The Delta independent., 1886-12-07
Winter Feeding for Cattle.

range cattl emen miEht auop1 "
strengthen the cattle industry and in-
crease its profits, the Colorado Farmer
in its last issue says:
Another remedy is left in conjunc-
ton with those above suggested, and
that is the feeding Of many thousands
Of the thincst beeves at home. Corn
will always be toe high in price In Col
orado and Wyoming to be used as feed
for fattening steers, but alfalfa is II
goo,l substitute. A half million acres
In addition to what we already have Of
this excellent cattle food could be sown
in this State. and the product could be
profitable fed to steers. The product
of an acre would fatten steer that
would ordinarily fetcl, IN Chicago four
aud one-half to five cents per pound.
THIS plan would not only benefit the
individual, but would assist greatly in
building up the State. The rich cattle
men have it in their power to do this
If they are not too selfish, or do not
lack in public spirit Or enterprise.
Some of them are doing this, notably,
Ex-Governor Routt, who has already
sown and cut between two and three
hundred acres of alfalfa, aud has only
commenced to plant. A few other of
the cattlemen have begun the business
of raising alfalfa to feed steers. Hun
dreds more Of them should do it. and
then we can look for permanehcy In
the cattle business Of the State.
The days of profitable cattle raising
in Colorado without winter feeding
are rapidly passing away. Last win
ter, with it's deep SHOWS on the plains
and its intense cold, brought homo
this truth to many of our Eastern Col
orado cattlemen; and the prospect is
that the cxttlemen of Western COlora-
do will learn similar lesson before
the coming winter is gone. The range
is crowded. and cattle must be fed in
winter or hundreds of them will die.
The remedy is in raising alfalfa. With
it cattle can be not only kept alive, but
also fattened for market. If it be
true as stated by the Farmer. that the
product of an acre of alfalfa would fat
ten steer. the extent to which the
cattle business of the State may be de-
veloped is not difficult to calculate. 1t
is seen at q glance that it would be
very large.
1t is also true that only by growing
alfalfa in the valleys can tho summer
ranges of ths mountains he made as
profitable as they should be. The ex-
ample of the Swiss in the use they
| make of high mountain pasture might
be proftably followed in this State.
Consul Beauchamp in his report from
st. Gale says: "The Alpine pastures,
which In Swiss farming and in the
manufacture Of cheese. play very inn
portant part, are divided into three re-
gions. Tho low region. at an altitude
above the sea of 1000 to 1000 feet. af-
fording on the average 118 pasture
days; the middle region 1000 to 1000
feet above the sea. with an average Of
92 pasture days: and in the high re-
gion or high Alps, 1000 to 1000 feet
above the sea. that is bordering on
the region Of glaciers. with an average
of 70 pasture days.
The cattlemen of Western Colorado
and in fact of all the mountainous
part Of the State-could learn q lesson
from the Swiss herder. Let them
drive their herds to the mountain pas
lures in the summer and bring them
back to the valleys in the winter. In
the valleys the cattle would be fed upon
the product Of tho alfalfa fields. 1t is
apparent, that in this way cattle could
be kept in good condition all the time.
There would he no loss from cold and
starvation in winter, and fat animals
could be placed upon the market at
any season. The alfalfa fields of the
valleys are the complement of the sum
mer ranges of the mounta ins, and I'M
til this truth is thoroughly ground into
tile brains of the cattlemen the cattle
business will lie at a DISADVANTAGE
Tribune-Republican.