Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1899-05-05

cific, reports unprecedented sales to
men of this class during recent
months. May the good work go on
until every valley by the streams of
western North Dakota will he dotted
with the homes of such settlers, until
every mountain stream in Montana
shall have been harvested to do duty in
the fields of the husbandman. and un-
til every draw of any considerable size
shall have been damned and thus
turned into Il reservoir for holding
water. There is no doubt in the mind
of the writer that the agricultural pro-
ducts of the ranges are thus going to be
vastly increased in the near future by
the increase Of small ranchmen in the
range country.
The growing of food for live stock
will always be an all-important ques-
ton with the lesser ranchmen. That
they are fast waking up to n sense of
it's Importance was abundantly mani
Tested ut the respective live stock con-
ventions held at Dickinson and Miles
City IN the 18th and 18th inst. That
held at the former place reminded one
of an old time Minnesota farmers in
stitute. so lively We're the discussions
bearing on the best methods of growing
certain crops as food for live stock.
The methods practiced by some Of
the ranclmen who were present are to
he commended. Mr.. Underhill. an in
telligent and progressive ranchman
from Egbert. runs the fodder which he
feeds in winter through a cutting box.
Last year he fed Aberdeen poll calves
on spring rye thus prepared and
mixed with wheat bran. BY
such a system of feeding every par
ticle of straw or other coarse fodder
grown can he turned to the very best
account. None of it will be wasted.
Every visit to the west strengthens
my conviction that corn grown as win
ter fodder will lie the great reliance of
the farmers as food for live stock until
the alfalfa producing areas are reached
in Montana.
These changes in the range c0ndi-
tions should be glad tidings to the
farmers of Minnesota. To them it
means that the range stockers they
will buy for finishing will be much less
wild than the rustlers of the open
range. They will therefore he more
easily managed and will feed better.
They can also be fed ut an earlier age.
These cattle cannot he finished by the
small ranchers. They can only be
grown by them. They must needs be
finished in a grain producing country.
They cross our burdens on the way
to market. Hence they will always
furnish just the material wanted for
the consumption of the coarse grains
that grow so luXuriantly on Minnesota
farms. AS long, therefore. as the
Missouri continues to carry muddy
water down to the Mississippi. so long
will there be supplies of cattle grown
on the semi-range plan from which
Minnesota farmers can get their sup
plies of feeding cattle.
Nor should our farmers forget that
they have the privilege of feeding these
animals in transit. Mr.. S. L. Moore
was questioned at Miles City as to
whether there was any change in the
policy of the Northern Pacific road
with reference to this question. and
he answered there was not.
Austrian bronze grass has given
much satisfaction where it has been
tried in the range country. The
ranchmen are eager to get information
about it. The Northern Pacific is sup
plying many of the farmers with seed
and with information as to how the
grass should. be grown. 1t is also
encouraging the farmers to grow corn
by making it easy for them to get
seed. The interest thus manifested
by the Northern Pacific in the develop
ment of the country cannot fail to
stimulate agricultural development in
those western areas. e