The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-06-26
FLOTSAM FROM THE NORTH,

FROM THE NORTH.
Ranch and Livestock Gossip From
Over the Canadian Line.
River Press:
MEDICINE HAT, June 2l.-The rainy
season has apparently begun business
In this locality. Both the stockmen
and dry land farmers will appreciate
q little seasonable moisture. Taking
into consideration the unusually late
season and the consequent drawbacks,
lambing has been y Gee in most
cases. %Sheariug is now in progress,
and the probability Is that the heeces
will average q good deal lighter than
last year.
Cattle are gradually putting on flesh
after their hard siege. Mage is still
very prevalent In some districts. Dip.
ping will start the present month and
continue until the middle of August.
DR.. Rutherford spoke very forcibly
on this question at a meeting Of the
stock association He informed the
meeting that If dipping was not done
voluntarily his department would take
drastic measures, draw q dead.line
around the infected ranges and no
cattle would be allowed to be shipped
until dipped under official supervi.
sion.
Work horses command q high price
a: present. Large work teams were
selling at Battleford recently for 800
per team. There is also quite q de.
mand for work oxen Robt. Penlsnd,
q brother of w. r. Penland, was
down here 10 the early spring and
took a shipment OF broncho steers
back with him to Battleford.
1t would be interesting to know how
far north horses can winter on the
open range. The Hudson Bay com.
pany has had three bands running in
the Peace river country for a good
many decades. The geldings from
this outfit are broken to pack and
used on the Rocky Mountain portage.
The surplus horses are usually taken
TO k%amloops, B. c., and disposed OF
at public auction.
The Allard herd of buffalo recently
purchased by the Canadian govern.
ment is being located in the Dominion
park, near Fort Saskatchewan. a
large enclosure has been fenced for
their accommod alton. II appears that
some of these buffalo we're purchased
by Mr.. Allard from buffalo" Jones,
of Texas, and as Mr.. Jones in the
early nineties purchased the Stoney
mountain bunch from the late Gov
ernor Bedson, it Is reasonable to sup.
pose that some of the old patriachs OF
the Allard herd have been on this side
OF the 49,h parallel before. The gov.
eminent has had a band established
at Bantf, ia the Rockies, for q good
many years. There is also a good
sized bunch in Manitoba, the property
OF Lord S%trathcona. Besides these
bands in semi-captivity it must be re
membered that all of the bison hav,
not disappeared in that large hole i,
the earth that our Indian friends tall
about. There are yet three bands o
buff alo in absolute freedom under tn
surveillance of the Mounted polio
running In the North country. Thes'
buff ale range around Peace AM
Spirit rivers, and although in q par
TALLY timbered country, r not mucl
different from their kindred Of tn
great plains. These ''snimals i,
bois,' as the Metis call them, hav'
no doubt been in the far north fron
timeimmemorial as Alexander Mcken
zie, the explorer and discoverer o;
the great river that bears his name
mentions them in his memoirs whic!
were written over a hundred year.
ago. Seton Thompson, the naturalist
accompanied by a Washington scien
fist, are enrOute to the Barren ground
where they intend to devote the sum
mer studying the fauna and flora O
the far north, we can anticipate an in
teresting account OF the wood buffalo
on their return TO civilization.
Mr.. Campbell, the dry land farming
specialist, will, under the auspices o.
the local government, deliver a serie,
OF lectures throughout the province
during the present month.
SHEMOkOMAN.
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