The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-12-07

| Bound up with the government !
,tardy action is the story Of the dis
covery OF an sSoo, 100000 leak in the
nations wealth, of lesson learned
from Canada aud Of conditions on the
range that beggar belief
! For years reports have poured IN 10
1.-THE Department of Agriculture OF the
suffering and wholesale deaths Of cat
! tie left to winter on the range with
no other food than the grass that the
sEow did not cover aud no shelter
hut many new line fences. Each year
the report was verse. and FINALLY. not
long ago the department sent an
agent to investigate, and to suggest
possible remedies.
The situation be found was fright
full In the last year for which fig
ures are available 81. 6S7.O27 cattle
died from all causes, over half OF
them succumbing from exposure.
Over l.009. 600 sheep died from expos
ure and another million from other
cause.
Hundreds of thousands OF sheep and
steers are left to their own devices
every winter, when snow and ice
covers the grass of the plains (the
only fodder for the catle) and after
frantic. futile efforts made by the
cattle TO penetrate the crusts of ice
with lips and noses turn to the bone
and blood freezing in their veins they
mutely surrender to their fate.
The financial loss incurred eac
year In this way is estimated at no
less than s24.000,000 Thousands If
frozen osrcssses can b. seen any
spring, lying In snow drifts or lean
ing against the endless fences OF the
railroad right OF way
Now the free range is no more.
Yet the range methods persist. No
fodder or shelter is provided In a ma
jority of cases and the average ranch
err expects to find a loss OF 50 to Il
per cent OF his stock at the end of
severe winter.
Gu January !, 1907. there were 81 I
565.731 cattle in the United States. ex.
elusive OF mich cows. This was the
largest number in the history OF the I
country. The value OF these cattle /
was estimated at 1881. 557,39s. In 1
spite OF the size of this figure it is 1
more than $25.000.000 less than the to- I
al value in 1901. when there were (
Fix million less cattle In other words I
he hanlships and losses due to the I
'auge winters have not only retarded /
he growth of the number of cattle IN
he country but they have also caused
! marked deterioration In the quality
II the survivors.
On the basis of the government ig.
Tres the average value OF the cattle OF
he country on January ], 1901. was
trifle under $4,000 apiece. Six years
alter. on January l, 1907. after the
anges had been fenced in and grazed
Mt the average value was little over
10 or depreciation Of nearly fifty
er cent As was seen, this loss l.
bsolutely as well as relative and the
ountry's cattle ara not worth TO-DAY
he price Of the smaller herds OF six
ears ago. On the basis Of the 1901
alres the farmers aud stockmen OF
he country ought At this moment TO
e richer than they are by sS0rec1
600. Clearly IL r. Nd TO Uncle Sam J
D find some means Of putting stop
this enormous depreciation
The department of agriculture has {
pened its campaign by irving to in.
ucc stockmen to provide food and I
heller. by showing them the profit %
G made in that way In the NEXT
lace it is urging them to rest their
vergrazed lands and to promote bet
y grass growth by resecdlng aud
asturcs. The stockmen themselves
~ asking for some kind Of legislation
HIGH viii enable them to lease anI
lproye sections al the public lani
; that they will be capable 81 taking
IRE a the large herds nov grazing
. ugns .Iastls the best solution y
10 Difficulty lies IN cutting down ID.
'ards and grading % the stock. -
AT when the stOckmen can no longer
'ow beef he viii be In a position to
spose Of high class feeding cattle
hich he will aim to sell as yearIings