CATTLE-GROWING OUT WEST. 87 



pective limit to the pasturage west of the Missouri 

 River. All the wool, mutton, beef, and horses that the 

 commerce and population of our great country will 

 require a hundred years hence, when the population is 

 as dense as that of Europe, can be produced in this 

 country, and at half the present prices." 



Alexander Street, of Wells-Fargo Express Company, 

 says : " From an experience of over twelve years in 

 wintering stock on the Plains I am satisfied there is no 

 country better adapted to the purpose than Wyoming 

 and Colorado Territories. I have wintered herds of 

 my own and others in Wyoming repeatedly, and the 

 percentage of loss is less than wintering in the States 

 on corn and hay. Here we feed nothing, but herd our 

 stock on dry grass. During the last winter I had charge 

 of 2000 head of cattle belonging to Wells, Fargo & Co. 

 These cattle were worked very hard during the sum- 

 mer and fall in transporting government supplies to 

 the Powder River country, and many of them were not 

 turned out until the 1st of January, and were so poor 

 that they could scarcely travel to the herd-ground, some 

 forty miles. They had nothing all winter but grass, 

 not a mouthful of hay nor grain, and yet we lost but 

 about 30 head out of the 2000. Many of them were 

 fat enough for beef in March and April, and by the 

 1st of May nearly all were in good working condition. 

 From long experience I am fully satisfied that the 

 gramma or bunch grass, which abounds in this country, 

 is far superior to any of the tame grasses of the States ; 

 drying up in the fall without any rain upon it, it re- 

 tains all the nutritious properties through the winter." 



