Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-19

swarmed with buffalo. elk, deer and ante
lope. and enormous droves OF wild horses and
herds OF wild cattle covered the great coun-
try south Of the Republican river They
have all been driven away. and their feeding
places given TO the ranchman and his stock,
but the latter do not approach in numbers
the original occupants OF this country, who
found food supply In great abundance for all
their tremendous needs More than that,
one buffalo would eat, and required, more
than twice as much grass for its support as
does a common steer or COW. A buffalo's
daily ration is on the average $50 pounds Of
grass, steers or cows, l60 pounds The
elk and the antelope were also large con-
sumers Of grass, but tie deer was a moro
delicate feeder. When these numberiess
buffaloes, elk, antelope, deer, wild horses
and cattle roamed over the bluffs and plains
there was not only always a surplus Of the
choicest wild grass for their s,lstsnance but
it grew in succulent luxuriance. reaching a
height Of from three to six feet This Won
derfuI buffalo grass covered immense areas,
and its nutritive bunches-which give it the
other name Of bunch grass-reached q height
Of eight inches
NATURES WISE PROVISIONS
prevalence of iu1urians pasturage. although
there were thousands upon thousands more
mouths. and much moro revenous ones, to
feed than there are now, while the same
ranges now show scant, scattered and stunted
growths Of grassf Tho cause was nature
Natures laws ruled and were obeyed through
the wonderful instinct, reason or whatever it
might have been of the wild creatures tina:
Iol -,
nance Buffalo grass and Wild prairie grass
are like wheat and corn. They will not
grow from their roots Like cultivated grasses,
but must rise from the seed Nature planted
a knowledge of this fact somewhere within
the wild animals that once fed on the ranges,
and, If feeding on buffalo grass, which grows
in punches Like onion tops. they ate only
every other bunch as they grazed, and left
ample patches Of the prairie grass standing
as they ate their way along over the plains.
This Yves for the seeding of the ranges for the
succeeding crop, and nature never failed to
reward this blind obedience to her laws
'The SUCCESSORS to these aboriginal graDefs
would, if left to themselves, render the same
obedience, but the ignorance OF short sight
edness of the cattle raisers has put their own
behest above the law Of natural selection,
and the cattle are forced 10 feed on range
until every bunch and spear Of grass are
gone There is no seed left to replenish the
wasted area, and the herds are moved on to
despon other territory. Then the cry goes
out from the ranges that the rush to raise
cattle Is overstoeking the country and de-
stroying the pasturageI The fact is there
are not half as many cattle on the ranges as
the capacity Of the grazing country can sus-
tain. There is territory enough and area
for grass enough to sustain millions more
cattle than are being raised today. This cry
of overstocking comes from the syndicate Of
great cattle Kings The policy of these mill
ionaire stock raisers and grabbers Of untold
thousands Of acres Of tho countrys area is
to discourage the small growers and keep
them out of the region. or acquire possession
Of their ranches.
THE REASON WHY.
''1f homesteaders and small, independent
ranch!nen are wise they will not be discour-
aged by the monopoly cry Of overspocking.
They can easily Keep their ranges seeded and
always ample in pasturage by simple means,
prompted by good Judgment Buffalo Bin
has a range south Of the North Platte river,
and largo portion Of II along tho river ID
always in unusually fine grass, although it is
pastured as much as the rest Of the range.
The reason Of this d that opposite that part
of the range there is an island In the river on
which Wild grass grows and Is never dis
turbed, more because OF it's isolation, how
ever, than OF a desire to foster it, or the BEN
eft derived from il This grass goes to seed,
and the wind carries the seed to the pasture
along the river. and keeps IL constantly
seeded down and always in good crop Now
II Mr.. Cody would simply SGT OF small
strip. say not more than forty feet wide, Of
bis range along the river by fencing it away
from bis cattle, the winter winds and SHOWS
would carry the seeds from Il ali over his
range and keep it always In good crop The
same can be done with ease and little expense
by every homesteadsr and ranchman A
very xnau portion of each range reserved in
that way win seed snectuaIly al the rest Of
the pasture
Z "Wh hat 10 true In these cases Is also true Of
the great cattle hing ranges. 1t Is a well
known fact that cattle and horses, when they
can feed on bunch grass, survive the assaults
Of the severest winters to q remarkable per
centage beyond stock fed ON corn and tame
hay, no matter how plenty the feed may be,
and it would seem that not only conadera-
t-OlS W ccohC4Ass Oos w k41cACy- VOu1u
prompt the preservation Of this incompatible
pasturage
"By all Of this mean that pasturase is re-
duced. beyond doubt. on the cattle ranges,
but that It Is not due 10 over stocking, for
the same ranges have fed ten times as many
animals, year in and year out for nobody
knows how many centuries Greedy ronopo-
lists In the cattle business and their inju-
dicious pasturing are the causes Of the spread
ing grass failure A little good Judgment On
the part Of stock raisers, and the marking Oh
Of an Insignificant portion Of their ranges
from pasturage wiz soon replsnish the bar
rem acres and keep them IN full and nutritious
grass They have Only to reinstate nature
IN bar domain and obey hsr laws. and al Win
be we'll New YoRk Sun
Mr. 9rsrfSyxpSth has had Al ShA c,rla rur,s