Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1911-09-01
CATTLE development
Hard Work for the Cowboys, But
Z Trey Are Out in the Air All the
/ Time and Get Wholesome

Much has been and is being written
OF the great cattle ranges of Arizona,
new Mexico. Oregon and Montana,
but nothing within immediate know
ledge has appeared relative to an i'm.
portant accessory of the great bust.
ness-namely The mod-ln cultivated
fattening ranch. Recently an oppor
tun1ty was given for a comprehensive
observation on the largest cultivated
cattle ranch in the world. This IS the
Poso ranch near Bakersfield, Cal.
Here the great San Joaquin valley
spreads out 80 miles wide, its level
expansa readily lending itself to the
utilization of irrigating canals from
The Kern river.
ms huge ranch comprises some
l65,OOO acres of rich ranch property.
and it is divided up by wire fences
into sections Of mile or more
square, In some of these the alfalfa
Is cultivated to the highest state of
Iuxuriance, but in other parts only
the natural growth is desired One
of the greatest problems of this
sort of cattle business is to keep the
process of fattening a gradual one.
otherwise much is lost in the work.
Steers allowed ito run at large over
The range and feed on the rich alfalfa
at will will almost literally swell up
and die.
1t Is considerable of a problem to
canal and attent to the irrigation,
nearly $50 men being employed in
this branch of the work, scattered in
different camps. The actual handling
of the cattle, however, is left to some
to 10 buchsroos. With these the
work is similar to that on the great
lst0ck ranges. Up at o'clock, one
of the boys" has already driven the
horses into the corral and after
breakfast each man takes his hair tie
rope and enters the corral, slamming
the heavy, double-latched gate be-
hind him. He then sides in among
the dust enveloped herd and shiss our
the mount he is planning to use for
that morning. The latter act is no
mean matter for the novice. Even
the old buckeroo is often glad of
helping hand in working his choice
out from the circling jam. 1t is inter-
estlng to observe that on such
ranches as this the ordinary broncho
or COW pony is not in use-the higher
bred stock being kept. Many animals
are of registered blood, and finer
collection of horseflesIh is seldom seen
outside the private stable Once in
the saddle, the buckeroo makes an i'm
posing spectacle with their mounts,
coats glistening and prancing to the
clank of the Spanish bit He then
starts off to whatever section of the
ranch the herd needs attention.
On the easy" days the buckeroo
has little to do save drive his herd
to water from one huge field to an
other. Again little harder work is
cut out when mixed cattle, cows,
calves, bulls and steers from tha
mountains, become mixed with the
good stock These must be herded
up and driven Is, 30 and possibly so
miles to a neighboring COW ranch.
only steers are kept at the Pose
ranch. To see herd of 1000 mixed
cattle driven across the far-spre aiding
plain 1t seems an easy task to I'M
dertalSe this sorting" process, and
with old hands 1t Is an easy matter.
But let the uninitiated beware. The
buckeroo leading the herd and thos5
riding up and down its flank all must
know their business and the boys
driving the rear are ever calling and
charging in an endeavor to close up
tine herd Or make sudden dashes after
the tagging and cantankerous COWS
and frisky calves. All the while, to,
there is the ever-rising and always
present cloud Of dust from several
thousand notes.-the sun also beating
down in summer often at temper
AZURE of 100
A bit of excitement always lends en-
chantment to the business, and this
Is usually reached in crossing canal
Possibly a half hour will be passed
before the cattle can be induced to
take the water. Turning back in
crowding rushes, they become a
frightened jam with here and there
bunch breaking off into wild dash
for freedom. 1t is here the cowboy
has his hands full At length char
ging with wild yells into their midst,
he succeeds in getting them started
and once accomplished the main herd
readily take the water. The buck
eroo himself carefully crawling to his
knees in the saddle, crosses the pud-
die without even wetting his shoes.
1t is thus case Of patience and in
dustry" finally winning.
n..I T.. l.. sr,
not thus successful. One incident is
recalled of the predicament of one
fellow in crossing canal. His horse,
high-strung animal, frightened at
sinking in so far, started to buck.
1t was a sort OF see-saw movement,
as he alternatively heaved himself
front and rear up from the sucking
than on and so slid off the pony into
the mud. The horse was left to
Sflonnder his way alone to the bank,
tAnds the. look of disgust and the vast
(amount of disappearing that cow
puneher made as he staggered to the
tshore, a Undiscovered object of mirth
ITO his companions, can never be for
;gotten-by those who heard it.
Cutting out" is the work prelim-
mary ito shipping. Two of the boys
ride in and out of the herd spotting
the flats" and working them with
great care and patience to the edge.
Then with sharp twisting and lodging
and help from the cowboys who are
holding the hlerd the "fat'
driven running out to join the grow
ing collection Of cattle which is being
held a couple Of hundred yards be-