The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1882-02-01

And In the Grass-cOvered COuIfes Of Mon
fana and D~aKOla-lhe Present Out
look for the Territorial stock
Better than Ever Before. E.
[Pioneer-Press.

=##E # lTtOuccI-IT tSSsI # "".N@### #
It will be remembered that early last
spring, when the Psonecr-Press gave inform
alton of the immense Losses of cattle and
sheep in Montana, a cry of indignation was
raised, and short-sighted jewellers on the
frontier cried, do you want to ruin this
country by such exposures p forgetting that
nothing was ever gained by trying to conceal
news, and that the causes of the terrible
losses were both unavoidable and mandatory
the first since the winter was the most Sc
we're and accompanied with the deepest
SHOWS ever known in that country, and the
second that the stock owners were warned
that they must take the simplest precaution,
at least, and not trust solely to the sheltering
coulies and the usual absence of heavy snow
storms. Happily, SO far, this winter, the
picture is as bright this year as that of last
year was Swallowed, to the ken OF the stock
raiser. Never has Montana stock-and the
same will of course apply to that of Dakota
looked SO we'll at this season of the year
as now, and it must not be imagined that
they have been as much strangers to the
cold on the upper plains as we Of the more
sheltered Mississippi valley. Snow, in large
covering bodies, has been absent, and it does
not seem likely that it will enshroud the
plains and fill the depressions, while, better
than all, learning wisdom by experience, the
ranchmen have put up many hundred tons
Of hay, which, ricked in quadrilateral fash
ION paruoo Of nnco az cho1far onH fond R,t
little of it seems likely to be used this win
ter for the latter purpose: but it will keep
we'll enough and be on hand for next year.
Another good point is that every years
heightened residence by the cattle in Mon
tana, adds by the process Of acclimazation
which is recognized as necessary to
their hardwood. Among the many dead of
last year an over whelming majority were
Oregon, Texas or Nebraska cattle, the calves
of which persisted by thousands, though as
will be remembered, they did the same in
their native habitats, while the home born
Montana animals weathered the terrible
storms in great numbers, and even gained a
fair subsistence by digging through the
snow, like their cogeners the bisons, to the
succulent bunch grass beneath. This winter
will serve to give the necessary vigor to the
thousands upon thousands which were driv-
en- to Montana last summer, both from the
west end southeast. The sheep alse became
somewhat Injured to the climate, the dry air
Of which coDjoiDed with the marvellously
nutritious grasses, seem to give them a
strength foreign to their natures in so-called
genial chimes. But sheep must always have
some provision made for their care that in
the cattle may be dispensed with without
foolhardiness, and the huge ricks of hay are
more in behalf OF the greater thnn the lesser
quadrupeds.
Figures cannot be given with sufficient &C
curacy to make them valuable, but converse
ton with unbiased and intelligent non resi-
dents, whose opportunities for observation
have been good, leads to belief in tue just
ness of the assertion that notwithstanding
the losses Of the winter of 1880 81, there are
many more thousand of sheep in Montana
and Dakota to-day than ever before and
that more care in the selection of good
strains has been exercised of late is too pa
tent to be open to question.
Our Native Lntd.