New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1885-06-24

public domain, the cattle business Of
Texas has become largely ranch
business. In other words, cattle are,
to considerable extent, confined to
the lands of the different owners or
associated owners.
AS recently as twenty-five years ago
Texas cattle were slaughtered in inn
mense numbers for their hides and
tallow, as they now are in various
parts OF South America. The average
price of 3-year-old steers was from
$3.50 to $3.50 per head. Since means
of transportation have been estab-
lshed cattle of the same age have sold
at from SIS to 500 per head. A large
proportion of them are driven north,
where they are fattened for market,
but still larger number are trans
ported in cars to eastern cities. 1t is
estimated that Texas has furnished the
country with about 100000 cattle
during the past twenty wears. During
last year about 100000 head were
driven north from Texas and 625, 900
were sent north and east over rail-
roads. 1t is claimed that COWS IN
Texas are more prolific breeders than
in any other part of the world. Ow-
ing to the mildness of the climate and
the abundance Of grass, calves dropped
at any month in the year generally do
we'll. They breed early and continue
to rear calves till late in life. A hum
dred COWS can be relied on to raise
ninety calves year. Probably the
free life led by the cattle for many
generations has exerted powerful in
huence in causing them TO be prolific.
Whatever faults they may have as
mixers or as producers of fine beef.
they are certainly active, healthy, and
vigorous.
The raising of cattle on what are
Familiarity known as the ..great
plains,' which extend from Texas to
Montana, is of very recent date. The
discovery of the capabilities of this
area for grazing purposes is said to
have been accidental. The history of
this important discovery is thus stated
by Mr.. Theodore j. McMinn, of St.
Louis: early in December, 1864, a
government trader, with a wagon
train of supplies drawn by oxen, was
on his way west to Camp Douglas, in
the territory of Utah; but on being
overtaken on the Laramie plains by an
unusually severe snow storm, he was
compelled at once to go into winter
quarters. He turned his cattle adrift,
expecting, as a matter of course, they
would soon perish from exposure and
starvation. But they remained about
the camp, and, as the snow was blown
off the highlands, the dry grass afford
ed them abundance of forage. When
the spring opened they were found to
be in even better condition than when
turned out to die four months previous
ly. This discovery led to the purchase
of stock cattle in Texas to be matured
and fattened on the northern ranges.
and the trade has steadily grown to it's
present enormous proportions, accel-
Grated greatly during the past fifteen
years by the building of the various
railroads in the north and west. Soon
after this discovery of the possibilities
of the great dry area of the north
for pasturage, the range and ranch
cattle trade of Texas debouched upon
a territory three times as large as it's
original habitat. The growth of the
business has been one of the marvels
of this marvellous age and country.
The well.known fact that for ages the
buffalo has thriven during the winter
in Montana, Dakota, Idaho, and Wy
oming on natural grasses also inspired
confidence that cattle grazing on the
more northerly ranges would be sue.
cessful. The number of range and
ranch cattle north of Texas and east of
the Rocky mountains is estimated at
100000. The number in Wyoming
IS placed at 100000.
The capacity of the range and ranch
lands of the United States for grazing
cattle differs widely in the several
states, territories, and sections as the
result of differences in the quantity
and quality of nutritious grasses pro-
duced, the water supply, and the ex.
tent to which natural shelter is avail
able for cattle during storms. In
Texas from five to thirty acres of land
per head are required, and on the
northern ranges almost the same diff
ference are observable in different To-
calities.
\ ~ N'ACAAAiuoC 111ulO VI Guo CdDdClGV
of the entire range and ranch-cattle
area Of the United States for grazing
and the magnitude of its possible an
nual product can only be ascertained
from the results of experience. 1t is
evident from the best available infor-
nation, that the number of cattle on
ranches and ranges in Texas might be
greatly increased. Mr.. George B.
Loving, of Fort Worth, Tex, expresses
the opinion that by providing reser-
voirs, sinking artesian wells, and de-
stroying the prairie dogs, which. in
certain parts Of the state, consume
larger quantity of the nutritious grass
es than is consumed by cattle, the
number of range and ranch cattle pas
tured in that state might perhaps be
doubled. 1t is impossible at the pres
ent time even approximately to esti-
mate the proportion of the available
range lands in the northern part of
the great dry area which are as vet
unoccupied, or the extent TO which the
supply of grasses within the nominally
occupied portions exceeds the supply
fny. tho 81