Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-03
| RANCH|NG IN CANADA
How Fine Horses and Cattle
Are Raised
IN THE BRITISH NORTHWEST
Something About Wheat-Fed Beef and
Barley Pork.
VISIT TO A STOCK FARM
Cattlemen Versus the Agriculturists
- Chat With Pat Burns-The
Mounted Police.
VISIT TO A STOCK FARM
Copyright, 1905, by Frank G. carpenter.)

Copyright 1905, by Frank G. Carpenter.)
CALGARY, Alberta.
Calgary is the capital of the cowboy
country of the wild Canadian west. What
was once known as the Great American
Desert extends from Montana north into
Canada. It comprises a region more than
twice as large as Ohio. running from the
Rocky mountains eastward, devoted to
grazing. The land though semi-arid is
covered with the richest of grasses and
1t is now supporting hundreds of thou
sands of cattle, horses, sheep and hogs.
According to the last census there were
million cattle in Manitoba and the north
west, little more than third that many
horses, and about four hundred thousand
hogs and sheep. Large herds are now
brought from Texas here to be fed and
more than forty thousand beeves were
shipped on the hoof last year from CAL
gary to England. Just north Of this re-
gion there is a dairy country where they
establishing creameries with govern
ment assistance, and where they expect
to raise butter and cheese for British Co.
lunlba and the orient.
The Great Canadian Range.
These stockmen claim to have more graz
ing lands than we have. 1 have travelled
for hundreds of miles east and north of
Calgary through a rich prairie country
covered with grass. and l am told such
lands run south to the United States line.
The Canadians say that their possible
ranching area is bigger than Texas, and
some describe it as equal to six states as
large as Pennsylvania.
The most of this country Is now let out
on government leases. The annual rent
Is four cents an acre, but the grass is
thin that 1t takes twenty acres to feed
one head of stock, and the government will
not permit more than that average num-
Der to be graZed on any OF the ranches.
Our own cattle country has been greatly
overstocked. The grasses have been so
cut off that they will not come up and
our Agricultural Department is encourag
ing reseeding the plains. Here, In Can
ada everything is under rigid government
supervision. The mounted police patrol the
ranches. They enforce the protection of
the cattle against diseases, and have dip
ping stations where all the stock that
comes into the country is examined and
treated to prevent the Introduction of Texas
fever and other plaques These police have
veterinary surgeons with them and they
watch carefully all cattle from the United
States.
A Land of Fine Stock.
Most OF the stock raised here is well
bred. One thousand dollars is by no means
high price for a bull, and there are cattle
sales at Calgary every year which compare
favorably with any In the United States.
The favorite animal Is the Shorthorn, but
there are many Polled Angus and Gallo
WAYS. The best breeding stock comes from
England and there are some ranchmen
who make a speciality of raising choice
beef for the English market. The Canada
Cattle Company, which has forty thousand
head on its different ranches, ships its
stock on the hoof to England. The ami
mails are all grass fed, and the sanitary
regulations are such that they must be
killed within eight days after landing In
Great Britain.
Sir William Van Horne has a big farm
in western Canada which is noted for its
fine cattle, and there are many rich farm
ers in Manitoba. Right In the heart of
the wheat belt Thomas Greenway, a for
mer premier Of that province has a farm
of two thousand acres. but he plants
only one-haf of this In grain and devotes
the balance TO raising highly-bred Short
horns. He has now two hundred and
says they are the most profitable part of
his farming operations.
The Armour of Canada.
One OF the best known ranching men of
the west is Patrick C. Burns OF Calgary.
He is the Armour Of this part of
the world and is sometimes called the
cattle king OF the British northwest. He
shipped 500 car loads OF beeves last year.
and he has now about 10000 head in his
yards. He has big trade with Manitoba,
British Columbia and Alaska. At the be-
ginning of the Blondike gold discovery he
got a $1,000 apiece at Dawson for steers
and as much as a dollar pound for beef
| on the hoof.
Pat Burns came to Calgary about TWEEN
| ty-five years ago. and began life by plow-
| ing up the prairie at much per acre, He
| turned his savings into cattle, and let