The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-04-15
Where Are the Cattle2

The cattle-grOwers who Craze their
herds on the northern ranges have kept
the fact of their being engaged in that
business so constantly before the public
that they have created the impression
that the larger portion of the cattle in
the country Craze on the arid plains or
in the Rocky Mountain valleys and
parks. This is a mistake.
Given country where corn thrives,
there will be found cattle and hogs in
large numbers. Ali intelligent agri-
culturists know that the Mississippi
Valley is divided into great belts of
land, each distinguished by some mark
ed peculiarity of soil and climate that
determines the use to which it is devo
ted. The upper Mississippi Valley is
wheat land; the lower upper, corn land;
the upper lower, cotton land; and the
lower, so-called sugar land. 1t is true
that corn can be raised in the wheat
and in the cotton belt, and even in the
sugar belt; but it is not corn as the
Western corn-grOwers use the word.
The corn belt proper includes Illinois,
Iowa, Missouri, and Eastern Kansas
and Nebraska. Portions of Ohio, In
diana, Kentucky, and Tennessee prop
erly belong in this belt. But use the
first division for convenience of illus
tration. Where corn grows to perfec-
ton there is always plenty of feed for
cattle. Millet will grow and yield
bountiful crops throughout the region.
The same is true of oats; and wheat,
= of n iv,f tho holt
is extensively sown.
In 1870 there were 22,501, 1897 domes-
tic horned cattle in the United States.
In 1880 the census shows that there were
"a, 931, $40 cattle in the country-an in
crease of IL, 430, 333 during the decade.
OF this increase 5,O22, ,968 were in the
five corn States of Illinois, Iowa, Mis-
souri,, Kansas, and Nebraska. When
the last census was taken, more than
one-fourth of the cattle in the country
were in those States. In 1880 our pro-
duction of corn was 1,754, ,591, GIG BUSH
els. The five corn States produced
1,O71, ,505, 344 bushels-more than half
the crop. 1t is plainly seen that where
the land yields large crops of corn,
there the cattle naturally gravitate.
Ill 1COO UuClC WClC, tudt OAUCA-
sive area composed of Montana, Wy
oming, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah,
Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Washing
ton, 1,7S6, 262 cattle, or 594, ia less
than there were in Illinois, and but
351,974 more than there were in the
Young State of Kansas. New York,
which is never spoken of as cattle
growing State, contained in 1880 2, 300,-
O8S cattle-613,826 more than then
grazed on the whole of the arid belt,
the much vaunted grazing grounds of
the West. In my opinion the census of
1890 will show that there will be more
cattle in the three corn-growing States
of Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri than in
the entire plain region, excepting Tex
rs, of course. And there will not be
as much acute suffering, nor as many
miserable deaths from starvation and
cold, in the three States as there will be
among the cattle existing through the
winter in a single county in the So
called cattle country.
In 1880 there were 1894, 102 cattle in
Texas. The Texas cattle men SO thor
oughly understand their business, and
the State is so well adapted to raising
cattle, that nothing need be said OF
them or their lands. All Texas cattle
growers realize that they must not over
stock their range, now fully stocked.
Those at all familiar with Texas know
that as long as grass grows and water
runs that State can be relied upon to
supply from $50, 900 to 1,00O,0 900 cattle
annually; cows can raise calves on the
Texas ranges and live, and the same is
true of New Mexico and Arizona and
portions of the Indian Territory
Frank Wilkeson IN Harper's Magazine.