The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1897-12-02

of America. And last in or
der of development, but by no
| means least in Importance, u dairy
products have established a name lot
themselves among the very best on
| this continent. All of these achieVe-
| ments have been won almost -ehtireiy
without the aid of cultivated grains
and grasses. Our native prairie grasses
have, in nearly all cases, been the prin-
cipal, and in many instances, the only
food of our stock.
In some parts of cur state the system
which has produced such satlslactois
results in the past can be contlnueu W
a considerable time to come, Win ou'
Slight notifications, while in other poi,
lions, particularly in the older ana
more thickly settled districts, condl-
lions have so changed, and are SUN
changing, that a very different syste"
must eventually be instituted. IN THESE
localities. u native grasses whicn
have been the basis of nearly all OF
our success in the past, are fast disap-
bearing and being replaced by inferior
introduced grasses n Wofthlesa
weeds. The causes which have brought
about this undesirable, but inevitable
result are not hard to discover. over
stocking and tramping, which seem al
most unavoidable during some portions
of the season, if enough stock be Kept
to utilize the feed during flush, times,
is one of the most potent, and also the
most difficult, to avoid. For If only
such an amount Of stock is kept during
flush feed as can subsist upon the pas
4ture, without oyerstocking during the
dry parts of the season, the: grass VIII
make. such 4 rank growth during the
spring and carly summer that STOCK
will not eat il during the dry periods.
Another, only slightly less potent, but
more universal factor, and Il still less
amel,able to any known methods of
prevention, is the gradual migration of
hardys worthless, weedy grasses and
plants. from tie older to the newer set
tied portions Of the country. 1t is true
that some Of our farmers claim, that
our native grasses are SO much sup,-
rior to the cultivated grasses of the
that we can successfully compete
with eastern dairymen without the aid
of: forage, roots or silage. And these
claims are not without foundation. Ii
is a we'll known fact that our native
grasses cure upon the ground as soon
as the dry weather of August and Sep
TENDER sets in, and before they have
been injured by frosts; and that a fine
quality of we'll cured hay. superior to
1.-The average meadow hay of eastern
states; can be cut upon our prairies
at; any time after August before the
ground is covered with snow. AS" 1t
frequently happens that we do not
have. enough snow at any n time
during the winter to prevent stock
from grazing, it ought not to be diff
cult to understand why We can truth
fully say that our stock can range the
year round and we can cut hay supoii
our prairies' from August until March,
There are, however, some years. ami
especially this year, when this state
ment cannot be ~substantiated. Whit
1t is nnquestionably true. that we have
the advantage of our eastern competi
tors in the quality of our native grasse'
it is also true that they have the ad
vantage of us in the length of Tim
during which stock can obtain succu
lent food. Such beingithe case, it seems
that it is even. more important that
we should supply forage, roots and 81,
lage for the late summer, fall and win
ter feeding, than it is tor the eastern
dairyman. or stockman to make a SIM
liar provision.-E. C. 'Chiftott.