EQUUS

TAMING THE PLAINS

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This map shows the location of big Texas ranches of historical significan­ce, along with the state’s ecological zones. Many of the ranches are located in the rolling plains zone, which has a high percentage of arable soil and receives enough rainfall to support shortgrass prairie species such as Indian grass and buffalo grass or to grow wheat. The PŽrez Ranch sits below the Edwards Plateau at the junction of desertic brush country and the more cattle-friendly Blackland Prairie zone. The King Ranch, whose history will be told in our next installmen­t, occupies an area of humid coastal grassland bordering the Coastal Sand Plain, which settlers called the Wild Horse Desert. Listed acreages are historical­ly maximum holdings; most operations are now smaller or are no longer in existence as ranches.

A cowhand and his partner “head and heel” one of the last authentic longhorns on the JA, about 1911. Longhorns, descending from a strain of Spanish cattle imported during the conquest of Mexico in the 16th century, have come back into fashion for a number of reasons including disease resistance, ease of calving, soundness and the lean quality of their meat. The Schreiner family of the Y-O Ranch is credited with saving the historic longhorn from extinction and for establishi­ng a registry with modern record-keeping, genetic testing and pedigreed bulls who will carry the strain into the future.

 ??  ?? A Kansas farmer uses an early Deere plow. The steel “self-cleaning” plow made it possible for farm workers to turn over an acre of soil in less than 100 hours.
A Kansas farmer uses an early Deere plow. The steel “self-cleaning” plow made it possible for farm workers to turn over an acre of soil in less than 100 hours.
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 ??  ?? Three early barbed wire designs: top, Joseph Glidden’s original 1874 patent; middle, one made by Jacob Haish and patented in 1875; bottom, Isaac Ellwood’s design utilizing wire tape with stapled rather than twisted points.
Three early barbed wire designs: top, Joseph Glidden’s original 1874 patent; middle, one made by Jacob Haish and patented in 1875; bottom, Isaac Ellwood’s design utilizing wire tape with stapled rather than twisted points.
 ??  ?? “The plow that broke the plains.” This is a museum reproducti­on of John Deere’s original design.
“The plow that broke the plains.” This is a museum reproducti­on of John Deere’s original design.
 ??  ?? The caption on this S.D. Butcher photo of a fence-cutting posse read, "Settlers taking the law into their own hands. Cut wire 15 miles of the Brighten Ranch in 1885 (Nebraska)."
The caption on this S.D. Butcher photo of a fence-cutting posse read, "Settlers taking the law into their own hands. Cut wire 15 miles of the Brighten Ranch in 1885 (Nebraska)."
 ??  ?? An illustrati­on from a Harper’s Weekly issue of 1859 shows Mexican vaqueros at Mission Espada in San Antonio. Their mounts are tamed mustangs. The horses carry heavy leather chapas slung over the saddle horns and the riders wear wool chaps and leather pants as well as using tapaderos on the stirrups, all to protect against thorny brush and cactus spines.
An illustrati­on from a Harper’s Weekly issue of 1859 shows Mexican vaqueros at Mission Espada in San Antonio. Their mounts are tamed mustangs. The horses carry heavy leather chapas slung over the saddle horns and the riders wear wool chaps and leather pants as well as using tapaderos on the stirrups, all to protect against thorny brush and cactus spines.
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