750 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



the lands and cattle in the hands of Mr. Kleberg, 

 however, constitutes one of the most important 

 chapters in the latter-day history of the state of 

 Texas. However, our story of the Hereford cattle 

 is in itself too long for us to enter into great detail 

 as to the modem history of the King ranch. We 

 must therefore sketch rapidly. 



The two half -million-acre ranches mentioned in a 

 previous chapter were subdivided into numerous 

 "small" pastures, ranging in size from 1,000 acres 

 to 50,000 acres each. This was done for the pur- 

 pose of carrying out certain clearly defined pur- 

 poses in the introduction of purebreds. The under- 

 ground rivers were tapped, artesian wells gushed 

 forth their pure waters wherever wanted, the rail- 

 way finally pierced the great principalily, and 

 towns and irrigated farms came into existence 

 where once half -wild cattle and Jiorses roamed the 

 unfenced plains. 



Mr. Kleberg was for a number of years a liberal 

 buyer of- registered Shorthorn cattle, purchased 

 from the best herds of the middle west, particu- 

 larly those of Kentucky and Missouri. These of 

 course had to undergo the trying process of becom- 

 ing acclimated, and losses were frequently so heavy 

 as to be altogether discouraging. Mr. Kleberg was 

 one of the first to undertake the risks attending the 

 introduction of high-priced purebred bulls below 

 the fever line, but his persistence and enterprise 

 were finally rewarded. In due course of time dis- 

 covery was made that the cattle tick was the cause 



