Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1904-05-13
AN ILLINOIS FARMER IN WEST
ERN CANADA

A recent issue OF LQ6 0l6lDyVllle
Illinois, Democrat contains a long and
interesting letter from Mr.. Elias Kost
formerly prosperous farmer of that
state, who recently emigrated to West
ern Canada, taking up claim FOL
himself and for each of his three sons
From Mr.. Kosts letter, which was
written Feb. 3. 1904, we publish the
following. believing 1t will prove OF
great interest to those who have con
templated settling In the Canadian
Northwest:
Il had in August, 1902, secured a
claim for myself. and filed on three
quarter sections for my sons. My
claim is one-half mile south of the
Edmonton and Lake ST. Anne trail.
Coming SO late in the season we
had little opportunity to break and to
prepare ground for first years crop,
still we raised over 100 bushels of
very fine potatoes, and sowed few
acres Of barley, but the season was
TOO far advanced for the barley. How
ever. we secured good feed from It,,
and on rented ground 1S miles east OF
US. raised fine crop of oats. SO that
we Will have plenty of feed for horses.
We cut about 60 tons of hay and thus
viii, have an abundance. We have, all
told about 2f0 acres of hay meadow.
which would yield the past year over
three tons to the acre, and In an or
binary season the meadow would fur
nIsh 600 tons Of hay. The grass Is
very nutritious, and cattle on the
ranges become very fat without be-
ing fed pound of grain.
"On the upland the grass grows
from eight to ten inches tall. This Is
called range grass. and is suitable for
stock at any time, even In the winter
when the ground is not covered too
deep with snow. Horses subsist on 1t
alone. at all times, provided they are
native stock. The grass in the hay
meadows here is called red-top, and
grows from five to six feet in length,
and when cut at the proper time
yields an abundant crop of nutritious
hay.
Our cattle have not cost us a cent
since we came on our homestead, only
the small outlay for salt and labor in
putting up hay and shelter All cattle
have been doing well this winter, and
feeding up to the first of January was
unnecessary. as there was good range
up to that time.
"All the SHOWS up to that date were
followed by winds from the north
west that melts it very rapidly; these
winds are called Chinook winds, and
are always warm. In one night
Chinook wind may take away three
or four inches Of snow.
I'VE have built on our claim COM
Portable house Of hewn logs, 20x2s
feet, one and one-half stories in
height, with good cellar. During the
latter part of June we RATED logs
down the Sturgeon to sawmill, about
eight miles away, and thus secured
5000 feet of good lumber which was
needed for the house. Later in the
season a shingle mill located six
miles away. To this we hauled logs
and had shingles cut for the roof.
1--WE had an abundance Of wild fruit
the past season, consisting OF goose
berries, Strawberries, raspberries, eye !
berries, blueberries, cherries and sas-
katoons. The latter are fine looking |
berry, red, and quite pleasant to the
taste, but not much to be desired in
cookery. The strawberries are the
same as those that grow wild In ILL
nois. Raspberries are red In color,
large and equal to any OF the tame
and so are the gooseberrfes
The cranberries consist of the high
and trailing varieties. The latter are
most sought and contiguous to the
swamps The ground is literally COW
cred with them as with red carpet.
but the best and most sought is the
BURBERRY, so called by the Indians.
This is the famous 'huckleberry'
(whortleberry) of the Blue Ridge
in Pennsylvania. and can
aot be excelled for excellence by any
'ruit cultivated 1t is found here both
IN the prairie and in the timber in i'm
nense quantities.
Game is very plentiful SO far as
prairie chickens, pheasants. ducks Of
Ill kinds, and geese are concerned.
We have taken nearly 500 chickens
md pheasants, also a great many
lucks.
IAN occasional deer Is seen. but are
.ot plentiful. only one having been
AIKEN during the season in this settle
nent.
Fish are very plentiful at all sea
ons Of the year Fish wagons and
leds are passing almost daily along
he trail with heavy loads OF fish. des-
med for st. Albert and Edmonton.
rom the latter point they are shipped
outh on the Calgary and Edmonton
abroad to points along the line. and
Iso to Assiniboia, on the Canadian