FAIR-SIZED HERDS ESSENTIAL TO SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS.

There is an old saying that "one should not carry all his eggs in one basket," but if circumstances require that they all go into one basket it would seem to be prudent that the basket be large and that there be plenty of eggs. In that event there is a likelihood that some of them will remain unbroken in any contingency. The rangeman, through the force of circumstances, is compelled to place all his eggs in one basket-he can produce nothing but live stock. If there comes a season of drought, which diminishes the feed and prevents a due proportion of cattle from getting fat and renders inevitable heavier fosses than usual the succeeding winter, he can recoupe from no other crop. If the market is unfavorable for his one product he has no other to sell. If beef is low in price he has nothing high in price. If the time to sell is unpropitious and money is to be made by holding he can not wait. If there comes a disastrous storm everything he has is exposed. His cattle are drifted far away by storms and may or may not be wholly recovered, and certainly not without considerable expense, and losses are often encountered which would bankrupt an Eastern farmer. Under such circumstances the range man has only one recourse-to raise enough cattle to make his business renumerative despite these disadvantages. And he must have room for this additional stock and must maintain a herd out of proportion, in point of numbers, to what would be necessary on inclosed farms in the Eastern States.

Then there are certain incidents of the business growing out of the wandering and intermixture of cattle of different owners, which fix a limit to which it would seem the range interest can be subdivided among many owners, and which require, if it be conducted successfully at all, that it be upon a certain scale. One must at least be allowed, first, the maintenance of enough cattle to return the cost of the least help, horses, and other expenses, with which a small herd can be managed and the annual losses made good; and, second, enough additional cattle to make a living business. This much would constitute a very small owner in the arid regions-one not in position to make or aspire to a large income-but he would be considered a large owner and a large occupier of land in any other region.

To what extent public policy will favor larger operations than those described is a matter of opinion upon which many people differ and which it is not the purpose of the present paper to discuss. However, it is worthy of remark, in leaving this branch of the subject, that a very large proportion of range men now in the country are doing a business not above that outlined, and a very considerable proportion of remaining range men have a business not greatly exceeding these limits. The number of large owners counting their cattle by the thousands of head is very small.

It is not impossible that, as the settlements encroach from the east and the settlements upon irrigated lands multiply and widen upon the west (for more and more land seems coming under the irrigated process without any visible increase in the volume of the streams) the conditions now surrounding the range industry will be greatly modified, especially throughout that large section of country located east of the mountains. If ordinary agriculture can not everywhere be carried on, something, perhaps, in the way of cattle forage may be raised in situations where it is now thought to be impossible.

New grasses, too, may be introduced; and, in short, the business brought nearer the conditions which prevail in the older States, such as cattle receiving care in winter and perhaps subject to more restraint, if not actually maintained in inclosed pastures, during the summer. But, without speculating further upon these altered conditions which the future may have in store, it is the present purpose to give some account of the business as it is now conducted, under the conditions, natural and otherwise, by which it is at present surrounded.

THE RANGE-HOW MUCH LAND SHOULD BE OWNED.

Taking things as he finds them, about the only course a rangeman can pursue, whether he owned few cattle or many, is to turn them out and let them run. Cattle when turned out in this way, unless they attempt to regain an old range, which they seldom do if removed any great distance from it, unless driven by stress of weather or feed, are not likely to pass beyond natural boundaries. Thus, if turned out upon a water-course, they are not likely to pass over the "divide" to another, unless it be near by, but may generally be found somewhere upon the slopes or water-shed of the stream upon which they were originally placed, or wandering to the next stream, are likely to remain there. They seldom pass over a high mountain, and especially if much timbered. So, when a ranchman turns out cattle he has a tolerable conception of the boundaries within which they will ordinarily graze, and within which most of them will, under usual conditions, be found. This he terms his "range."

He should have a home ranch or headquarters, which should be located at such point as will permit of the range being worked and overlooked with the greatest convenience. Here are corrals for holding cattle and branding, and some accommodations provided for the horses which do not happen to be with the herd. Of course water is an indispensable requisite here, and, if possible, a location is secured. adjacent to natural meadows where hay can be cut for the winter feeding of weak cows, the horses which may be kept up, and such other stock as can be taken care of in this way. These natural meadows are generally in the valleys or "bottoms," as they are termed, of the streams, which, while perhaps showing no continuous flowing water during most of the year, are marked by a line of "water holes," where the water comes into view, and carry more or less water under ground, which in favorable soil and situations rises to the surface through capillary attraction, in sufficient quantities to sustain a luxuriant growth of grass. There is very little water found beyond the beds. of the streams, and springs, such as occur at frequent intervals in the East, are of rare occurrence in the grazing regions, except in the more mountainous portions.

