The Breeding Herd 55 



herd would be expensive. This, however, is rarely the 

 case, since the cost of fencing cattle pastures is only from 

 fifty cents to $1.00 an acre and if the whole country is 

 fenced the neighbors pay half of this. The range countries 

 are usually divided into sections of various size by streams, 

 mountains, and other topographical features, so that 

 cattle in one section will not stray into another. In other 

 cases these divisions are not complete but are nearly so; 

 hence a little herding at the mouth of the gulch or a few 

 rods of fencing may complete the division. The natural 

 divisions vary in size from small valleys capable of sup- 

 porting a few milk cows to vast prairies comprising many 

 counties. A single one of these districts is usually spoken 

 of as "a range." If the ranchman has control of one of 

 these natural divisions of about the proper size for his 

 herd, be it large or small, he is fortunate; but this state 

 of affairs seldom exists, and as a result several men may 

 be obliged to run their cattle together unless separated 

 by fencing or line riding. By line riding is meant keep- 

 ing the herd in their proper territory by having riders guard 

 the imaginary line between ranges. Each man is given 

 so much of the line to ride over each day. Along well- 

 defined trails it may be necessary to have a man for only 

 a mile or two, while in other places where the cattle are 

 not inclined to stray, one man may be given all that he 

 can ride over two or three times a week. The natural 

 divisions of the ranges are always taken advantage of, so 

 it seldom is necessary to ride more than a fraction of the 

 boundaries of the range. Line riding is expensive but 

 many cattle-men find that the advantage of having their 

 stock to themselves more than pays for it, although 

 fencing is much to be preferred and. is being used wherever 

 possible. 



