PASTURES ON THE RANGE. 439 



sionally but they come with sufficient frequency to man- 

 ifest the wisdom of furnishing food supplies to meet 

 such exigencies. 



Grazing on the Open Range. — Until within a com- 

 paratively recent period, the range country was al- 

 most entirely public domain. Even now the same may 

 be said of by far the greater portion of it. Every 

 citizen, therefore, had an equal right to graze live 

 stock on the range; when it was comparatively unoccu- 

 pied, the business proved highly remunerative. This 

 led to so great an increase in the number of those who 

 engaged in ranching, that in time the ranges became 

 overstocked with results as stated later, (See p. 446.) 

 A common practice at the first was to purchase chiefly 

 •young store stock and animals for breeding; to brand 

 theip; and to turn them out at large on the ranges. 

 Horses and cattle were managed thus but, of course, 

 sheep had to be accompanied by a herder. The many 

 losses, attendant upon this method of ranching, from 

 various causes, have led to a modification of the sys- 

 tem of ranching, somewhat as follows: Individuals 

 took up claims in some favored spot, where water and 

 shelter were obtainable, and where wild hay could be 

 obtained on the low lands, or tame hay, grown usually 

 through the aid of irrigation. Steadings were built 

 and live stock were introduced, usually in a small way 

 at first, and these were bred from, and the animals 

 sold when ready, or shipped to the eastern markets. 

 The stock were grazed in summer upon the adjoining 

 ranges, sometimes owned privately but more frequently 

 public domain. Seldom were they allowed to stray 



