Arizona republican., 1898-04-09
BETTER BEEF.

Along with other changes which are now seen and are yet to come in the evolution of the cattle business are better methods in fattening the stock. In the older range days when the beef herds were made up for fall shipment, it often occurred that what remained after cutting out the ''tops" was a herd of poor scrub cattle.
 This frequently happened and still occurs in the dry years in eastern Montana when the wild grass pasturage is scant almost everywhere on the range. The evil practice of over stocking the range which was more commonly practiced ten years ago than now, added still more to the nat ural difficulty in securing range pas turage, which would asure good beef in any given year. The better way, which is practical elsewhere with most signal success and which is yet in it's beginnings in eastern Montana, lies in the introduction of alfalfa and tame grasses wherever irrigation is possible. Just at this point it should be said that irrigation is possible in more places in this region of country than the casual observer might suppose. A study of the obstacles to irrigation which have been successfully over come in Colorado and in southern Cal | ifornia would be most instructive to our Montana people.
 But to return to the subject of rais- ing alfalfa or brome grass, or any other substitute for the natural range herbage, let it be recommended in every case where the policy is prac- ticable, and further let there be given d close study of all conditions favor ing the possibility of even a little ir- rigation which will enable the beef producer to supply himself with an ex- cellent and cheap emergency ration for
 winter and which can also be used in summer if needed.
 Alfalfa feed shows it's capacity to make animals grow to heavier weight and also demonstrates itself to be an economical food. Another thing to be mentioned is the fact that many breeders have thought that scrubby range cattle must be classified as be- ing the natural and inevitable output of the range business, and that natur- ally scrawny yearlings and COWS are the result of habitual range habits, summer and winter exposure, with
 almost incessant travelling and work HIS u1dk6S Slu0Wy, u6TVy
 stock. but the conditions above men,
 tioned are not favorable to fattening,
 and thus it is ha some stockmen have said there is no use trying to improve
 scrub stock. The fact is, however,
 that western range stock has many
 fine points and qualities. Horse breed
 CTS have succeeded in developing a fine
 strain of driving horses. and horses
 for the most enduring hardship, by
 crossing thoroughbred stock on our
 native "cayuse" or "broncho." It takes
 patience and some years of experience
 and careful observation to accomplish
 this, but results speak for Themselves. 1 Our range stock may be fed up and
 bred up by the same method. The tough, muscular frame of our native cattle is an excellent basis upon which to put flesh, and in the crosses with imported animals, contributes nothing so valuable as a tough natural fibre in the muscular system. This very thing the tough muscular fibre which prom ises the greatest endurance, is what is lacking in the fibre strains of cattle and horses and the infusion of new blood by cross breeding is most bene-
 ficial, though one has to wait many
 years for the best results therefrom.- | Stockgrowers' Journal.