Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-07-17
MONTANA'S WEALTH.
THIRTY THREE VARIETIES OF GRASS
GROWING ON THE PRAIRIE.
Extent Of Available Grazing Lands for
Cattle-The Spring ROund-up-Brand-
ing the Calves-sheep Growing
Started Horses -vIgilantes.

Fort Keogh Cor. San Francisco Chronicie.l
When your correspondent first came to
Montana, some years ago, the vast plains
and prairies, carpeted kneedeep with lux
uriant buffalo and bunch grass, were lit.
orally covered black with thousands upon
thousands of buffalo. / remember once
travelling Though a single herd north OF
the Misseuri river for three days, and
never once, during light being out OF
sight of bison. These PLANES and prair-
les, which proved to be such excellent
grazing ground for buffalo, were Ger.
tainly as good for domestic animals, and
as soon as the country was freed OF hes
tile Indians the white men came pouring
in from every side, driving their hocks
and herds before them
On the prairies of Montana grow no
less than thirty.three varieties of gIass
and clover grass, among which are " be
found a kind Of blue aftermath of clover,
similar TO the famous blue grass of Ken
lucky, numerous meadow ~foxtaiis, orch.
ard grasses, timothy, and above all, the
rich, juicy, s~uCculent buffalo grass, which
can be found everywhere in the greatest
abundance the year round, and which
cures on the ground without rotting, No
wonder that The cattle thrive and become
fat. Such feed is better than grain for
beef cattle, and the wild plains of Mon
tana, where cattle are turned loose 20
rustic and receive no further attention
other than two semi annual ~round-ups
for the branding Of calves and cutting out
of marketable beeves, actually make bet
ter beef than the stall fed cattle Of the
states. The wild thyme, mingled with
the native grasses, gives o peculiar favor
to the meat, which no other section Of u
country can boast of.
The available grazing land in the terri.
tory mot counting the Indian reservations.
which number nearly 2S, 600, 600 acres Of
beautiful, fertile land) can be set down at
about go, 900, 900 acres. Less than 49,
900 Indians control 20.00O,O 600 acres,
which gives an average Of 1850 acres to
each buck, squaw and pappoose in every
tribe, or q little over two and q half
square miles TO each individual. If a
white man wants that much land he has
to buy It Most of the available land is
eminent domain and supports at the pres
ent writing over l, 900, 900 head of cattle.
Ten years ago there were 400 range cattle
in the territory; to-day more than 1000, :
900 are scattered over the hills and
through the valleys.
AS | said before; the spring round.ups
are for the purpose Of branding calves and
the Gall round. ups for the cutting out Of
marketable beeYes. ] was an amused and
interested spectator at the Miles City
stock yards q day or two ago, when a
cattle king of this section was branding O
number OF young calves that had been
dropped during the winter months, as
well as q new lot of i~mportations just re
ceived from Iowa for stocking u new
range. AS Is usual In such cases the tally
men for the buyers and sellers kept &C
count Of the cattle according TO theil
brands when they were driven through
inc shute where the new brand was pu'
on the animals The cattle were driver
from section to section OF the yards, unit
they reached the narrow branding place
into which they walked In single file. A
hot fire was burning on the outside and
dozen branding-irons were kept ready K
sides of the Rnima,s. When about q dozen
were imprisoned the branding-i iron wa
applied between the rails Of the shute to
kuS AOOHuG VI CdEu u11iUAdAs 1ACy
kicked aud squiRmed vigorously on feel
ing the redhot impression, but In about
ten minutes the operation was entirely
over and the prisoners were released and
ran quickly from the fire to another por
ton Of the yard.
Sheep growing was started a few years
ago as an experiment 1t Is an expert
ment no longer. The high, dry anC
healthy climate of Montana seems to bt
particularly favorable to this industry
and the fiber Of the wool produced Is sale
to be far better than that raised in Wyo
ming Colorado and Nebraska. On thu
divide west Of Livingstone, q settle
named Nelson has q flock Of about 10
Angora goats grazing in the Middle Creel
valley. Its the only stock Of that elias
in the country. Their hair is long ant
white and soft as silk. Some Of the buck
are very large, with enormo horns, sim
liar TO the famous sheep Of the Big Horl
mountains, and are as gentle and docile a
kittens.
Horse.ranching is also one Of the prir
cipal industries of Montana Ou
English cousins who come to Montana Il
search Of health and wealth generally III
dertake the raising Of horses In preferenC
to investing their capital in cattle I'll
profits, however. have never been so larg
with the equines as with the boYines, oV
ing to the successful operations Of the O.
traordinary large bands of horse-thieve
/, that infested the country last year. tt
| v~igilantes strung up nc less than ifty-nin
between May aud October of last year.