Canadian Agriculture. 
299 
waterinpc : and such places shall be declared ' infected ' within the terms of 
• The Animal Contagious Diseases Act, 187i),' being strictly isolated, and all 
communication with them prohibited, excej^t by the oQicers and men in 
charge of the trains, or of such infected places. 
13. Every car which has been used for carrying animals from the United 
States or Territories, in transit through the Districts of Alberta and Assiniboia, 
or the Province of Manitoba, via Emerson and Gretna, shall be thoroughly 
cleaned and disinfected before re-entering the Province of llanitoba, in such 
manner as shall be ordered by the ^Minister of Agriculture. 
The suitability of Southern Alberta to purposes of ranching 
is now regarded as established. It is stated that the poorest 
pastures in Alberta surpass the greater part of the area of the 
State of Montana in stock-raising capabilities, and some of the 
leading ranchers in Montana are directing their attention to 
Alberta. It is believed that in a few years Alberta, which is 
already arranging to supply the Winnipeg market with cattle, 
will furnish beef and mutton, not only to the eastern provinces 
of the Dominion, but to the English market as well. In the 
Calgary district, the cattle are being transferred farther south, 
and the old ranches are being stocked with sheep and with 
other cattle more particularly suited to the lands in that section : 
sheep being at present excluded from the district which lies 
south of a line drawn from the High River to the Bow River, 
and thence along the South Saskatchewan. Last summer over 
12,000 sheep were driven from Montana into Alberta, one 
company alone importing a flock of 8000 head, and in the 
season of 1885 the drive of sheep is expected to far exceed that 
of last season. The upwards ot 6000 horses in Alberta are 
estimated to be worth 80,000/., and the leading ranches are 
doing their best to improve the breed, having imported from 
across the Atlantic a number of first-class sires, including Per- 
cherons and Clydesdales. The estimated value of the cattle of 
Alberta last summer was 375,000/. Bovine epidemics are 
entirely unknown in this region, and though it is customary for 
the cattle on these ranches to be neither sheltered nor in any 
other way cared for during the winter, yet the projected. 
North Western Live Stock Company proposes to erect build- 
ings for the housing of cattle during the winter, and to properly 
furnish, equip, and gradually enclose the lands. But the 
opinion of most of the ranchmen is that no danger need be 
apprehended from prolonged falls of snow, even if such should 
occur, provided there are abundant stocks of hay with which 
to feed the cattle ; indeed, prairie hay is now largely gathered 
in summer for this purpose. 
It is worth noticing that the amount of butter made in Alberta 
does not nearly supply the local demand, and last summer farmers 
found a ready sale for all they could make at from Is. bd. to 
