Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1904-05-26
AN ILLINOIS FARMER IN WEST.
ERN CANADA.


recent issue of the Shelbyville.
Illinois, Democrat contains a long and
interesting letter from Mr.. Elias Kost.
formerly a prosperous farmer OF that
state. who recently emigrated to West
ern Canada. taking up a claim for
himself and for each of his three sons.
From Mr.. Kosts letter, which was
written Feb. 8. 1904. we publish the
following, believing it 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 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. How
ever, we secured good feed from 1t.
and on rented ground is miles east OF
us, raised fine crop of oats, 30 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 $40 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.
ntsh 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 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 we'll this winter, and
feeding up to the first of January was
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 IL 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,
We have built on our claim d COM
Portable house of hewn logs, 20x26
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
5 900 feet of good lumber which was
needed for the house. Later In the
season a single mill located six
miles away. To this we hauled logs
and had shingles cut for the roof.
I'VE had an abundance of wild fruit
the past season, consisting of goose
berries, strawberries, raspberriea, 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
The strawberries are the
same as those that grow wild Ia Illi-
nois. Raspberries are red in color,
arge and equal to any OF the tame
1arieties. and SO are the gooseberries.
rhe cranberries consist of the high
ind trailing varieties. The latter are
most sought and contiguous tb the
,wamps. The ground is literally COW
,red with them as with red carpet.
tut the best and most sought is the
,lueberry, so called by the Indians.
This ISL the famous 'huckleberry'
whortlekerry) of the Blue Ridge
in Pennsylvania, and can
lot be dxcelled for excellence by any
rnit cultivated. II is found here both
n the Prairie and in the timber In Inn
nense Quantities.
Camel Is very plentiful so far as
rairie chickens, pheasants. ducks of
II kinds, and geese are concerned.
We hayfe taken nearly 800 chickens
nd phi easants. also a great many
AN occasional deer Is seen, but are
OF plentf iful, only one having been
aken durNi the season In this settle
lent
Fish abe very plentiful at all sea-
,ns of thAe year Fish wagons and
eds are ptassing almost daily along
lie trail wit n heavy loads OF fish, des-
ned for SV Albert and Edmonton.
rom the latf&er point they are shipped
,uth on the Calgary and Edmonton
Lilroad to poYnt along the line. and
so to Assinlt1poia. on the Canadian
For further nfornsuon apply to
ly authorized Canadian Government
gent whose address appears else,
hera In this par