and did not lie in solid bodies. I judge that in the main there is
much less of this in Florida than in Texas, and that either by
partition, or purchase, or auxiliary lease, the great bulk of that
complication can be handled.

And that brings me to the principle of fencing, which I think may be
covered under the general heading of Control. First, it means defined
ownership, which is always recognized. It means fire control, because it
eliminates the wantonness which we now find all over your open range,
each man working out his problem and firing the range for various
causes.

Fencing means that an area may be developed to its capacity. For
instance, on your ranges fire kills the various varieties of the carpet
or blanket grass and kills the little blue cane, as well as any number
of other grasses, all of which, however, come back where an area is
protected, and as they are among your very best feeds, the carrying
capacity of a pasture is materially increased.

Water may be developed through the windmill process directly in
proportion with the needs of the cattle and concentrated to them as
against any water development on the open range.

It is a scientific fact that eradication of the tick may be accomplished
by resting a pasture for a certain time. Fencing means the concentration
of that area to the best bulls as against not only their mixture with
the scrub bulls on the open range, but the fact that the old Spanish
fighting blood in the scrub bull materially reduces the effectiveness of
the higher class bull. Fencing means that if on any favorable areas you
wish to introduce any of the wonderful grasses which the Department of
Agriculture is showing can be spread very rapidly, it can be done
concentrating to ownership.

Fencing means that lands which are now being occupied by some one else
without revenue, but at an expense, may be made to either pay a fair
interest on the investment of land, improvements and cattle, or at least
a rental revenue which will take care of taxes, interest on improvements
and become a net economy, as against the open range.

I believe, too, that the principle will stand that a property defined by
fences immediately takes on increased value; that the buyer would pay
more for it per acre defined than looking at it in the abstract as part
of the open range.

I do not think that in the whole State of Texas you will find a single
land owner, who has fenced his ranches, who does not kn