Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-04-08
Agricultural.
LOSS or oArrLE ON THE PLAINs.
The HaVagcs Made by Cold and star
walton During the Past winter.

Few persons no. directly connected with
the business as herders or dealers, or other
wise interested, have been aware Of the i'm
mense number Of cattle that are reared on
the plains of the western and southern states
and territories, simply by turning them out to
shift for themselves summer and winter like
the bufIaloes, their predecessors on the same
grounds. 1t seems almost incredible that
any cattle can survive an ordinary winter
without feeding, and with little or no care
from man, north Of our latitude and where
the cold is more severe than in New England;
yet they are now turned out TO Craze, not on
ly in the summer but through the winter al
So on the plains and mountain pastures from
Texas to Montana, the whole of the latter
territory, with the exception Of a small corner,
lying north of the north line of this state.
The number of cattle in the herds of Mon
tana has been estimated at $40, 000 a number
little exceeding all the cattle in Vermont.
large number of cattle are annually driv-
en- on to the northern ranges of Montana,
Wyoming, Nebraska, Dakota and other north
western states and territories wherever grass
is found growing in abundance. 1t is only
within about fifteen years that this business
has grown up, or rather worked up from
Texas and more southern ATTITUDES. 1t was
not formerly believed that cattle could be
wintered by grazing where the winters were
80 severe, but the fact that millions have
been so reared in these northwestern terri
tories is proof to the contrary.
1t would be thought impossible that cattle
could live through the winter if left to them
selves in Vermont /; but perhaps it is not. An
instance of a COW living out more than half
the winter, with only such food as she could
find when the ground was covered with snow,
is known to have occurred in the town of
Dover. Having been lost from a drove late
in the fall, she took care of herself, either
from choice or supposed necessity, till some.
time in the month of February, when she
made her appearance at the barn of Asaph
Haskins of Dover and her tracks in the snow
were traced back to her winter quarters in the
woods. She was said to be in good condi-
ton.
A farmer in this state, we believe in the
town of Charlotte, has practiced raising horses
by keeping them out grazing from colthood
to mature age, turning them into clover fields
III tuS NluleI, anu uOb dllOMluB lutul
claiming that colts so reared make horses capa-
BILE of greater endurance and consequently of
more value.
Animals in state of nature inhabiting cold
climates often exist for long time without
food during the continuance of storms or
deep SHOWS. The experience of DR.. Tanner
shows how long man may live fasting, and
it is not impossible that grazing animal that
begins the winter with an accumulation of fat
may exist with little or no food for even a
longer time. The extreme cold of northern
climates is withstood by wild animals similar
in organization to our domestic cattle, as the
buffalo, moose, deer, etc., without apparent
harm. Such facts show the possibility Of
cattle being left to shirk for themselves, ex
isting and increasing from year to year, even
in the cold climates of the northern states anG
territories. The winters in the sections where
winter grazing is most practiced are shorter
than in Vermont but the cold is move intense
and occasional storms of great severity occur
1t seems barbarous business to raise cattle
to be exposed to such cold and storms, will
only such food as they can get by paving
away the snow or where it is too deep or icy
to allow the ground to be reached, living
without food or dying of starvation. But i
costs comparatively nothing to raise them b!
this method, and the growers can afford II
lose and do lose a considerable number ever,
year, but enough survive to keep the herd
increasing and to make the business extreme
ly profitable.
During the past exceptionally cold winter
with the great storms or billiards that hav
prevailed on the plains. there has been a dis
astrous loss of bovine life. A correspondent
of the Chicago Times, after making a specia
and thorough investigation, visiting the prin
cipal cattle towns of Kansas, Nebraska, Colo
RADIO and Wyoming, inquiring of stockmel
and searching for all sources of information
estimates the number of cattle that have diet
from exposure and starvation at not less thai
100000, valued at between SIS, 900, 900 an
$1O,OOO,OOO. Large as this number seems, h
estimates it as only eleven or twelve per cent
of the entire number of grazing cattle nortl
of Texas and east of the mountains. Thi
per cent. is far below the average annul
increase Other estimates have been mad
which place the per cent. of loss higher, bu
this conclusion appears the most reliable.
1t has been thought the loss of so many ca
tie would seriously affect the supply in tn
eastern markets, and consequently in the sci
ing value of live stock. Including Texa
New Mexico, Idaho and other portions of Ii
country where herding is practiced, not col
sidered in the estimate of the Times CORE
pondent and estimating the number thu
have persisted at 500, 900, the loss is then les
than two per cent of the entire number
cattle in the United States hardly suficiei
number to have much effect on the easter
markets. at least not for great length
time. The loss will, however, seriously q
feet the stock raisers of the West, perhaI
running some of the owners of the her
where the losses have been most severe.
it teaches them to make some provision f
the shelter and susteuance of their cattle du
ing the continuance of storms and cold wave
the disastrous losses of the past winter W
not be altogether without compensation.
Concerning the extent of the herding bui
ness, the number and size of herds and the
distribution, the correspondent referred
says;
When it became known that cattle cou
live on the ranges north Of Texas through t
winter months, great herds were driven
from Texas every year and sold to the mort
ern cattle men, the annual drives sometim
reaching nearly 400, 900 or 500, 600 head, a
usually averaging from 100000 to 800, %
head These cattle were put on the rang
and kept for a season or two, aud then 81
for the eastern markets. At first little "
done to improve the grade of cattle, but
LATE years stock owners have paid great
of attention to the introduction of bet
blood into their herds, and the consequen
has been that many thousands of blood
bulls from the states are brought in eve
year Owners find it source of profit
grade their Texas stock up, as it improves
quality of the beef and insures cattle of larl
build. Texas has always been looked up
as the great breeding ground, a sort of a n
uarv for tba oaHfIa GaI1s IS h. othov