The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-04-02
WHERE ARE TIE CATTLE!

The cattIe-growers who Craze their
herds on the northern range 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 mistake.
Given a country where corn thrives,
there will be foHnd cattle and hogs IN
large numbers. All intelligent agTicul-
turists know that the Mississippi valley
is divided into great belts of land.
each distinguished by some marked
peculiarity of sOll and climate that de-
teImiues the use to which it is devoted.
The upper Mississippi valley is wheat
land; the lower upper, corn land; :he
upper lower, cot ton land; and the low
er, so called sugar4and. It Is true that
corn can be raised ia the wheat and
in the cotton belt, and even in the
sugar belt; but it is not corn as the
Western cOrn-grOweTs use tie word.
The coin belt proper includes Illinois,
4 Iowa, Missouri, and Eastern Kansas
/ and Nebraska Portions of Ohio, In
/ diana, Kentucky, and Tennessee proper
/ ly belong to this belt. But / use the
/ first division for convenience of illustra-
/ tion. Where corn grows 10 perfection
/ 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,
/ though not a sure crop in the corn
/ belt is extensively sowr.
| In 1870 there were %, sol, ,337 dOmes
/ tic horned cattle in the United States.
/ In 1880 the census shows that there
were 80 931 go cattle in the country
an increase of II, ,430, 333 during the
decade. OF this increase 5,022, ,96S
were in the five corn states of Illinois,
[ Iowa, MissouTsi Kansas, and Nebraska,
/ When the las census was taken. more
than one-fOurth of the cattle in the
/ country were in those states. In 1880
our production of corn was 1,7545, 5O5,-
344 bushels-mOre than half the crop.
1t is plainly seen that where the land
yields large crops of corn, there the
cattle naturally gTavitate.
In 1880 there were in ali that exten-
sive area composed of Montana. Wye
ming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona,
Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and
Washington, l, ,7S6, ,2S2 cattle or 331, IA
less than there were in Illinois, and
but 35I, 974 mora than there were in
Illinois, and but 351, 974 more than
there was in the young state of Kansas,
New YoIk, which is never spoken of as
cattle growing state. contained il
1880 2. 300, 0SS cattle-6l3, $40 more than
then gTaZed 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 bt
more cattle in the three corn-growine
states OF Illinois, Iowa, aud Missour
than in the entire plain region, except
I ing Texas, Of course. And there will
, not be as much acute suffering, nor a.
J many miserable deaths from starvation
: and cold, IN the three states as theT,
will be among the cattle existing
| through the winter in a single county il
the sO-called cattle country.
In 1880 there were 8, ,994, 102 cattle il
: Texas. The Texas catttemen so thor
g Ougbly understand their business, ant
, the state is so we'll adapted to Taisin,
3 cattle, that nothing need be said o
- them or their lands, All Texas cattle
2 growers realize that they must not over
q stock their range, now fully stocked
Those at all familiar with Texas know
g that as long as grass grows and waite
I runs that State can be relied upon {
j supply from 750, 600 to 1000, 900 cattl
annually: cows can raise calves on th
= Texas ranges and live, and the same
] true Of New Mexico and Arizona an
[ portions of the Indian territory.