Some additional land, beside that embraced in the home ranch, should be owned at other points on the range sought to be occupied, but where the number of cattle owned is small and the operations of the owner correspondingly restricted, the water and land of the home ranch is all that is generally sought to be acquired. Owners of large herds, whose cattle naturally graze over a wide expanse of country, say from 25 to 100 miles, or even more, from one extreme to the other, have several ranches located at convenient points upon the range. Many of these, however, are only designed for temporary occupancy, and are simply provided with "dug-outs" for the

men (a cave-like house, half under ground, the earth from the excavation forming the roof and sides), and other appliances on a similarly crude scale. These owners of the larger herds endeavor to acquire the title to as much of the land on their range containing water as they possibly can, not only for the purpose of preventing the location upon their range of other herds, which would shorten the supply of feed for their own stock, but also because the ownership of water, according to range customs, gives a better right than could otherwise be claimed to maintain cattle upon the adjacent grazing lands.

It is not considered just the thing in any locality already stocked with cattle, to turn out an additional number without owning some water in the vicinity. But there are people engaged in the business. who do not own any land whatever, and occasionally there are those who do not even have a ranch or headquarters, and who give the business no further attention than to attend the "round-ups." Of course such persons must make arrangements to work with some one else. In localities where water is very abundant its ownership is not considered as carrying with it the same grazing privileges as where it is more scarce. And the ranges are in some of these localities already so fully occupied, at least in the estimation of those already there, that strenuous objection is made to the turning out of more cattle, even though the owner may acquire land with water.

THE BOUNDARIES OF RANGES NOT DEFINED.

The ranges of different people are not separated from those of other persons by any definite boundaries, but on the contrary overlap each other in every conceivable manner, and the ranges of the larger owners contain within their boundaries those claimed by many small owners. If the country bordering on the west shore of Lake Michigan, for instance, were a grazing country, and divided into ranges according to the manner in which the arid region is occupied, it might be imagined that some large owner would have cattle grazing all the way from Chicago to Milwaukee, and back perhaps 50 miles west of the lake, and would call this his range. Another man would have his cattle between Chicago and Waukegan, and he would call this his range. Another man, as his range, would name the country between Chicago and Racine. Another man, the country between Waukegan and Milwaukee. Still another might name a narrow belt extending westerly from the lake between Racine and Waukegan. And so the country would be occupied as ranges to its maintaining capacity, each person defining the boundaries of his own range to suit himself and extended enough to sustain his stock, without any reference to what others may regard as their ranges. When a person speaks of his "range," he does not mean to be understood as naming any particular scope of country in which he has or claims. exclusive rights, but simply as indicating the boundaries within which most of his cattle will be found under ordinary conditions of weather and feed.

As a rule, the owners of few cattle and the owners of large herds prefer that their cattle shall be kept somewhat distinct, or at any rate not too much intermixed. Accordingly most persons owning but few cattle prefer a location in a broken or hilly country, or in some park or elevated plain encompassed by mountains. Here cattle have more natural protection in case of storms; there is very little danger of their drifting far, and they are more immediately under

the owner's eye. And, if the number is not too large, an effort is made to see them all at frequent intervals, and it is the common practice to search the contiguous ranges as often as possible, and drive to their own proper range such cattle as may have wandered. In such broken or hilly country, abounding in ravines and gulches, there is generally water sufficient for stock purposes at convenient distances, and several owners of small herds will settle in as closely to each other as they think desirable. The limited area over which their small herds range, the personal attention they are able to give them, and the knowledge of where this or that "bunch" was last seen, as well as their thorough acquaintance with the country and of the grassy slopes or protected "draws" where cattle are most likely to be found, enable these men to keep a very close track of their business, and to find and care for their animals with more facility than where herds are larger and more widely dispersed. It would be difficult to make a satisfactory "round-up" in such localities where there are so many obstacles to the vision, and so many inequalities and depressions to screen cattle from observation. And the habit these smaller owners have of continually passing among the cattle is not agreeable to the views of the owners of large herds, who do not like to have their cattle moved or disturbed. It is inconvenient, too, in other ways, to have their herds too much intermixed. And so, while the owners of small herds prefer the broken and hilly country, the owners of larger herds seek the more open plains.

