The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-02-26


around the winter range. but little time
would necessarily be devoted to them
the rest OF the year. But the rustisr
Is omnipresent. and n II we're known
that nobody was looking out for any
given herd. II would rapidly disappear.
This necessity for riding the rsnso
nearly all the year largely increases
the cost Of running cattle. especially
considering the small sizes OF tho
punches. All degrees Of winter feed
Ing exist. There are few winter ranges
20 good that the animals viii gain In
weight during cold weather. The first
fros,s come In September. and from
then uatil the new grass starts tho
next May. animals On the range do
well II they hold their weight. This
leaves but ave months ia the year for
the animal TO grow and seven months
for Il 10 stand still or even 90 back
ward.
II IL evident that. II winter feed
were good enough TO kes? the animal
growing all the time II would bring the
animal 10 marketable sire In a much
shorter time. The present tendency OF
cattle raising Is In this direction A
large Anmbfr Of cattle In the stats ara
winiered on range Rcd mostly In the
bottom land. A still larger nhHh>r-
are fed through part Of the winter on
native hay cut along the streams. A
smaller number are wintered on tams
hay. largely Timothy. that has been
sown for that purpose. and still
smaller number are brought out Of tho
hills and parks to winter IN the irri-
/ gated regions on alfalfa hay. The lat
ter form Is. OF course. the most expen-
sive and its advantage IL merely a
/ question Of the amount Of growth
/ made a. compared with the value OF
the hay eaten. But few cattle would
be fed in the irrigated regions II al
falfa was their only feed. Il happens.
however. that, although the plow has
destroyed the range. yet IL has substi-
/ tuted the stubble fields. To utilize tho
stubble both Of grain and Of alfalfa
and the straw Of the grain. Is the prin-
clpal reason for wintering cattle in the
irrigated regions All this good feed
material would otherwise be a total
loss. Grain stubble and the straw that
goes with Il sells for winter feeding at
from $40 10 800 per quarter section
The cattle get considerable grain from
TIE stubble and from the chat al the
straw stacks. IL Is not expected that
cattle wintered In this way will gain
in weight. but II Is rather cheap way
Of carrying stock through the winter.
In whatever way stock are wintered.
there are few feeders In the state who
do not make some arrangement for
giving their stock extra feed In cases
OF unusually severe storms. They thus
reduce the risk OF running cattle. and
in the course Of years greatly reduce
the winter losses. When cattle we're
allowed 10 rustic for themselves. there
was profit In the business. on the
average because beef was high and
summer feed cost nothing. But when
the severe storms dld come many a
herd was almost wiped out OF exist
ence, and the owners ruined hnan-
clally. Stock raising undsr zach a sys-
TEN was gambling on the weather OF
the next winter. As the Prize Of beef
fell. the business could not stand suen
a heavy drain on its profits anf~s1a
cattlemen either went out OF the bus
mess or made provision for a more GER
tain winter feed. The most trying
time OF the year Tor stock Il the
months Of March. April and May. when
the stock. already weakened BY winter
ing on scant rations. are turned on the
stubble fields onto the summer ranges.
The new grass Is not yet sufficient to
supply their wants. and late storms
often do enormous damage. A stack
or two Of hay carried over until this
time Is often the most profitable crop
OF the year Many farmers carry hay
20 the range, and the cattle soon learn
where TO 20 for fodder during storms.
The most economical winter feeding
Is that where the summer range Is
near the winter range. so that the cat
tie can be left as long a. possible on
the summer range ana. when brought
to the winter range. they are then near
the place where the hay was cut. IN
der these conditions they can gather
their own living. except In case OF
storms or deep SHOWS Hay Il then fed
without moving them from the range.
The usual amount Is ten pounds Of
hay per head per day They may need
10 be led but a couple OF days, before
the weather modeFates. or this feeding
may IN extreme cases last continuous
+ ly for months. as It ala Ia the winter
j OF lS9i-95 on some ranges. The hay
Is FED scattered on the ground. cattle
men having found by experience that
but little g. thus wasted and there Ia
a saving Of the cost OF racks and the
, considerable danger OF accidents that
/ come from the crowdlng and pushing
OF rackied cattle.
. Straw can be probably used as a
large part OF the food for cattle that
are being fed through the winter.
West OF tho main range In Colorado,
where the number OF cattle is large az
compared with the land sown 10 grain.
nearly all the straw Is 50 used.
Teeth OF sheep ls a peculiar
ity In the mechanism OF a Sleeps Jaw
and grinders that helps one to under.
stand the reason why sheep are able "a
get so much nutriment from their food
In noticing a sheep chewing la cud n
cannot be observed that the Jaw has
peculiar motion from side TO side. Tn,
branches OF the lower Jaw are closel
together than the molars are In TN
= upper Then In the molars their edge
have different slopes In the rpper row
the face Of the molar slopes very de
cidedly from the higher inner edge (,
the lower outer, while In molars Of tn
lower Jaw the faces slope from the out