Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1901-11-07
HORSES WILL PAY.
Why Horse Raising in this State
Has Bright Future.
Cheap Feed.
Horses Take Care of Themselves and
Cost Little Compared to
Other Stock.

GOOd SlrcS Nee0e0. Ci1dnDCS IN lne
Market in Six
Years.
The growing of wheat in the east
ern part of the state and where ever
done exclusively, is causing the farm
ers to put mortgages and even second
mortgages on their land. The raising
of stock in the central and western
parts of the state and the growing Of
mixed crops Of grain of all kinds, such
as corn and feed stutfS, is clearing the
way for the farmers to get free from
debt and to become independent Of
the loss of a wheat crop or two.
The native grasses of North Dakota
are the states most profitable re-
source when transformed into meat
and into horseflesh. In past years the
average horse has been so low in price
that it has not been deemed profitable
to raise them and many breeders have
gone out Of business. But while there
has been and is money in raising cattle
and sheep from our cheap and nutri-
tious grasses, it is now and has been
known that at the present prices and
under the changed conditions there is
even more money in raising the right
kind Of horses. The horse is now and
will likely remain for long time one
Of the most profitable products of the
farm and the less care required to
raise colts to mature animals, will in
some respects give them preference
over cattle and sheep.
A few weeks ago a Stutsman county
rancher made a sale of ranch property
and stock near Crystal Springs to the
amount of $1,000 and OF this sum,
which was cash, there were over $4,000
paid for horses. Three years ago the
man had only small ranch property,
such as nearly any one can take under
the United States land laws, and
about $500 which he invested in a
good draft stallion and number of
cheap western mares. The profits
have been so apparent that Iowa
parties have paid good price for the
ranch and stock and the rancher has
more money than he ever had in his
life. The horses have practically
raised themselves as the actual cost
has been, over the investment, little
more than the herding.
The western horse will take care Of
himself in all kinds of weather, where
the sheep and cattle need shelter in
rougher weather and more feed to
keep them in good condition. The
western horse will paw away the snow
and will run for exercise while the
cattle will stand bumped up and suf-
fer from the winds and cold, if expos
ed and sheep are even more tender.
The horse will grow thick coat Of
hair as natural protection against
the elements.
In the raising Of stock there is no
expense for machinery that soon wears
out, there are no twine bills and no
hard labor in plowing and harvesting
and no hauling loads of grain to the
elevator late at night in the cold, to
get a mere pittance for the same
when the cost Of the grain is fairly
figured. There are no threshing bills
to come out and no big grocery bills to
pay for provisions. What man gets
from his stock is the natural profit
that he ought to have from his advan-
tages of cheap grass and climate
specially adapted to stock growing.
There is no heavy investment in high
priced land and none Of the chances
of loss from fires, weather, hot winds
and frost and from unthreshed crops
after all have been harvested.
Cattle and sheep growing have been
rapidly increasing in the state owing
to the high prices of the last six years,
but while theInumDer OF DOtn nave IN
creased on the farms and ranches
about SO per cent in the last ten years
there is room for many more, and no
fear that winter feed will be exhaust.
ed as the possibilities of the feed crops
that can be raised are known. But
in case such a contingency did arise,
the horse will be found to have ad-
vantage in raising over the steer and
sheep. Horses require less range, for
the reason that they crop the grass
much closer and eat with relish many
kinds OF grasses that cattle will not
touch and will thrive and grow fat on
the grasses that have been cured
after attaining maturity, and are