Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-06-16
AND SHEEP
Range Conditions in New Mexico as
Compared to California Will
ingham Experiments With
Alfalfa.
P. Y. RAILWAY MOVES STOCK
Cattle Received by the Bloom and Penasct
Cattle Oompanies-Kick From Oolfax
County Stockmen-Woo Storage.

Stock conditions in the territory were
never better and reports from all dis.
tricts show plenty of moisture and feed.
On the Frisco, where every ranchman
has a bunch of cattle ranging from a
few up to several hundred in number,
the settlers report a fiourishing condi-
ton of affairs. In Grant county recent
rains have caused the grass to shoot up
OF the ranges and, in many instances,
where arrangements were being made
to ship cattle to other feeding points, il
has been decided that the section will.
furnish enough feed to warrant keeping
the stock at home. From all other To-
c~alities reports of a like nature are. re-
ceived.
From ColfaX county comes a vigorous
kick, for the reason that outside herd.
ers are allowed to bring large herds in.
to the county, consume the grass and
dodge the taxes. 1t is pointed out that
in eastern ColfaX county a Colorado
company has several thousand head of
cattle on the range which were driven
in after the last tax assessment was
levied and will be moved out again be-
fore the next one Is made. This condi-
ton of affairs is considered an unjust
discrimination against local owners of
cattle who are forced to pay the taxes
and then see outsiders the
grass. ~Sheepmen have a similar com
plant to offer. The assessor should
have authority to levy taxes and the
collector enforce payment any time
such operators have used the range fol
a reasonable length of time.
c. B. Willingham recently made a
practical test of the number of cattle
one acre of alfalfa will support, on some
rented alfalfa land on the Pecos Valley
Stock farm. The result will prove OF
interest to all ranchmen and stock feed
ers. The alfalfa is in two fields and the
cattle are alternated from one pasture
to the other. On some of the land the
alfalfa was sown on a heavy salt grass
sod without breaking, and is not a good
stand, but Colonel Elliot, manager of the
farm, estimates that the pasture would
be equivalent to 200 acres of such alfalfa
as grows on other parts of the farm.
About five weeks ago Mr.. Willingham
put 1,450 steers, mostly yearling and 3
year Odds and about 30 saddle horses into
the pasture. The land now contains
just about the same amount of feed that
it did when the cattle were placed there,
the growth of the grass is keeping
pace with the feeding of the cattle. The
test shows that an acre of alfalfa will
pasture seven head of cattle.
Alfalfa continues to advance in price.
Loose hay is selling at So per ton now,
and New Mexico alfalfa growers will
reap good benefits from their foresight,
for there is a scarcity of hay throughout
the west generally.
The range conditions of New Mexico
are especially gratifying to local stock
men, when the deplorable state of af,
airs elsewhere is considered. In drouth.
stricken California fully 10000 head of
cattle will be compelled to leave the
state or die. Some of them are so weak
now that it will be some time before
they can be moved. The ranges are
practically beyond aid this season and
it is doubtful If heavy rains from now
on would make any material difference.
John Clay, Jr., has some decidedly
p%cssimistic views on the effect of war on
the cattle market. He says that cattle
feeders are selling cattle hat they have
fed for six months or longer and not
realizing any profit. "The war has
made money tight and corn higher" he
said, land with tight money it is diff
cult to move stock cattle. The advance
in corn has cut considerable figure.
Many bought cattle last year when corr
was cheap, around 10 to Is cents per
bushel. Now it is up around 25 to 80
cents. With corr at 10 cents you can
feed 100 bushels to a bullock, and it
only means $40, but at 80 cents it means
$50 for the n steer, which is more
than the profit can amount to under the
most favorable conditions at present
prices. We have been selling some of
the finest cattle for the past few weeks
around $40 and $4.60 per 100 pounds,
and nine times out of ten the owner
goes home a loser on his investment.
That is, he could have sold his corn for
more money than he got by feeding it.
The meat product affected by the war
is pork and canned beef. Canned beef
is made from common and poor cattle,
and this class is in good demand, but
there are plenty of them and the de-
mand for that grade of cattle does not
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