Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1866-04-28
The Great American Desert.

The region along the eastern foundation
OF the Rocky Mountains, varying with iht
imagination from two hundred to q thous
and miles in width, has been commonly re
garded as barren tract, pr duciDg only .
lew TUFTS OF grass TO tantalize the buffalo
IN bis hurried fight across it, and few
lizards. Covered with forests and noisy
with waterfalls, this region is not. Yet nc
other part of The country in The same lati
tuue produces per acre of wild land, one.
1alt the weight of vegetable matter proc
duced by these barrens. The grasses arc
uneqaalled in their luxuriant growth aud
putEltious properties. OF The grasses
there arc four principal kinds in the coun-
Try about the atlluents of the Kaw, the Re-
publican, Solomon, Saline aud Smoky Hill
Inc most Important in some respects is the
olue stem, growing in the bottoms TO the
nlght OF iiom four to six, aud even eight
ieet, and when cured, furnishing hay as
good, at Least, as he herds grass. The
average is about three tuns to the acre.
The stalk is large, but it has the sweetness
OF common sugar. Cattle will eat the
whole OF i, leaving no, ortS q The next va
rlety Is the June grass, or winter grass
Ibis, contrary to the law governing most
other kinds, springs into new life in The fall,
grows through the winter, dies in June,
aud remains brown and liieess during the
rest OF the summer In some localities,
between the Solomon and Smoky Hill, for
example, one balf the bottom land is covered
with this grass; and when the ground is
not covered with snow--which seldom re-
mains more than three or four days OF O
time-cattIe feed npou it in preference to
hay aud corn fodder. Stock keep fat on
it oil winter. The third variety is the
buffalo grass, covering one half the surface
OF the big ptare II is The principal food
OF the buffalo aud antelope. The spires
are not over three or four inches in leugth,
ct crispy, or woody touch and look form.
ing thick soft carpet. II is equally good
in winter as in summer, curing where IL
grows. 1t is more nutritious than the
blue grass of the cultivated pasture and
without exception, the best in the world
for sheep-short, sweet, nutritious, growing
in thick mats to the exclusion of other
grasses and Of weeds and burs. The fourth
is the Colorado This grows in tufts be-
tween the patches of buffalo grass, is about
a foot high, and has golden plume top
with many seeds "'' q ,r..+.l ""n
Tm5er is confined to the margin of the
streams Yet thereiis enough to answer
the wants of settlers, the abundance of
building stone being considered. This
country is not, however, destined to be
fenced in. Nature designed it as pasture
land. Millions Of buffalo and countless
antelope have grazed upon il for ages and
millions of neat cattle, sheep and horses
will Craze upon it for future ages Exper.
fence has established It's adaptation to the
wants Of cattle rasers Common stock
require no shelter except that of the bluffs,
raviues aud timber; and there are thous-
ands of cattle that have eaten no hay for
from three TO ten years. The cattle bred
aud reared on the plains are larger, sleeker,
fatler, than those of the country on the
East. They have ample food at ali seasons
no long season of starvation to wrinkle
their horns into segmeuts, and no lack OF
salt.o The latter is found ia licks along
side their grass, or mixed with the water
they drink. The Saline river, ia the cente.
OF the fnest grazing of Kansas, is so salt at
low stage as to nauseate man. Cattle
drink from it with as much enjoyment as
they have at The periodical sailing of the
eastern farmer, Such are some of the
capabilities of part of the American
Desert.
The present real scarcity Of beef cattle
which we have only began to feel-and the
prospects of still higher prices, may well
call atten ion to the sources and means of
supply. We mnsJ look to the West. and
soon to the plains. There cattle can be
multiplied at little cost. A gentleman of
Leavenworth estimates the cost Of his three
years old steers at three dollars head.-
They may be multiplied in immense num-
bers, neither fencing. nor barns being re
quired The profit of cattle raising in such
a country may easily be estimated. Heif-
ers come in with calf at Two years. Year
lings are as large as two year olds in the
East-older cattle in nearly The same pro,
portion The railroad will in year run
TO Fort Riley, wilhia twenty miles Of which
it is already graded 1t woald seem that
the enormous proGis of the business, TO.
gelher with the pleasures of pastoral life,
would tempt those who love both money
aud nature, to embark in i. on large
scale. a.