The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-05-13

Of all this territory there remains un-
sold, the property of the United States and
Texas, about l,000,000,000 acres. If we
make liberal allowance for land suitable
for tlllage, which is mainly found in the
eastern halves of the four first-named di-
visions. and in portions of Oregon and
California, and also for water and rock
surface. and such forests as are dense
enough to preclude pasturage-say an ag-
gregate of 800 900, ,000-there would re-
main about 500,000,000 of acres suitable
for paSturage, and scarcely valuable for
any thing else, furnishing both summer
and winter grasses of greater or less
abundance in the different sections. Here,
then, is pasture twenty times as large as
Illinois, twenty-eight times as large as
Ohio, and equal to 120 States like Yer
mont. And on the area of more than
100 such States the annual crop of her
bage is utterly wasted, while the
labOring people of Europe are cry
ing for meat, and millions in our
own cities are craving earnestly the
boon of a single cent reduction per pound
in their beef supplies. If we allow ten
acres of this utilized pasturage for term
of five years to produce a steer weighing
net 800 pounds, the annual gain IN beef at
value of the cotton crop. or nearly $780,
100000. This is but S25 per head, and ]
have known sale of 1000 fat bullocks
upon those Western plain sat $50 per head.
These figures are merely suppositions as
to the grazing capacity of this area, and
can be modified to suit the most conserva-
tive views without greatly reducing the
magnificent saving which would result
from complete utilization of our grasses.
\ very handsome sum might be added
from similar savings throughout the
Southern States.
The numbers of cattle on this area were
placed at nearly 5 5000000 in 1860 in the
census, and in SlS70 at nearly $500 900.
There were at least a million that escaped
registry by census officers, as they have 4
record by local assessors, and
the present numbers are not
less than 100000 In official estimates
they have never been placed above 6,000.-
coo, but constantly accumulating tcsti-
mony sufficiently proves the existence of
fully 100000.
The Texas State returns of 1870 reported
3,65l 1916 from lis counties, Il other coun-
ties being marked in the tabulation ''un-
organized" "no RETURN or as attached to
other counties, and the table itself labeled
''returns incomplete" Most of the 4l are
new counties, yet they contain Il conSid-
cradle number of uureported cattle. A
greater deficiency yStiH comes from the
fact that the most conscientious cattle
raiSers return the number which they feel
quite sure of finding easily upon the range,
and that the less conscientious report the
smallest number for taxation that the in
ternal contest between their cupidity and
caution and their conscientiousness viii
allow. Since 1870 the heavy trade in stock
driven to Kansas, shipped to New Orleans.
or packed, or otherwise prepared, has
reduced the actual numbers of 1870, as is
claimed by local authorities. In some
counties, in which Immigration is active,
in the eastern and northern parts of the
State, this is undoubtedly the case, the
large herds being all in the western sec
ton. But one county cast of the BRACES
has $1,000 cattle; there are eighteen west
of that river, as follows: