The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1883-09-19
THE CATTLE COUNTRY.
The Plains When Vast Herds of Cattle
Feed Summer md Winter.

Feed summer md Winter.
| The cattle country contains, not includ-
ing Texas, about 800, 600 square miles. The
fact that bulfaloes once grazed over most OF
the land is strongly dwelt upon by the cattle
breeders Throughout this vast range cat
tie are expected to pick up their living
during the winter. II Is asserted that the
loss of stock is very small on these natural
| breeding grounds With all these advan-
tages the cattle States do not Craze as much
stock as New York "a State containing but
47,000 square miles, and where the cattle
are fed hay and grain for six months every
year. The losses in New York by freezing
and starving will not equal the loss in any
If The cattle States of the far West in one
blizzard in the latter portion of the winter
All men who have Travelled over the Col
orado plains know that chat country is fully
stocked with cattle. Many well-informed
men assert that the southern portion of the
State that borders ON the Arkansas River
is over-stocked, and that the grass has been
greatly injured by close feeding and tho
stock travelling over it as they walked Il
md fro from the up-lands TO the river foi
water. Wyoming, Dakota, and Montana
are not fully stocked. Still, the cattle have
been driven out of some portions of those
comparatively new and ungrazed ranges
notably from the Laramie plains in Wyom
ing, though in this case il is certain that the
pressure exerted by the sheep herders had
marked influence ON the cattle owners
The phrase 1t is cattle country"
means much more than Eastern nen sup
pose. To Western men, and by Western l
mean west of the Tooth meridian it conveys
the impression Of country Of extreme
aridness, of rolling plains furrowed at wide
intervals by sluggish streams of alkaline
water. Across the plains waves of heat ror
in the summer, causing the air to tremble
and through which heated medium all OBJ
iects are distorted TO the vision. In the
winter arctic storms sweep out OF the north
The snow flies horizontally through the air.
/ The furious wind drives II into the ravines,
there not being enough vegetation ON the
levels TO hold the snow particles. In the
cattle country there are no trees, no good
water, unless in mountain valleys. The
grass becomes brown and dry in late June
or early July. Every drop Of rain that falls
after the grass has died for want of water,
injuries the feed by washing the nutriment OUT
of it. This early death Of the grass is ex.
planned to strangers in an airy matter. The
cattle breeder indicates an extensive scope
Of arid country with outstretched, sweeping
arm and says: IS No need for moving ma
chimes here Nature makes the hay. Nc
heavy work for men in providing feed fol
he cattle during the winter. The grass
,ures where It grew The cattle help then
,elyes' The truth is that ON the plains
enough grass could not be cut on hun
ired acres to feed COW through the win
;er. In the valleys grass can be grown Il
the land is irrigated, and better hay-tha
is, more nutritious hay--inade than in any
of the Eastern States. But where cattle ar,
held IL herds of ten, fifteen, or twenty
thousand, il Is not possible to procure ha]
! for them.-N. 7. Sun.