Year: 1872

LAST SEASONS LOSsES-THE CONSEQUENCES OF


IGNORANCE.


fFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT oFTHBTHBONEl


GREELEY, Col, June 1.-Several societies,
companies, and individuals promised few months ago
TO give an account Of the losses Of cattle during the last
exceptionally cold Winter, but as yet, we have no re-
ports Its be said for the information of those not
familiar with this great pastoral region OF the interior.
that it is universally the practice for stock to keep
their cattle all Winter on range without giving them
hay or any other kind Of prepared food and so true is
this that than half OF the cattle above three years
old do not know what hay is and horses raised in this
country have tasted Of clover. timothy Or any OF
the cultivated grasses The native grass OF the country
is short but exceedingly nutritious, and there
Fall rains il cures into standing hay. aiordng excellent
food. Generally the snowall is light and what does
come is blown into drifts leaving large breadths uncOv-
cred But last Winter fell in November, add con-
tnued to fall every few days for at least two months
covering large portion Of Northern Colorado aud all OF
the Upper Platte Valley for distance of about2O miles,
and the Winter was uncOmmOnly cold. Quite contra
dctory statements have been made as TO the losses,
some estimating them high as ten per cent others as
low as two per cent. During June there IL what Is
called general round up Of cattle formed by desg
mating stations to which the cattle Of separate districts
are driven and hither the TO claim their
stock After this round up" facts will be more easily
gathered but there is not much prospect OF any being
published, and certainly not with the names OF the
losers fol many have bought cattle with Dor
rowed money while others naturally Will shunk from
having the public informed Of their bad luck large
number of cattle were driven into the foot bills OF the
maintains where there been little snow, and
most OF such lived through still their condition Ia not
as good as usual, owing 70 the great number on the
ground. Perhaps heavy losses as any occurred In
April during cold storms OF snow and rain and In some
herds of weak cattle the losses were heavy St vast


I,If q ~ oha auara he
grass is uncommony good and cattle are taking on hesh
rapidly One thing regarding the business Is certain
men of ordinary Judgment will be careful about going
into another Winter without having hay hand though
they may not require 1t for years All this refers TO
Northern Colorado In Southern Colorado there was no
snow and the cattle kept fat could give the names OF
owners who have lost heavtysome as much as
comers and those who have been In the country eight
ten years. and who ought 70 have known all about the
winters but it their had been uniformly
so great that they had become careless Not long ago
Mr. Ceburn up from Julesburgh TO our Iown with
burgh Greeley and Golden CITY Railroad. Their route
was all the way the north bank OF the Platte and
Mr. Ceburn represents the number OF dead cattle 70 be
10 great in many places, TO infect the atmosphere
They found dead In groups in the guches some
mate that along the las miles there as 1000
or the the south side he knew moth
ing but perhaps they were not as heavy for known
that many cattle were blown southward as far as
the line OF the Kansas Pacific, where, In some
Dlacfs there was no SHOW. Losses OF bnctp ha'o
been heavy In focks just brought from the states.
In hocks owned by men who have been through the
mill before, the losses next to nothing One flock
OF fne-wools owned by Batchedor Co., came In the
dead OF Winter by care, and with great diihcuty was
driven carried In sleghs to the foot hills but the
losses slight, for the reason that Mr. Batehed0r
understood the business and he had hay and corras all


ready Even IN ordinary Winters sheep die rapidly In
the hands OF inexperienced meh l know OF one man
who brought out a nock late In the Fall. He led out
70 pounds Of corn, and yet piled up 900 dead sheep
before Spring TneH he went 70 work to learn some %
thing about sheep and now he Is making fortune Inc
cause ia this the best country In the world for cattle
horses sheep ana dairy stock IN the hands OF men VINO
will take the same pains that they would be obliged TO
take elsewhere 10 succeed, whether In stock In any
other pursuit. but II men expect to prosper by loang
and by doing half work, they WILL sooner VI later coo
10 grief. D. o. NJ