The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1909-05-27
Flatheaos Fertile Fruit Farms
Atty Leroy Foote, of Kaspe, Mont, Gives Some Vau-
able Information Concerning the Country That is
to Be Opened for Settlement this Year

shore is rapidly being lined with
summer cottages, the United
States Government renting the
ground for the locations. Flat
head Lake is also fast being
turned into a summer resort and
the opening of the Reservation
will add a vast shore line suit
able for summer homes.
On the Reservation are several
hot mineral springs whose wat
ers have a healing effcct on all
kinds of skin diseases and have
proven very beneficial in cases
of rheumatism. The Indians
have used them for centuries and
they are visited by numbers of
white people every year. The
springs are still in the natural or
nearly natural condition, but the
near future will see a modern
sanatorium erected on the site.
l expect to see them as famous
as West Baden now il.
The greatest industry of the
past in the Flathead Valley has
been numbering. This was be-
cause so much of the finest land
was covered with heavy timber.
l do not mean TO say that it was
all timber land because there are
vast areas that are as free from
timber as Dakota's prairies, but
there are acre after acre of the
most fertile land that was COW
cred with towering pines and
frs. These lands are now being
farmed. There is a vast guam
tity of standing timber still in
the county and will be for years
to come altho there are several Of
the largest sawmills working
here converting it into the ]um-
Der of commerce. The United
States has reserved vast stretch
es of forest clad mountain slopes
for the purpose of preserving
the forest and will endeavor to
plant trees as fast as the ma
tured timber is cut, thus Great
ing a perpetual supply. This is
a commendable idea but is not
favored by the big milling cor
porations.
The soil of the Flathead Valley
is very rich and produces almost
beyound belief. I hardly dare to
tell the yields of the various
grains for fear / will not he be-
lieved. I think will risk Civ
ing the highest yields I have
heard of, which of course are not
the averages, but show what can
be done in this valley in the way
Of farming. The yields of any
farm depend to a great extent
on the farmer. Nature will not
do it all. Man must mix his
brains with the soil and that
seems to be the best fertilizer in
this country. Both winter and
spring wheat are raised quite ex-
tensively. The former has
yielded as high as sixty bushels
per acre with the average about
forty-five. The latter has yield
ed forty-fve with average about
thirty. Other grains run about
the same. Oats running as
high as one hundred and ten
with the average about eighty.
Vegetables run in about the
same ratio. This is without ir-
rigation and are the results of
modern fal ming combined with
the natural advantages of the
country.
Irrigation is not necessary but
it has been tried it has
proven a valuable experiment
and is being adopted more and
more every year. It is safe to
say that forty acres of irrigated
land in Flathead Valley fertil-
lied with farmers brains will
a family in all the lux
Qries of farm life. All kinds of
fruit grow we'll and this country
is getting quite a reputation for
apples. Peaches ripen we'll on
the shores of Flathead Lake ard
small fruit produces very abun-
dainty and brings the best prices
in the market.
Kalispel is the gateway to the
valley and is a city of about
seven thousand people. All
branches Of business are repre-
sented and new enterprises are
being promoted. It seems to be-
the general opinion that a beet
sugar factory, a pulp mill and a
canning factory would do we'll
here. During the last wear
seven new business blocks were
constructed besides about two