Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1917-09-20
B. H. CRITCHFIELD SAYS THIS
SECTION GOING AHEAD FAST.
Err THAN OTHERS
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
NAMES SEVERAL GOOD HERDS
NEAR HERE AS SHOWING
GREAT IMPROVEMENT

GREAT IMPROVEMENT
That Williams county and territory
is going ahead along purebreI lines
faster than any other portion Of the
state is the interesting statement
made by B. H. Critchfield, expert for
the Dakota Farmer who was here a
short time ago. Among other things
he said:
"There are nearly a dozen breed
ers of pure-bred cattle and horses in
this territory with sizable herds, sew
eral of them numbering close to 100
head. The owners have been buying
high-class sires and some of them
are now looking for herd sires with
the instructions to us to "get US the
individuals; let the price be second
ary." This section is admirably fitted
for stock raising. The alfalfa fields
that are being developed in what used
to be the worthless brush bottoms of
the Missouri River are a revelation
to one who has not seen them. This
year, with upland hay very short and
scarce, most of these bottom alfalfa
fields are yielding fairly good cut
tings even with no rainfall Most Of
them have been started by merely
clearing the land and discing the al
falfa seed in without plowing.
There are still hundreds of acres Of
this bottom to be developed and when
this is done the feed problem of west
ern North Dakota will be solved.
Hereford Breeders in Willist0n
The breeders of Hereford cattle in
this territory are Frank Banks and
w. S. Davidson. The Banks herd
numbers over 100 head and the foun-
dation stock came from the Peter
son herd at Worthington, Mimi, about
seven years ago. Mr.. Banks has used
bulls Of the best breeding to be So
cured and had a son of Repeater two
seasons. The hay meadows on the
Banks ranch this year will yield in
the neighborhood Of 1000 tons of al
falfa and blue joint. In addition to
his pure-breds, Frank Banks handles
about 800 range cattle on the Berthold
reservation in summer, winter feed
ing them at the home ranch.
w. S. Davidson's Hereford breed
ing is only of short duration, but he
has an excellent foundation for a
high-class herd. The main part of the
herd was secured by the purchase of
the entire herd of John Burkhart, Of
Omemee, N. D., this spring. This
was one Of the best in the state, con-
sidering breeding and, individuality.
Mr.. Davidson now has about 40 head
of pure-bred cattle and is using bull
that headed the Burkhart herd, bred
by L. A. Pinard, Of Washington
Springs, S. D. Mr.. Davidson is a
banker and business man but is Civ
ing his stock as much personal at
tention as he can.
ShorthOrn Breeders
Among the Shorthorn breeders in
the Missouri River country is Jos.
Wegley, who has about 70 head on
his ranch eight miles southwest of
Williston. His herd bull was secured
from r. w. Aylor, of Grandin, N. D.,
last year. Wegley has plenty of al
falfa hay to carry his cattle through
the winter and is clearing more bot
tom land for alfalfa seeding. L. C.
Wingate has a herd of Shorthorns in
the Yellowstone Valley that was i'm
proved a great deal by one of Ring
masters best sons. The herd bull now
in use is imported "Lucifer," former
" at the head of the Donelly & Sons
nerd at Grafton.
Across the Montana line few miles
Lowe & Powers of Culbertson are
up high-class herd of Short
1orns. There men are both live wires
md good stockmen and will put this
section on the map for good cattle.
U. L. Burdick of Williston has one
# the best Percheron studs in the
whole country with about 40 top
lotch mares headed by "Paragon,"
me of the promising young sires of
he breed. Mr.. Burdick is starting
'horthorn herd and has about IS fe-
males with good breeding son of
at their head. U. l.. Bur-
lick has brought into this country
.reat many Percheron mares and
tallions and there are dozens of farm
RS in this territory with from one to
our or more pure-bred Percheron
mares. This will make a Percheron
reeding center in a few years that
hould become noted.
Over at Arnegard the Stenehjem
|ros. have a good-sized herd of Short
orns and were looking for herd
ull the last time l saw them. |;
Many Stock Sales This Fall
Public sales of pure-bred stock have
cen rather slow getting started in
Iorth Dakota, no doubt on acsount