CATTLE DRIFTING OR DRIVEN BY STORMS.

Here the cattle drift far and wide. Many miles intervene, oftentimes, between watering places, and in natural grazing, even in the absence of storms to drive them, cattle often wander considerable distances. If feed happens to be short in one locality, as from local drought or overstocking it sometimes is, many cattle are apt to travel as far and long as there is any new country in sight, until a region of better food is encountered. And in winter, when severe storms occur, they turn their heads in an opposite direction and travel before it until some natural shelter is found or the storms subside. It is not unusual for them to cover 100 miles or more before they come to a halt; and as no attempt is made to bring them back before spring, a succession of storms carries them farther and farther away from home, until finally their progress is arrested by some natural obstacle, like a river with a course across that of the prevailing winds. Here they drift up stream or down, sometimes afternately, depending upon which course will bring them most relief from the chilling blast. A northwest wind will send them down stream, for instance, and a northeast force them in the contrary direction. Under unusual stress they will undertake a crossing. The owners have very little definite conception of where they will find them, and as they do not know precisely how many animals they own, or possess any accurate knowledge or description of each animal, they never know how many have been sacrificed to the fury of the elements, or when the whole of the remainder have been recovered. And, in point of fact, would get few of them back but for the comity prevailing among stockmen and the unique system of working the ranges which has been devised to overcome just such obstacles as these to the successful conduct of the grazing business.

But under any system it will readily be seen that a very considerable number of cattle must be lost. The cattle may be driven on to territory where the grass has been destroyed by fire and starve to death after the storm has passed; their movement during a storm may be interrupted by a lined wire fence and many perish; weaker animals may not possess sufficient vitality to endure the exposure; and all may suffer from the lack of water; and thus the danger of heavy losses is an element in the business (even if the losses do not always occur) against which the range man must insure himself, and which must be considered in any estimate of its advantages and profit. One who has his capital exposed to such perils should not be expected to content himself with the moderate returns which, by common consent, are regarded as ample for those who view the world and its belongings from the safe stand-point of an investment in Government bonds,

THE LOSSES ON RANGE CATTLE.

The losses on range cattle are estimated by those in interest anywhere from 3 to 5 or 6 per cent. The estimate seems a low one, but it is only an estimate, and in point of fact there are no means for arriving at any accurate knowledge of what the real losses are. For very obvious reasons, there would be a disposition upon the part of ranch men to underestimate the losses. Even if no one desired to sell, it is human nature to put the best foot forward, and men are everywhere reluctant to admit to themselves that serious losses or mistakes have been made. There is one thing, however, which tends to increase the death-rate much below what would be expected from a comparison with the losses sustained on farm stock. That is, the absence of aged animals on the range. On the farms cows are kept along from year to year on account of some peculiar value as breeders or of special excellence in the dairy. But range men have long since found that old animals will not endure the vicissitudes of the range, and all such are carefully selected out at the "round-ups" and sent to market. So, the animals exposed to the inclemencies of the unfavorable season are those of such ages that they should have their vital powers most vigorous and active and be best able to endure exposure. The storms which cause the losses occur at a season when there are not many very young calves, and if such do die they do not enter into the estimates, because owners do not yet know of their existence. Then the estimated losses, even if approximately correct, are the average losses.

Those which fall upon individuals are frequently very heavy, even in seasons which are favorable generally, and they are more severe in the case of cattle which have been newly brought upon the range, coming late in the season in comparatively low condition, and in the case of cattle (and especially young cattle) the first season from the Eastern States. So, while the losses in the case of cattle which have been for some time upon the range may be small, those that are "through cattle," i. e., cattle which have come through from the extreme Southeastern States that season, may, and oftentimes do, count up to 15, 20, or even 25 per cent., depending upon the season, the character of the range upon which they have been turned, and the opportunities the cattle may have had to recuperate from the effects of their journey before winter sets in.