NORTH WESTERN MONTANA 



145 



county warrant indebtedness, $1,817; total outstanding school bond indebtedness, 

 $239,445; other school debts, $7,331. Total general and special county taxes, $161,265; 

 total general and district school taxes, $188,447; total municipal taxes, $36,632; total 

 state taxes, .$31,415; total tax (inclusive municipal), per capita, $53.58. 



EDUCATIONAL — Xumber giaded scliools, 36; enrollment, 1.381. Number high 



schddl.';. 3; cm ulhurnl. ]1S". 



BUSINESS STATISTICS — ^Number of railroads, 1; railway mileage exclusive spurs 

 and sidetracks, 128.26. Ximiber of manufactures, 22; average number wage earners, 

 1,008; value of products, $3,798,067. Number of banks, 4. Xumber general stores, 15; 

 confectionery, etc., 3; groceries and meats, 12; lumber yards. 7; total number mer- 

 chants, 124. Total assessed valuation 1922 merchandise, $955,315. Xumber saw mills, 

 14. Xumber of lawyers, 9. Xumber of physicians, 9. Developed hydro-electric plant 

 capacity, 1,890 horse power. 



AGRICULTURE (1920 census) — Xumber farms, 341; farm acreage, 65.050; im- 

 proved farm acreage, 16,894; iirigated acreage, 5,923; average value all property, per 

 farm, $7,206. Livestock assessed 1922 — number cattle, 2,937; number sheep, 76; number 

 horses, 1,883; number swine (census), 782. 



CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA — At Libby. Elevation, 2,075 feet. Average date last 

 killing frost in spring, June 6; average date first killing frost in fall, September 6. 



An 

 Jan. Feb. INIar. April -May June July Aug. 



Ave. Prec. 2.61 1.7 1.68 1.09 1.53 1.64 1.17 .94 

 Ave. Temp. 23.4 27.9 35.9 46.0 53.1 59.3 64.9 63.4 



County Seat, Libby. Population County Seat, 1,522. 

 County Agricultural Agent — No. 



Sept. Oct. Xov. Dec. 

 1.56 1.61 3.4 2.34 

 55.0 45.4 33.9 25.8 



nual 



21.27 



44.5 



SANDERS COUNTY 



N THE past, lumbering has been the leading 

 indu-stry Ynit the development of Sanders 

 comity in the future will largely rest upon 

 diversified farming with (hiirying as one of 

 the ma.if)r activities, and npon hydro-eleetric 

 iii.>itallations utilizing the water power now 

 ■ going to waste. In developed horse power, 

 Sanders county ranks third, and in unde- 

 veloped power second. 



Sanders lies in west central Montana, 

 with a maximum length of about 110 miles 

 froiu the .southeast to the northwest. The 

 (Marie's Fork of the Columbia runs through 

 the middle of the western two-thirds and 

 the Flathead river, which empties into the 

 Clark's Fork, through the eastern one-third 

 of the county. The crest of the Coeur 

 d'Alene Moinitains defines the eastern and 

 alxnU half of the southern boundary and 

 the crest of the Cabinet range marks the western third of its northern boundary. 

 Nearly half of the county is included within national forests. The topography is 

 mountainous, with narrow, fertile, intermountain vtiUeys, of which the largest are 

 the Clark's Fork, the Little Bitter Root and the Camas Prairie. The prevailing 

 soil type on the bottom lands of the Clark's Fork is a deep .sandy loam, and on 

 the bench lands a graAolly loam. A white clay soil is found in the Little Bitter 

 Root and Camas Prairie valleys, which, although slightly deficient in organic 

 matter, grows fine alfalfa and other legumes, and is adapted to other crops fol- 

 lowing legumes. A considerable proportion of the agricidtiu'al hinds is irrigable. 

 While aroxuul 6,0()0 acres of irrigated land are in use, a total of approximately 

 33.000 acres will be irrigated by works under construction or completed. Most of 

 this acreage is included within tliat portion of Ihe Flathead Indian project lying in 

 the I.,ittle Bitter Root and Camas Prairie valleys. ^Nlaiiy small tracts along the 

 Clark's Fork can be irri.i:ated by pumping, and projects recently were completed 

 for the reclamation of 2,0(M) acres near Noxon and of 3,000 acres near Weeksville. 



