THE CLIMATE OF THE PLAINS. 479 



branded 750,000 calves. These cattle are raised on the great 

 plains of Texas, which contain 152,000,000 acres. Tn the 

 vast regions watered by the Rio Grande, Nueces, Guadalupe, 

 San Antonio, Colorado, Leon, Brazos, Trinity, Sabine, and 

 Red Rivers, these millions of cattle graze upon almost tropical 

 growths of vegetation. They are owned by the ranchmen, 

 who own from 1,000 to 75,000 head each." 



As specimen ranches, may be named the following : Santa 

 Catrutos Ranch belongs to Richard King. Amount of land, 

 84,132 acres. The stock consists of 65,000 cattle, 10,000 

 horses, 7,000 sheep, 8,000 goats. Three hundred Mexicans 

 are employed, and 1,000 saddle horses, on the place. O'Con- 

 nor's ranch, near Goliad, is an estate possessing about 50,000 

 cattle. The Robideaux ranch, on the Gulf, belonging to 

 Mr. Kennedy, contains 142,840 acres of land, and has 30,000 

 beef cattle in addition to other stock. 



THE CLIMATE OF THE PLAINS. 



Mr. R. S. Elliott, who has studied this matter carefully, 

 says : " The plains have been so often described as a rainless 

 region that great misconception in regard to the climate has pre- 

 vailed. The absolute precipitation is much greater than has 

 been in past years supposed, and is due to other causes. Mete- 

 orologists who have described the rain-fall of the plains as 

 derived only or principally from the remaining moisture of 

 winds from the Pacific, after the passage of the Nevada and 

 Rocky Mountain ranges, have been greatly in error, and the 

 better conclusion now is, with all authorities who have given 

 any special attention to the subject, that the moisture which 



