g it over the pasture,
and scattering thinly, not dumping, the seed on to the grass sod. The
cattle would soon get so fond of it that they would come running as soon
as the wagon appeared and follow it up in a long string, the strongest
and greediest closest to the wagon, the poor emaciated, poverty-stricken
ones tailing off in the rear. But not one single seed was wasted,
everyone being gleaned and picked up in a very short time. It is the
best, easiest and most effective way: indeed, the only possible way with
such a large number of claimants. And as said before, the recuperating
effect of this cotton-seed is simply astonishing. It may be noted,
however, that if fed in bulk and to excess the animals will sometimes go
blind, which must be guarded against.

In the matter of salt it had become the common practice to use sacked
stuff (pulverized) for cattle. There was a strong prejudice against
rock salt; so much so that when I decided to buy a carload or two it had
to be specially ordered. Another laugh was raised at my proposed use of
it. The cattle would get sore tongues, or they would spend so long a
time licking it they would have no time to graze, etc., etc. Meantime I
had lost some cows by their too quick lapping of the pulverized stuff.
Thereafter I never lost one from such a cause and the cattle throve
splendidly. Besides, the rock salt was much easier handled and
considerably more economical.

My wells were deep, none less than 250 feet, the iron casing 10-inch
diameter, the pipe 6-inch or 8-inch, and the mill-wheels 20 feet in
diameter; this huge wind power being necessary to pump up from such a
depth a sufficiency of water. The water was pumped directly into very
large shallow drinking wooden tubs, thence into big reserve earthen
tanks (fenced in), and thence again led by pipe to other large
drinking-tubs outside and below the tanks, supplied with floating
stop-valves. This arrangement, arrived at after much deliberation,
worked very well indeed; no water was wasted, and it was always clean;
and in very cold weather the cattle always got warm, freshly-pumped well
water in the upper tub, an important matter and one reason why my cattle
always did so well. But oh, dear! the trouble and work we often had
with these wells! Perhaps in zero temperature something would go wrong
with the pump valve or the piston leather would wear out, or in a new
well the quicksand would work in. Neither myself, foreman nor boy was