Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1860-03-29
From the American Stock Journal.
Cattle Growing on the Prairies.

This business at the West is subject to
a few drawbacks which the East does
not share with it. Chief among these
are the natural fountains bursting from
the Eastern hill-sides, which are gener-
ally wanting on the Prairies. But fire.
quent streams partially remedy this evil
furnishing water to the herds upon the
uufenced "prairie range" Many prai-
rie farms are destitute Of water for the
stock-lhough new method Of draining,
called mole draining, promises some
thing toward supplying fountains on these
places; but wells must be the main de-
pendance of farms not located upon liy-
ing streams.
For the butter-dairy the water of the
creeks and slough streams is not equal to
the mountain springs Of New York and
Vermont, but cheese can be made from
the same dairy fully equal to Herkimer's
best. n
In choosing a location for growing cat
tie on the prairies, durable water should
be chief consideration-exten range
gives pasturage in abundance wherever
water is found, while the contrary is not
always the case.
The East has an advantage over US in
economically supplying durable shelter
for stock. Very much of the great prai-
ries of Iowa and Nebraska are destitute
of lumber sufficient for building purpos-
es, and must mainly depend upon straw
and hay, which they can have in abun-
dance for material for protecting animals
from the sweeping storms of winter. BY
access to the timber regions Of the North,
we are more cheaply supplied in Illinois,
but even here the cost of lumber involves
too considerable an outlay of capital for
the beginner to supply at once good and
sufficient, durable and permanent protec-
tion. To supply this want, various de-
vices are adopted among which, chief
reliance is the huge piles Of badly stack
ed straw annually made. Indeed many
cattle and horses are condemned to run
in the cornfields all winter, and subsist
upon the ungathered, weather-beatep
stalks and leaves without any protection.
1t is very true that cattle, in this way, do
exceedingly well in mild weather in ear
ly winter, but all animals need shelter
ing roof, as we'll as protection from the
winds. How many calves are stun'ed for
life, by days severe exposure to cold
wet storm in the spring of the year, so
that they never gain the proportions they
would otherwise have assumed. So 1t is
with growing animals--as one day of
very severe labor Injuries man more than
months of ordinary service, so one or two,
or three at most, of the very hard storms
of winter do the mischief of the season,
damaging herds more than is regained in
months, indeed if it ever fully recover.
Then the hard winter as a season Of cold
and non-production, receives the blame
for the mischief, when 1t is all chargea-
BILE TO a few DAYS of snow or rain temp
est, which thousands of cattle are oblig-
ed to bear through all its dreadful pelt-
ings, with the torturing pains of the pill
lory. 1t matters not what blood or breed
they are; on such days of storm, cattle
need protection. Indeed, it must be
an acclimated race TO get through with
the breath of life in them. know that
the voice of the farmers of this region is
against the existence of such an impera-
tive necessity for protection, but the low
condition of their stock in the spring,
with the increased cost Of winter keep
ing over. what it need have been, is evi-
dence enough against them. The decrease
in flesh through the winter being charge
able to winter keeping, and is the chief
item of expense.
This need not be-economical shelter
can he given, which, with present keep
ing, would save them in full weight for
the pasture of spring aud do much, very
much, in a few years, towards raising
our cattle to the point of excellence they
should attain. Straw is abundant every
where, and in many places prairie grass
can be gathered too coarse for hay which
makes excellent hovel covers.
For winter forage the upland grasses
Of the prairie are cut and furnish a nu-
tricious and palatable diet. Then we
have the range of lhe cornfelds, which.
after the corn is picked, the stalks not
being cut, give in fair weather in early