The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-04
TWO GREAT PASTURES.
One at the Eastern End of Long IslanC
and One on Chincoteague.

and One on Chincoteague.
From the Neto York Sun
Perhaps the largest pasture field In the
eastern states lies on Long Island scarcely
more than 100 miles from New York, yet
fifteen miles from a railway station, and
not easily approaohable on horseback The
field occupies the southeastern corner Of the
island out to Montauk Point. 1t was once
part of the old Shinnecock Indian reserva-
ton, but when there ceased to be any In
dams to reserve the state sold the reserva-
ton to a rich New Yorker named Benson,
and he undertook to put the region to use as
a sort Of ranch. He got tired or discouraged.
however, and he now rents 1t for pasture to
Long Island farmers at SIP a year per head
of horses or cattle, and as some thousands
OF stock roam the pasture he gets a very
pretty sum out OF it, pending the time when
his friend Austin Corbin shall run a rail-
road down through the pasture field to fetch
up to New York passengers who come from
Europe by those long promised four~day
ships.
Amagansett is the last Long Island vii
lage before you come TO the pasture. From
Fire Island to AmaganseGt the southern
shore of Long Island is in large part
made up of low, fiat, sandy beach, with
sand dunes just few hundred yards in
land, and a rough growth Of stunted timber
into hills, Glad with scrubby forests, and g
few miles further east the southern shore is q
precipitous bluff from 100 to 800 feet high.
Here begins the great pasture field. A fence
is built across the narrow neck from the
ocean bluff to Gardeners bay, and the
whole stretch to Montauk Point miles
long and from III to 4 miles wide, is a
single great field. There are two houses of
enter taiDment between the fence and the
Montauk Point light These are patronized
chiefly by sportsmen. At another point
near the light there is a cluster of summer
villas The rest of the area Is dotted with
cattle, sheep, and horses running wild for
most Of the year The only other enclos-
Ures are corrals of few acres, into which
the cattle are driven when the owners wish
20 pick out their own and drive them home.
The brand and the lariat are not employed
in the great pasture field of Long Island,
but the cattle are driven into the corral by
mounted farmers and are known by ear
marks, peculiar notohes in the ears. Several
thousand cattle are thus corralled at one
time. and the farmers ride IN to identify
their own by the ear marks. Fresh water
ponds, big and little, afford drink and in
ordinary seasons, when drought has not ut
terly parched the land, there are small
streams running among the hills. The
grass is coarse and somewhat scant, but the
large area of the pasture enables the cattle
TO find an abundance or food. Late In the
autumn the farmers ride down in small
cavalcades from the region about AmaRan-
sett to pick out their stock and have the
beasts driven home for the winter.
Not 30 large as the great pasture OF Long
Island is the sunfenced plain at the south
ern end of Chincoteague Island, off the
Virginia coast, where a few hun
dred wild ponies, small cattle,
sheep and geese roam over about
5000 acres Of grass. The climate of Chm
colleague and on the neighborlng islands
is mild enough TO admit of pasturing horses
and cattle all winter without shelter and
without care. Many islands fringing the
Maryland coast have long been used for
pasturiDg cattle. sheep and hogs, the Great
ures being left intended and visited per haps
not above twice in season. A picturesque
sight at Chincoteague is the arrival of a
scow from one CT the neighboring islands
with load OF wild cattle. The creatures,
perhaps a score or SO together, are driven
on board an open-decked scow with a peril
GUS railing about the bulwarks. The scow,
once laden. is attached by line to a
schooner. and the latter gets up sail 10 tow
its unwieldly convoy. AS the schooner
tacks, the scow swings awkwardly into her
wake, and all those wretched beasts stagger
back and forth upon their uncertain sea
legs, and every moment threaten to tumble
of into the waves.