The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-07-13
CtTTLE-GROWING.
The sea Pastures of the Rocky noun
m SiC ps-Their ENteHts SaPSe'y
and General Worth.
m -, .~hr T1auver Tribune. JOY

r--,n line TO time the Tribune office
: aasoled with letters from the States
IN regard to stock-growing in Colorado,
skiing for information OF detailed |
cLGr..ct-r, and for opinions that ought
rot 20 be given except as the result OF |
ca-eiul research. The experience OF |
tbe past year goes to showthat Colo
.-do can not make large shipments OF
bees 10 be East and at the same time
frljlt the local demand. This local \
demand. Owing 10 the thousands OF
me " no are pouring into the newly
discovered mining districts, is growing
much faster than the local supply. 4
II, zee, wemHst either continue the ship
mont ii coIn-fed cattle from Kansas,
d Learn to make better use OF our
aturaI pasture lands-nOt unlimited in
extenr, but capable of more than double
aeir present production when rein
forced With rough crops, and with
economical provision for winter shelter
iGg qpd food. Without further COM
l1ents on this important industry 1T
p1esertt, we give place. TO a well written
I.ticlo~ from the pen of st. A. d. Bal
,Ombe, Of the Omaha Herald, who has
,oer specially charged with the duty Of.
collecting facts IN regard TO the pasture
land of this region:
The twenty-second parallel of latitude
vest from Washington divides the
-r.ted States into about two equal
parts. East of this line the conditions
u situation, soil, and climate are such
that agriculture, manufactures, and
commerce are susceptible of unlimited
development, and hence destined to be
densely populated; while west of it the
ary, arid plains and successive ranges
# mountains, dry, graTelly, and porous
ii, producing the bunch, buffalo,
gramma, and mesquite grasses, and
f,ure water, will render this great region
rrc.iiiarly adapted to the growing OF
took. There is not enough arabic land
III rein to produce suifcient for the home
consumption of its stock-growers, min
ers, end other population; hence it is
alw-ys to remain sparsely populated,
tie home of the herdsman, shepherd,
lniuer. sheep, cattle, and horses. The
6,gtuy of this western half of the Union
F., to furnish the densely populated East
sIta minerals, sheep, wool, cattle, and
! lu.nes- Within this western half Is a
4 eCtio. of country which intelligent in
/ yesj .Ators knew to be superior to any
eOh, on this continent in its advantages
for s.ock-growing and marketing the
Same, but the masses do not seem to
ren'ize it as yet. l refer to that COM
JTised in Western Nebraska, Kansas,
an Dakota, and Eastern Wyoming,
Cora ado, and Montana, with Nebraska
! au1 Wyoming as its center. This is the
4 4 &c plain region, extending from the
7 tatnty second parallel to, and embrae-
| ing, ts,J eastern watershed of the Rocky
tGunu.ins. TheinteriOr of this continent
IS ny and comparatively arid, where
/ She rain and snowfall is very small,
/ and, IS a consequence, where fOcks
and herds can Craze both summer and
winter. The rainfall is about inches
annually, and the snowfall less than 2
feet, little at time, and never lying
on the ground long. The rainy season
is in May and June, when vegetation
grows luxuriantly, and, when the rains
| cease, the grasses, instead of rotting,
gradually dry on the ground and be-
cone perfectly cured, uncut hay, re-
manning il this state all winter, furnish
ing bltrer winter food than cut hay,
" iAout the expense of cutting, stack
| .Tg "a or tecting. Here is the noted
hdffaio gross, a low, dense, tufted
! srowth, CT inches high, some of
GL:eh Iemains green during the winter,
Is exceedingly nutritious, and very
tenacious of life, and will withstand the
ueadiug of animals after every other
! cr.en thing has been destroyed.
( it S extremely sweet, and the more so
nearer its roots, and affords feed of
about equal value the year round, free
OF It. The peculiar adoption of this
psod',ar quality of grass to the growth
Of domestic animals, together with its
pure, bracing atmosphere and equable
climate, which is ever free from eX-
tremsS of heat and cold, and the pure
W ttors of its NOTWITHSTANDING, all com
ned furnish the conditions of perfect
animal health and vigor of constitution
ana natural facilities for growing stock
that are not enjoyed by any other por-
tiua II the continent. The experience
, OF ,er years herein of stOck-growers
II Jn all sections justifies this statement
20 the utmost extent.
Through" Texas cattle bring low
g Price than others, and in view of this
. discrimination against Southern cattle
0e.y many have engaged in purchasing
them in the fall and herding them in
.h3 northern climate, on the buffalo
+ and gramma grasses one year, and then
MAJ setting them as Colorado-TeXas cat
lie, when they bring a much higher
,srlce per cwt., and weigh from 800 to
400 pounds more, which proves to be a
very lucrative business. Again, the Gulf
States, with their rich, black-mold soil,
yielding large crops of cereals and fruits,
are destined to be converted in agricul-
sural uses. The extension of crop-rais-
ing agricultural settlements has already
seriously deranged the condition of
cheap production of cattle, by raising
he value of land and by restricting the
RANGE of free pasture. The pressure of
population and the rise in the value of
'tLd win soon demand greater economy
Of resources; widespread pastures will
Be- restricted by farming Enclosures;
.eEoe the decline in the stock-growiag
business in that section has set in, and
the ability to produce cheap beef
SlI be of short duration. On
tHo spthcr hand, but very little, if
tny, Of this Northern buffalo grass re-
5.on is arableland: it is generally drift
deposit of mostly fine sand impregna-
tea " tn alkali, in very high and dry
climate, and can never be used for ANY
oti' purpose than the one for which it
va, or ginally designed-the grazing of
z eat herds and flocks Of sheep, cattle,
AMI horses. 1t is also true that the
~'ches, ravines, and river bottoms of
I e mountain regions west of the Rocky
fountains, in California, Arizona, Ne
van', Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Wash
il ,vtCn, will grow a limited number of
5ocS but their pastoral facilities are
..u-ited and destined to be very much
NOR ., because every acre of the ara
lie lands in all this region will be i'm
p, 'al,,ely needed for the production of
vegetables and cereals for home con-
sumption, and quite large portion of
it is unfit for either agricultural or pas
toral purposes. But the great difficulty
in the way of making stock growing on