Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1904-05-12
AN ILLINOIS FARMER IN WEST.
ERN CANADA,

A recent issue Of the Shelbyville.
Illinois, Democrat contains long and
interesting letter from Mr.. Elias Kost.
formerly a prosperous farmer of that
state, who recently emigrated to West
ern Canada, taking up claim for
himself and for each of his three sons.
From Mr.. Kost's letter, which was
written Feb. 9, 1904, we publish the
following, believing it will prove of
great interest to those who have con-
templated settling in the Canadian
Northwest:
81 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 is miles east of
us, raisel fine crop Of oats. so that
we will have plenty Of feed for horses
We cut about SO 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 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 a pound Of grain.
ION 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. ALP 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 a.
Chinook wind may take away three
or four inches of snow.
1--WE have built on our claim com
Portable house of hewn logs, 20x26
feet, one and one-half stories in
height, with good cellar During the
latter part of June VIC RATED logs
down the Sturgeon to a sawmill, about
eight miles away, and thus secured
5000 feet of good lumber which was
needed for the house. Later in the
season q single mill located six
miles away To this we hauled logs
and had shingles cut for the roof.
eve 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 Illi-
nois. 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 COW
cred with them as with a 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
Mountains in Pennsylvania, and can
not be excelled for excellence by any
fruit cultivated. It is found here both
on the prairie and in the timber in inn
mense quantities.
Game is very plentiful so far as
prairie chickens, pheasants, ducks of
all kinds, and geese are concerned.
We have taken nearly 500 chickens
and pheasants, also a 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 sea-
sons of the year. Fish wagons and
sleds are passing almost daily along
the trail with heavy loads of fish, des-
tined fer 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 Assiniboia, on the Canadian
Pacific railroad"
For further information + apply to
any authorized Canadian Government
Agent whose address appears else
where in this paper.