Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1890-01-10
TIE RECORD recently published q lett

ether convention at Napoleon next fall.
The RECORD recently published letter
from DR.. n. 9. John treating of that vi
tai question: Shall stock be allowed to
have free range during the winter
months? Although the doctor disagrees
with our position ia the matter, we were
glad to have him express himself. North
Dakota IS now a state, and many laws on
which opinions differ will be proposed.
Discussion by the people will show the
strong and weak points of such offerings,
and the best medium for procalmlng the
various shades of local opinion is the
county press. But, just the same, the
RECORD must continue to disagree with
DR.. John regarding the present stock law,
believing as we do that any good 1t may
possess is not sufficient offset for the
ncighborhood troubles to be laid at its
door, However, as the doctor bases his
principal objection to the proposed change
on the damage stock would inflict upon
young trees, 1t is with that chiefly this art
icle has to treat. And right here it may
not be amlss TO state that the editor is as
much interested In the successful growing
of trees as the correspondent. He not
only has five acres of fine three-ycar- old
box elders on his timber claim, with the
other five acres twice seeded and to be
plapted again next spring, but lie also
seeded five acres on his homestead last
fall. The writer believes with Dr. John
that the prairics of our state ought to be
and will be dotted with groves, and sees
no cause for encouragement in the fac,
that the abnormally dry weather of the
last three seasons has been the cause OF
many failures.
But we have paid considerable attcn.
ton to the subject of damage to young
trees by stock, and, excepting cotton
woods, we feel justified in saying tina,
such damage is unworthy of serious con
siderallon. We have seen cattle brows
ing on weeds and grass in a box elder
grove, but never on the trees, and the
trees pushed aside by their bodies wert
only bent, not broken. 1t is a fact thai
the "taste' of box-eder ash and elm i.
not rclished by cattle or horses As fol
sheep, the presence with US of dogs anC
wolves will prevent the turning out OF
unattended f1ocks on the pralrIe.
The doctor says that it would b,
cheaper to fence up stock than to fence
against stock. But this is certainly in
correct. Several stockmen of this county
have estimated the average saving III ha,
per head, we're cattle and horses giver
free range between crop seasons, at no
over one ton. 1t costs dollar ton, n
least, in time, team and wear of machine
to put up hay. Multiply the number o
cattle and horses in the county by th'
price of u ton of hay and the result show
the value Of the unused pasturage tina
under the present law must be annual,
left to feed the prairie fires. 1t repre-
sents thousands Of dollars. On the othe
hand, only a nominal sum would be re-
quired to fence hay stacks; and it shoult
be borne in mind that where the settle
has haystack the natural inference /
that he has stock to consume it, and i
would be no serious hardship to compe
him to protect 1t from his own ANIMALS.
The ideal farm IS one of 160 acres, ant
on farm of this size it is impossible t,
set aside much land for pasturage. Ii
this machine. farming country one mai
can cultivate hundred acres. Tha
would leave him sixty acres for fencet
pasture. Now, although the ratio O
acres to each animal varies with each sea
sons precipitation, the most experienced
and Observant stock-owners place sucl
ratio ut six acres per head, and thi
for summer pasture alone-unflt for pas
turing stock the coming winter. 1t il
therefore useless for the quarter section
farmer to think Of having fenced pastur,
for winter feeding providing he has ever
small herd of stock. And with stocl
as cheaply raised rs here, how long will
it be until nearly every farmer in this
county has, through its natural increase
at least score of stock7 Is it not fac
that, almost without exception, our set.
tiers are ambitious to add to their farm
product something that neither hail, ho
winds nor drought Can injure, and are
they not steadily working to that end2
The RECORD does not believe that 6
general law allowing free range in winter
will he passed this session but it hopes
that there may be a statute enacted al.
lowing county option, provided way
shall 10 found to prevent owners from
counties opposed to such law running
stock into county that has voted for it.