84 THE BEEF BONANZA. 



The valley of the Big Horn, five to twenty miles in 

 width by about one hundred miles in length, I regard 

 as one of the choice spots of the earth. Here the 

 climate, soil, scenery, and natural productions combine 

 to make a country I have not seen excelled anywhere 

 from Georgia to Montana, and equalled only by the 

 favored countries along the Ohio, the Cumberland, or 

 the Tennessee. The prevailing winds are westerly, 

 bringing the mild airs of the Pacific to these inland 

 slopes, and tempering the winters of latitude 45° and 

 46° to about the temperature of the mountain country 

 of Kentucky and Tennessee. The value of this country 

 for grazing may be estimated from the fact that good 

 fine grasses grow evenly all over the country ; that the 

 air is so fine that the grasses cure on the ground with- 

 out losing any of their nutriment, and that the climate 

 is so mild and genial that stock can range and feed all 

 the winter, and keep in. excellent condition without 

 artificial shelter or fodder. The fact of grasses curing 

 on the ground is a well-known peculiarity of all the 

 high country on the east slope of the mountains, and 

 in this is found the great value of this immense range 

 for grazing purposes. The difference between grasses 

 which have to be cut and cured and those which are 

 preserved on the ground is enough to convince the 

 stock-raiser and herder of the value of these immense 

 ranges known as the Plains. I believe that all the 

 flocks and herds in the world could find ample pastur- 

 age on these unoccupied plains and the mountain 

 slopes beyond, and the time is not far distant when 

 the largest flocks and herds will be found right here, 



