Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-08-22
ON TIE CATTLE RANGES.
WESTERN RANGES BEING DAMAGED
BY INJuDlclOus GRAZING.

Banr.Ioes and wild Cattle Preserved
the Plains. and How cupIdity Forces
Their Destructiop--an Example.
81 have seen several statements In the
newspapers, and have hoard IL mentioned
with great apprehension by many people in
the east, that, owing to the overstocking Of
the cattle ranges in the west, the pasturage
has been destroyed 10 such an extent that IL
is only question Of "A short time when stock
raising must be greatly curtailed and n meat
famine ensus,n said john II. Sullivan, a gen
uine ranchman, aud a man OF great intelli-
gence and keen observation As Bronco
John, his name ON the plains, he is well known
throughout the country as a lecturer and
writer on matters affecting the interests OF
stock raisers and their employees.
''That the natural pasturage OF the great
cattle ranges has been greatly injured and
reduced IN area there can be- no Doubt con-
tinued Mr. sullivan, "but il is not due to
overstocking but 10 an injudicious and
/ ignorant system Of feeding Why, | can re-
member when the plains east OF the Rocky
mountains extending north through New
/ Mexico, Colorado Wyoming and Montana,
swarmed with buffalo, elk, deer and ante
lope, and enormous droves of wild horses aud
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 tine latter do not approach in numbers
I 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, moro
4 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, IA steers or cows, 100 pounds. The
/ elk and the antelope were also large con-
sinners Of grass, but the deer was "a more
delicate feeder. When these numberless
buifaloes, elk, antelope, deer, wild horses
and cattle roaned over the bluffs and plains
there was not only always a surplus OF the
choicest Wild grass for their susteuance, but
\ IL grew in succuent luxuriance reaching a
/ height OF from three To six feet. This won
derful buffalo grass covered Immense areas,
and its nutri i've bunches-which give il tine
other name of bunch grass-reached height
OF eight inches.
| NATURES WISE PROVISIONS.
4 "What was the cause OF this marvellous
/ prevalence of luxuriant pasturage, although
there were thousands upon thousands more
I mouths, and much more rnvenaus ones 10
/ feed than there are now, while the same
ranges now show sczlnt, scattered and stunted
I growths of grassf The cause was nature.
Natures laws ruled and were obeyed through
/ the wonderful instinct, reason or whatever il
+ might have been of the Wild creatures that
depended on natures bounty for their susie
nance Buffalo grass and wild prairie grass
are like wheat aud 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 fee,ling on buffalo grass, which grows
, in bunches 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 was for the seeding of the ranges for the
succeeding crop, and nature never failed to
reward this blind obedience To her laws
1.-THE SUCCESSORS To these aboriginal grazers
would, II left to themselves, render the same
obedience, but the ignorance or 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 a range
until every bunch and spear Of grass are
gone. There Is NO seed left 10 replensh the
wasted area, and the herds are moved on to
4 despoil other territory Then the cry goes
out from the ranges that the rush TO raise
stroying the pasturagel The fact Is there
are not half as many cattle on the ranges as
the capacity Of the grazing country can sIls-
tain. There is territory enough and area
for grass enough to sustain millions more
cattle than are being raised today. This cry
of overstoeklng comes from the syndicate of
great cattle kings The policy Of these mill
ionaire stock raisers aud grabbers of untold
thousands of acres of the countrys area is
to discourage the small growers and keep
them out OF the region, or acquire possession
OF their ranches
THE REASON WHY.
! "If homesteaders and small, independent
ranchmen are wise they will not be discour.
aged by the monopoly cry OF overstocking.
They can easily keep their ranges seeded aud
always ample In pasturnge by simple means,
prompted by good judgment Buffalo Bill
has n range south Of the North Platte river
and large portion Of it along the river il
always in unusually fine grass. although il /.
pastured as much as the rest Of the range.
The reason Of this is 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
T fi,nF # a to a..