M. Lakin. The most OF
our standard varieties of apples and
plums were first fruited by him. and
the fruit growers of the Flathead val
ley are under inestimable obligations
to him. Thousands upon thousands
of trees planted here in the last ten
years would perhaps not have been
planted had it not been for the eXper
iments made by Mr.. Lakin.
With the building of the Great
Northern railroad into the valley
planting of fruit trees became
more general. as transportation
was comparatively easy to what
it had been, and trees could b,
shipped here in far better condition
than before, and at far less cost, max
ign it possible for anyone to plant al
orchard. Although many realized thai
this was adapted to fruit culture. NJ
one yet knew what varieties would b,
most profitable, and few if any hat
the least idea about the kinds ant
varieties that could be grown here
and it is only in the last few years
that the Flathead fruit growers HAY,
found out what varieties would be o
most commercial value. or cours,
we are yet in the experimental stage
and always will be to some extent TO
that matter, but we know of mum
Der of varieties that are doing wei
in all parts of the valley. and littl
by little we are being able to deter
mine what is best for the differen
localities.
The Flathead County Horticulture
Society has done all in it's power t
learn not only what kinds and var
ties are giving most satisfaction. bu
has also inquired into the differen
methods of the care and cultivation G
the orchards throughout the vale
and what soils are best adapted t
fruit culture. This society was organ
lied on the 18th of January, 1898, an
since then it has done an untol
amount of educational work.
The varieties recommended by tn
horticultural society as best adapte
to this valley at large are the follow
ing:
Apples for summer and fall-Ye
low Transparent, Red june Duches
Apples for late fall and winter
Alexander, Wealthy, Mcintosh. {
these the Red June and Alexander,
is claimed by some fruit men, are
little more tender than the others.
Aside from the above mentiont
varieties of apples we have nur
Der of others that have fruited in IL
valley. Some have done very We
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