The Tomahawk., 1904-05-19
AN ILLINOIS FARMER IN
WESTERN CANADA.

| A recent issue OF the ShelbyV1lle, llll-
nOis, Democrat contains a long and in
| teresting letter from Mr.. Elias Kost,
| formerly a prosperous farmer OF that
state, who recently emigrated TO West
ern Canada, taking up a claim Tor him
self and for each of his three SOFAS.
From Mr. Kost's letter, which was
| written Feb. 3, 1904, we publish the
following, believing it will prove of great
interest to those who have contemplated
settling in the Canadian Northwest:
II had in August, 1902, secured 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 pre-
pare ground for a 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. However, we
secured good feed from it, and on rented
| ground 18 miles east Of us, raised a fine
crop of oats, so that we will have plenty
| of feed for horses. We cut about GO tons
of hay and thus will have an abundance.
We have, all told, about 24O acres ofhay
1 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 it 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 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 we'll this winter, and
feeding up to the first of January was
unnecessary, as there was good range
up to that time.
Cali the SHOWS up to that date were
followed by winds from the northwest
that melts it very rapidly; these winds
are called Chinook winds, and are al
ways warm. In one night Chinook
wind may take away three or four inches
of snow.
I'VE have built on our claim a COM
Portable house of hewn logs, 2Ox26 feet,
one and one-half stories in height. with
q 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 lum-
her which was needed for the house.
Later in the season 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 a fine looking ber-
ry, 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
gooseberries. The cranberries consist
of the high and trailing varieties. The
latter are most sought and contiguous
to the swamps. The ground Is literally
covered with them az with red carpet,
but the best and most sought is 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
for excellence by any fruit cultivated.
1t is found here both on the prairie and
in the timber in immense quantities.
"Game is very plentiful so far as prai-
rie chickens, pheasants. ducks of all
kinds, and geese are concerned. We have
taken nearly 500 chickens and pheas-
ants, also great many ducks.
can occasional deer is seen. but are
not plentiful, only one having been
taken during the season in this settle
| ment
'Fish are very plentiful at all seasons
Of the year. Fish wagons and sleds
are passing almost daily along the trail
with heavy loads of fish, destined for
| st. Albert and Edmonton. From the
latter point they are shipped south on
the Calgary and Edmonton railroad to
points along the line, and also to Assini-
boia, on the Canadian Pacific railroad"
For further information apply to any
authorized Canadian Government Agent
whose address appears elsewhere.