New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-03-06

wINTeRING STOCK IN COLORADO.

, tn, Tp,puNg which states that the losses OF
stock I'm Colorado are slight during this hard "h'cr
think beat TO give the facts We have them hefe as '
time although it IL too soon to estimate what tno pcr
cent OF oss NAV DO hard part oil the winter 10 Jo
to come The Rocky Mountains I'LL tho western haf OF
Coorado-that H. they cover q space about 800 miles
W Idle east and west and miles north and south INC
eastern portion OF tho Territory Is OF ABOUT tho so
area, and It is all plain country, with TUG eAcop"o
OF what is called the Divide, running ~ mics e"a'
into the Plains. II Is mostly coNcrou VIZ"
fine timber, and having an elevation OF 1907 iee' may
be called mountain Greeley is 80 miles north OF this
Divide, the Platte Valley the same distance south
Pueblo In the Arkansas Valley. This Divide ~ Tue 'o
between Northern and Southern Colorado INC c'"'o
OF these two sections IS quito different In inc oou'"
one but little fall OF snow, and cattle i've on tho
dried grass through the Winter and do we'll But u
dry country water for stock ~ becoming scarce Tor
water Is to be had the land b cultivated, or u soon
will be. BY looking at good map of Colorado IL VIII po
that there many streams In Northern th
in Southern Colorado hence there Is much more taDe
land; and, naturally, population must be greater Hu
being in higher latitude, It is subject to SNOWMAN
In Winter and OF 1t cannot always be depended
upon for Winter grazing STILL during the last eight OF
ten years the fall OF has been slight that cattle
lived through and the large amount OF stock ID tue
country last Fall was raised without hay or eny Other
feed than tho grass of the plains. This Winter rs tho
exception Cattle have suffered immensely and they
have suffered perhaps for the reason that II has
been dry for two years and the grass Is uncoinmonY
short st cannot that 1t would have been OF much
advantage II the grass had been long, because the snow
has been deep.
CATTLE LIVING OK THEIR OWN FAT.
Snow began falling early In November and II fell
every few days until well into January No great losses
can occur among catue In good order SO early
| December and January, even though tpey
! may be unable TO get grass for month.
They, simply live their fat. and they will not
begin to die until this fat is consumed But cattle driven
from Texas in the Fall come in poor flesh, and early NOR
tally Is inevitable with these with all other poor
stock when snow covers the ground AS general thing
two and thrceyear olds get along best Cows and calves
| Winter badly. and particularly cows whose caves
have run with them The reader may see
from this statement that to make an estimate IN
the dead owlner and while Is still on the ground
must in the OF the case, be uncertain Tho turn
lug point will he In March and April, when the cold
winds cause remaining rat TO be rapidly consumed,
and understand that more cattle always die in these
months than In the previous months. Another thing Is
Is to considered The nutrment OF the grass depends
on its being kept dry few rains, followed by freezing
weather. takes out its heart. heavy body OF snow
melting by day and freezing by night, undoubtedly
bleaches the grass extent, and makes 1t more
difficult for cattle live upon it after the snow finally
disappears.
THE FOOT NIL PARADISE.
The region OF country covered by snow OF which am
speaking extends miles from the northern line Of
Colorado the Divide. but during part OF the time
considerable district Of which Denver Is the center was
In addition, there was region along the Foot
Hills, extending from tho Divide to Wyoming and four
or five miles out the Plains, also bare, for the
that less fell there and that what did fail
was melted rapidly by the heat OF the sun; still, this
falling and melting certainly injured the grass From
this bare ground, along the Foot Hills the snow eX-
tended east 200 miles Mt least and for three months 1t
must been nearly foot deep. Many drove their
cattle Foot Hills and their losses yet have been
slight but owing to tine quality OF the grass and to
the great cattle driven n yariousy estimated
$1,000 10000 head the herds have scattered badly,
and until May it be stated how they will finally
Until recently all our butchers meat has come
from the Foot Hills, but of 1t shocknSly poor
The meat the shops here comes from Southern
Colorado il sent from Denver The freedom OF the
Foot Hills from snow has caused many OF our people to
look region with great favor and they have taken
up many ranches but DR. Smith, who lives at La Porte,
tells that in some there snow III the valley
while all the Foot Hills are covered. One year the
| calons closed in November aud nobody went in
| until May
EXPENSIVE FEEDING.
Those down on the Platte who did drive out waited
from day to day expecting the would melt until
finally their cattle became weak that they could not
be driven the mountains while herds scat
tered far south the Kansas Pacific. Indeed. it
would have been difficult. with falling fire.
quentIy to drive even strong cattle. DR.. Latham re-
lated TO me how the OF large herds exrlcated
themselves on the Laramie Plains In Wyoming. train
was made up OF several hundred head Of horses and a
road broken valleys where the ground bare,
and the cattle followed and were saved. 1t is by this
means that tho loss among some OF those large cattle
men slight. The thing might have been
done down the Platte, but the owners were NOT
wealthy enough 10 have many horses and beside they
did not expect the would lay long. The only
feed to be found in the bottoms where willows,
cottonwood and long grass grew, and on sand-lnls
where sage brush abOunded The still fell, and the
cold intense that it seemed impossible for men to
hay AT the first snowfall hundreds of OF hay
to be had at tun. hut by the time had to he bought
TINS In few days il was held at Sj $40 What
1t may DC now The Platte do not know, but last week
IL sold at $50, delivered In town.
ESTIMATE OF
During the last week the weather has been and
the snow melted rapidly that the ground many
places getting bare. Flowing and seeding would
have commenced this week, for frost is In the ground,
but yesterday ard last night had another How
ever. the IS warm that 1t will probably all
disappear within week, in which shall have
had three months and a half OF. snow and good
is proved by The fact that there we're few or no seghs or
sleds in the country. and they had to be made.
Should you ask now, what have been the losses,
cannot tell. But say that OF herd Of be-
and the loss has been 100 head and OF
another herd Of 80 the loss has been Onehrd In tho
first the cattle went into the Winter in frsrate
condition. but they had no hay In the last large
they have had hay for than month Some young
from the East brought large quantity Of sheep
last summer but they knew nothing of the business
their heavy even In December They put he
remainder in the hands OF old stockmen who are TO do
men gone back their clubs aud parors disgsed
OF could mention other cases, and names and
dates; but what Is the use
wfYTER STORM SUMNER BLESSING.
say that Colorado is the best stock country IN the
United States providing will go TO work they do
in any other business that Is with simple common
This cold snowy winter nothing, and astonished
that men OF Judgment should call 1t calamity The
truth a. IL IA blessing to the country for abundant
crnt,a hay he pIt