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Straw, Garneill, Hobson, Benchland, Utica, "Windham and Denton are towns 

 in the farming district. Stanford has grown in five years from a small village to a 

 thriving town. Kendall is the chief town in the gold mining districts. Grass Range 

 and Winnett are rapidly growing towns in the eastern part of the county. 



The population of Fergus county is estimated at 41,926 and the assessed valua- 

 tion is $20,910,585. 



LAND AREA — Fergus county, which is in the Lewistown land district, embraces 

 an area of 7,178 square miles, including 1,381,965 acres of unreserved and unap- 

 propriated public land available for entry under the homestead law, 249,050 acres of 



state land, and 204,497 acres of national forests. Of the total area of the county, 

 1,824,164 acres are privately owned. 



CROP PRODUCTION— The following gives the estimated crop production for 

 1915: Wheat, 4,750,000 bushels; oats, 2,750,000 bushels; barley, 250,000 bushels; 

 corn, 65,000 bushels; flax, 75,000 bushels; potatoes, 320,000 bushels; hay, 100,000 tons. 



In 1915, the assessor's rolls showed the following livestock: Horses, 24,195 head; 

 milch cows, 5,655 head; other cattle, 41,455 head; sheep, 98,212 head; swine, 9,953 head. 



FLATHEAD COUNTY. 



Flathead county is situated in the northwestern part of the state, embraces the 

 greater part of the Glacier National Park, the large and fertile Flathead valley, and 

 beautiful Flathead Lake. It was created out of Missoula county in 1893, and is 

 named for the Indian tribe that formerly occupied the country. The eastern boundary 

 is the main range of the Rocky mountains, of which the Flathead and Mission, in the 

 southern part, are outlying ranges. Mountains on the west separate the drainage 

 basins of the Flathead river from those of the Kootenai and Clark's Fork of the Col- 

 umbia. The northern part is mountainous; in the southern part lies Flathead 

 lake, bounded by the low hills beyond which lies Mission valley. This is a region 

 of numerous springs, streams, rivers and lakes whose waters flow into Flathead lake 

 and out from it by the Flathead or Pend O'Reille river at Poison. 



Flathead lake has an area of 360 square miles and is the center of attraction. 

 Around its wooded shores are some of the most beautiful spots on the continent. 

 Orchards grow close to the water, and attractive summer homes are found at many 

 places. 



During 1915, the federal government sold more than 900 villa sites along the 

 shores of Flathead lake and, with the many summer homes which are now being 

 built around the lake, it is expected that this will shortly become one of the great 

 summer colonies of the country. Flathead lake is not merely a wonder and delight 

 to the visitor, but is of great practical use. It is navigable and numerous fast pas- 

 senger boats make regular trips between lake ports during the summer season. Be- 

 sides steamboats and gasoline launches, there are tugs, barges and rafts which trans- 

 port considerable freight. 



Lumbering is a great industry and there are numerous mills. Kalispell has large 

 mills and, at Somers, where also is a tie-preserving plant, is one of the largest mills 

 in the state. In the northwestern Montana lumber district, of which Kalispell is the 

 financial center, the standing timber has been estimated as amounting to forty bil- 

 lion feet. In the lumber industry about 2,000 men are employed and receive for wages 

 about .$1,250,000 a year. The lumber sold brings $2,500,000. 



The industries are farming, fruit growing and lumbering. Wheat yields from 

 35 to 50 bushels per acre, oats from 35 to 75 bushels, and barley, rye, hay, potatoes 

 and other vegetables make large yields. The logging camps and lumber mills furnish 

 home markets for farm produce. 



