The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1872-02-15
BUNCH GRASS.
Something about Stock Raising in MOI


tanpa.
The census of the grass family in the
United States shows already over two
hundred members, but when Professor
Gray "took the census" he seems to have
neglected the regions of the far North.
west in his researches A valuable mem
Der of the family is usually left out of the
catalogue, and that is the bunch grass of
Dakota, Montana and Eastern Washing
ton
When riding northward from the great
alkaline sage bush plains of Idaho and
Wyoming, it is the first weed to extend
friendly welcome to your jaded animals.
Your horse knows it we'll enough, for Of
ten as you ride alone he will snatch from
Its tufts many sweet morsels. And at
night when you come to camp, after slak-
ing their thirst in the sparkling creek,
you will see them dash over the pretty
green meadow grass, and make for the
brown hill sides, which are thickly cover
ed with the buch grass. 1t is not only a
favorite with horses, but is eagerly sought
for by the oxen and sheep. There is
nothing apparently in the appearance of
of bunch grass to warrant the favor with
which it is regarded by gramniverous
animals, but it is to be supposed the ami,
mails, know what items to chose in their
own bills fare, even if it be the pastry
first. They all seem to flourish aud fat
ten on it, and require no other food, no
matter how hard they are worked.
Bunch grass grows nearly everywhere
in Montanna, no matter how high the
situation, or how stoney or barren the
ground may be. 1t blooms early in the
season, growing in thick tufts, scattered a
few inches apart over the ground, to the
hight of foot or eighteen inches. The
culms are fine and slender, and compress
in the hand like druggists packing hay.
By the end of June it is full grown then
it withers, and that is the last of its growth
for that year. 1t looks as dead as a stick,
sure enough, but the wonderful peculiar
ity about it is that it "cures" on the stalk,
and remains until the following season
sweeter than the best dried hay. Doubt
less the dry atmosphere has much to do
with this labor saving way of making hay.
The rains in Montana and Dakota are
never sufficiently protracted to cause a
mildew. In most of the valleys it is rare
that snow falls deep enough to entirely
cover the bunch grass, because the mois-
ture is not there to make it.
Occasionally, however, in some situa-
tions there is trouble on this account, but
if the snow is not hard frozen, no matter
how deep, the horses will paw it off the
grass. Cattle will not dig in this way,
however, and instances of their suffering
greatly, and even starving to death, have
occurred. But that is very rare, and
during twelve years since the first settle
ment of Montana, there has been no gen
eral trouble on this account. Strange as
it may appear there are valleys iu the
northern part not even as much as troubled
with snow as those to the south, of equal
elevation.
The region of the Flathead Lake is the
favorite feeding ground for stock, and, in
fact, all of the Flathead reservation is
good The Flatheads, however, are too
lazy to pay much attention to stock rails
ing other than to horses, caring more for
buffalo, for which they annually migrate
to the eastern side of the Rocky Noun
tains to hunt.
1t seems strange to refer to country
as not only grazing but timber coun-
try, but such is really the case of Mon
tauna. The timber grows in parks of great
er or less extent, confined on the east side
of the mountains, generally to the hill
sides and ravines, but coursing down on
the western side at places entirely across
the valleys. So that there are timbered
prairies, so to speak, and prairie hills in
view, or vice versa, all the time. But
there is cattle feed everywhere, and rang.
es of the finest kind, for millions of ami
mails
There are already one hundred omd thir
y th uSdnd head of cattle az Montana
driven in many instances from Texas
awaiting the completion of the North
ern Pacific railroad to be sent to market
1t is difficult to make an estimate oil
what it costs to raise cattle in Montanna
One man might easily tend five hundred
head. | was told by man who owns a
thousand, that dollar year head was
what it cost him Some ranchemen use
moving machines and lay in supply Of
inferior provender from the meadows for
contingencies, making the cost somewhat
greater, but certainly trifing enough
The working oxen usually run loose all
winter, and arc fatter in the spring than
at any other time Certainly no such
grazing lands exist in North America as
can be found in the main valleys of the
Upper Yellowstone and Missouri and their
tributaries, and the various forks of the
Columbia, through the Rocky Mountains
Il. Z. r.