Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1885-11-21
STOCK RAISING IN MONTANA,
The Extensive Ranges and Their
Abundant Food Supply. and the
Advantages of the Stock In
dustry. Hints to Begin
ners in the Business.

FoR THE TRIBUNE.
Little has been written which fully
explains the vast resources and pas
lures Of what was. once termed the
Great American Desert" The vast
tract Of country lying between the
Union Pacific and British Columbia
and east of the Rocky Mountains and
west Of the Missouri river is one vast
cattle range This range, which once
furnished feed for millions of buffalo,
elk, deer, antelope, sheep and wild
horses, now produces grass for about
one tenth part its number of cattle,
horses and sheep, although the aver
age stockman will say the ranges are
about gone and the stock will now die
in good round numbers. Well, notice
last winter, 1886, and you will find the
ightest loss for several years, not
withstanding the winter was as severe
as any we have had since '82.
The average eastern man thinks
when you tell Of stock wintering in
this northern climate without feed
and grain, that you are simply lying,
and cannot get at the foundation of
the truth at all; but if they will only
look at the different state of affairs,
the most skeptical will soon see the
whole plan In the States, should the
meadows remain unharvested, the
many fall rains would beat the tall
grass to the earth where it would rot
under the snow, and no animal could
possibly live on it through the mild
est winters. But mark the difference:
the mountain bunch grass grows in
tufts from three to six inches in diam
eter, standing about from ten to
twelve feet in hight, having no seeds
or grains on the stalks to weigh them
down, but are heavy at the root and
taper gradually to the top. This
grass never falls to the ground, but
remains standing all winter. Another
important fact is, the grass cures
when it is very green, as the Septem-
Der winds and sun cure it perfectly,
thus making the finest of feed stand
ing all winter. We have no fall rains
to injure the feed, and the snowfalls
are about the same here as in the
States. hence the grass retains all the
during the winter. Horses thrive, with
10 losses other than from natural
deaths. Cattle will root with their
noses and feed very we'll in foot Of
snow, as the grass remains standing
and is easily reached. The cattle get
very fat in the fall, and when winter
sets in they are strong and
we'll prepared to stand the storms.
The stock ranch should be located
where good water and wood is album
dant and where some hay could be
put up for the horses which are to be
kept up for riding purposes. The
roundup is the main feature in cattle
breeding. Each cattle owner has a
certain number Of men who attend
the round-ups, riding over the whole
country and driving everything before
them to the corrals. Every calf is
branded with the corresponding brand
on it's mother, TINS the interests of all
are looked after. Those without
brands are called mavericks, and are
sold to the highest bidder and the
proceeds are put into the general stock
association fund, which goes to pay
the expenses Of the round-ups. When
shipments are made all brands that
are shipped the contract price is
paid to each member of the associa-
ton. Every cattle district has one
good and reliable cattle detective who
looks after the interest Of each mem
Der, watches all shipments, looks af
ter stock killed by railroads, and
makes himself generally useful.
The horseman usually keeps herd
er who keeps the horses within certain
bounds, looking after them each week
or SO, and does his own branding
and selling. Horses are very profit
able. A 3-year old horse will bring
S75 to S1O0, that is, good stock, not
buzzard heads. The cost of raising
is less than that of a steer, but the
breaking is some item, and the kind
of stock is another. It requires no
more care to raise good stock than it
does poor stock.
In the early days of Montana the
horse raising business was almost a
failure, on account Of the Indians and
other thieves, but of late years the
horses have been unmolested, except
few broken horses, and in many in
stances the thieves have lost their
lives at the end of rope.
The sheep raiser finds large profit
in his herds in this country. as the
wool in the spring and the lambs IN
the fall gives two great profits yearly.
The great care in all kinds Of stock is