The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1904-05-13
AN ILLINOIS FARMER M
WESTERN CANADA.


nois, Democrat contains a long and in
teresting letter from Mr.. Elias Kost.
formerly a prosperous farmer OF that
state, who recently emigrated 10 West
ern Canada, taking up a claim for him
self and for each Of his three sons.
From Mr.. Kosts letter, which was
written Feb. 3. 1904, we publish the
following, believing II will prove Of great
interest 10 those who have contemplated
settling in the Canadian Northwest:
Il had in August. 1902, secured a claim
for myself. and filed on three quarter
sections for my sons. Ny 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 10 pre-
pare ground for a first years crop,
still We raised over 100 bushels Of very
hne potatoes. and sowed a few acres
OF barley, but the season was too far
advanced for the barley However. we
secured good feed from II. and on rented
ground is miles east OF us, raised a fine
crop Of oats. so that we Will have plenty
OF feed for horses. We cut about co tons
OF hay and thus will have an abundance
We have, all told, about 240 acres OF hay
meadow, which would yield the past
year over three tons to the acre. and in
an ordinary season the meadow would
furnish 600 tons Of hay. The grass is
very nutritious. and cattle on the ranges
become very fat without being fed a
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 il 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. a there was good range |
up TO that time
All the SHOWS up to that date were |
followed by winds from the northwest |
that melts il very rapidly; these winds |
are called Chinook winds. and are a. |
ways warm. In one night a Chinook |
wind may take away three or four inches
Of snow.
We have built on our claim a COM
Portable house Of hewn logs, 2Ox26 feet, !
one and one-half stories in height. with |
a good cellar. During the latter part Of |
June we RATED logs down the Sturgeon |
TO a sawmill. about eight miles away, /
and thus secured 5000 feet of good lum-
Der which was needed for the house.
Later in the season a shingle mill To-
Gated six miles away To this we
hauled logs and had shingles cut for |
the roof
We had an abundance Of wild fruit |
the past season. consisting OF gooseber-
ries, strawberries. raspberries. eyeber-
ries, blueberries, cherries and saska-
toons. The latter are fire looking ber-
~, 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 Illinois Raspberries
are red in color, large and equal TO any
Of the tame varieties, and so are the
The cranberries consist
Of the high and trailing varieties. The
latter are most sought and contiguous
to the swamps. The ground is literally
with them as with a red carpet.
but the best and most soughtis the blue
berry. so called by the Indians This
is the famous 'huckleberry' (whortle-
berry, OF the Blue Ridge Mountains in
Pennsylvania. and cannot be excelled
Tor excellence by any fruit cultivated
L is found here both on the prairie and
n the timber in immense quantities.
Game is very plentiful so far as prai-
lie chickens. pheasants. ducks Of all
kinds, and geese are concerned. We have
AIKEN nearly 500 chickens and pleas
Ints. also a great many ducks.
AN occasional deer is seen. but are
lot plentiful. only one having been
aken during the season in this settle
nent.
Fish are very plentiful at all seasons
4 the year Fish wagons and sleds
re passing almost daily along the trail
With heavy loads Of fish. destined for
T. Albert and Edmonton. From the
after point they are shipped south on
he Calgary and Edmonton railroad to
'oints along the line. and also to Assini-
ola. on the Canadian Pacific railroad"
For further information apply TO any |
authorized Canadian Government Agent
whose address appears elsewhere.
Benevolent oid Lady loutside Of candy