Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-05-30
STOCK AM FARMING.
Changed Views of tho CatiIemen OF tbs
Great Stock Country OF the West
CorresDpndenct of the Cazette


Great Stock Country OF the West
Correspondence of the Gazette
Tow VALLEY, TEX, May 22.-As re-
Gently as three or four years ago the gem
eral sentiment among stockmen in coun-
ties west of Llano was against farming
in connection with stock raising. In Nc
Colloch, Mason, Mepard, and even here
the majority Of men handling stock
exclusively did more TO discourage and
keep out actual settlers who aimed TO
cultivate the soil as q vocation than most
Of them would now be willing TO admit
They looked upon farming and raising
feed IN connection with stock as step
backward rather than in advance, desig-
patino such an idea the "knit-gallus"
theory. But the experience Of the past
two or three winters proving that stock
men must either produce OF buy feed,
has worked q decided change. This year
almost every stot krnan in this section has
some portion Of his arabic land planted TO
corn, oats or sorghum-the latter being
| considered excellent feed for both cattle
! and sh ep when cut and cured as ordi-
| nary corr stakeholder Men who desire
| 10 cultivate the soil are much more wei
| come, for even when cattle and sheep
| owners do not want to cultivate or have
cultivated part Of their own lands, they
| nnd that fer more substantial benefits in
! the way Ct feed can be had from home
| products for the same money than from
! shelled aud threshed grain shipped from
| other parts OF the state orfrom still farther
| north Not only are these changed views
regarding farming apparent in counties
contiguous 10 this or only one county le-
moved, but they obtain all through the
| great stock country farther west. A gem
tleman who has Just returned from trip
through Concho, Tom Green, Crockett
! and other western counties says that
ranch owners are fully waking up to the
nt cessity of utilizing their tillable land
even If 1t must be done by irri alton
They want farmers to come INFO the
country; vet at the same time they are In
a kind OF dilemma as to how the object
| can be best attained. Nearly all stock
mon having large tracts fenced nave
plenty nf good farming lands, aud these
would be willingly rented to farmers on
reasonable terms, but as rule the most
desirable class Of farmers want to own
the soil they TIL, and here Is the trouble.
The stockman Of course does not want
his pastures cut up to make farms In
which he would have no ownership or
control, while the farmer is opposed TO
expanding his time and labor on land not
/ his own.
The interests Of the stockman and
farmer are mutual in this question OF
making the stock region also q crop-pro-
ducing region, ANA were IL not Tor the
land.lease system aud laws under which
the fencing Of such large bodies OF land
has been effected, the problem would
solve itself. II the public domain had
only remDiued free TO everybody, now
that The need OF agriculture
is fully recognized, actual set
tiers could make their choice
Of farmieg lands and go to work with the
assurance OF encouragement from the
stockmap who needs farm products ana
can far better afford to pay Tor them tlau
suffer heavy losses of stock each winter.
But h Is only natural that men once 10
undisou,ed possession OF large, unbrokeh
bodies OF land either by leasing or ienc'
ing without strict compliance WIN law,
should look with disfayor on whatever Is
liable to cut up and lessen their pastures,
GWEN though they may desire mat very
thing, from another point OF view Wy
can't see the way things are "orkinR
without thinking that the land-ifsse sls,
TEN was great mistake. III kept ou'
settlers when stockmen dldn't want set,
Tiers TO come, and even now WIEN Wy
do really desire TO see farming goinS I.S on,
i hurts TO turn loose theif fenced lanoa
for that purpose. OF coarse sV0chIlen
eould not il they tried TO ac.nally pro,
hibit settlers from buying ana thi.ps ~
soil but as long as they feel 20 aisp9 -,
they can do great deal 10 that a arr non
II legal ownership heretofore had peen
the only basis for fencing and contT9lliue
lanfs. The agricultural classes would now
and the requirement Of iaraiag , lan9s
much easier matter all through M s,st .,b.
Texas and moi only the farmers on. w
geaersI welfare and development Of tne
country. and even the stockmen tnsm
selves would be the better for !, r Iar,
GAxEITE's head was very long !, ana adysn n'
ne drawback the lease system would p
~ he development Of the natural re
: sources Of the state