Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1935-07-20

forty acres TO the COW as a basis), to
support my herd, making stxty-tWo and
q half square miles, almost equal TO
eight miles square. This land / am
compelled to fence for protection from
other cattle. Fencing this land at the
rate Of $500 per mile viii cost me S.
400, the lease, at the rate of ten cents
per acre, viii cost an additional sum
Of $4,000, making the total cost Of
leasing and fencing, SIC. 400 NY herd
Of cattle, at $40 per head Is worth S20,-
600, so you can readily see 1t win take
the one-haif Of all my cattle to pro-
tect the other half from the encroach-
ments OF large cattlemen. And the
smaller your herd the greater win be
the cost per head TO fence: besides,
every cattleman who has been actively
engaged ia the business upon the plains
knows that during some seasons the
rains 60 IN Streaks, leaving large belts
Of country unwatered, that the grass
becomes parChed and burnt I'D by the
Scorchtng sun, 50 that cattle In this
locality are compelled TO drift to where
pastures are green and water plenty.
What would be the result, II was ask
ed, If the public domain we're all fenc-
ed? 1t would be impossible for cattle
to drift to green pastures, was the
answer. Another serious difficulty was
envisioned. The streams supplying the
grazing lands are situated from eight
to ten miles apart Again, the eco
nomic phase Of this situation was dis
cussed.
THE small cattlemen are situated
along these streams and own one-hah |
to q mile of the water. In fencing I'D
the public domain you would be al /
lowed to fence only in front Of your
own waterings, the fence to extend /
only one-hah the way to the next
stream or watering, making your fence |
ten miles in length and one mile In /
width. This strip Of land ltaking 40 |
acres to COW as q basis) VIII support /
100 head Of cattle. It viii take q 1
miles Of fence to enclose 1t, at a cost /
Of 5000 per mile, which viii be equal
to $4,400; my 100 head Of cattle at so /
per head win be worth So 200, leaving
balance Of 81 200 on the wrong side
Of the ledger But suppose it is only
TO build One-haf Of the fence;
this win cost him $4,000, the number Of
acres enclosed is 6,400; the leasing Of
this land from the government at ten
cents an acre will cost $40, and this
added to the fence viii make 81, $40
deduct this from the price Of your
herd and it viii leave Just $3.50. II
you can conceive OF any more Systena-
tic plan to work out of the cattle bus
mess and turn over the grazing lands
Of this western country to the capit-
alists Of the east than the leasing and
fencing UP of the public domain, I
would be glad to know it."
The argument was strong for the
open range. The cattle would drift
until they found plenty of grass and
water. Nature, it was stated, had done
wonderful things for the grazing lands
II the vast. h saaae seseaaEaB tie 5sinon
ridges and the deep canyons furnished
excellent protection from the winds
and storms. Fencing the range would
shut out q large portion of the cattle
lrom this protection. It was an axiom
19 the range that Ia proportion as the
sattle are exposed to the cold so must
heir food be increased.
s. A. Marney, editor Of the Stock ]