Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-03-09

dItion of stock on the ranges. Secre-
tary Martinez says:
The following bulletin Is based upon
reports received at this office from the
states named and Is not to be taken as
the opinion or individual statement of
any member Of this association.
Reports have recently been clrculat-
cd to the effect that the president OF
the National Live Stock Association
had said that the losses OF stock would
average from 30 10 80 per cent.
throughout the country. i desire to
Gmphaticaliy state that this report was
unauthorized. and no such statement
was made by Mr.. Springer or any otii-
Ger Of the association.
For the past month the headIuar-
tiers of the National Livestock Asso-
ciatlon has been engaged in gathering
reports Of tile condition Of livestock on
the western ranges. These reports In
clude almost the entire West. and COW
er loss from winter weather and
storms, together with general condl-
tions for the spring. Owing to the In
complete condition of this work, II
was not intended TO make public re-
suits until later. but as there have
been matly conflicting reports publish
cd and these headqr ters are besicged
with Inquiries FOR facts, II Is thought
best TO publish Information thus far
received. II is well 10 state, however,
that while reports III to this time are
much mort favorable than generally
expected, ;he danger period is not over.
While most OF the cattle have winter
cd well, tho winter has been Of un.
usual severltc. end while losses are
light thus TAR. the cattle are rs II rule
very weak and in poor condition to
withstand severe storms of the spring.
One of the worst features In the out
look is the scarcity OF forage reported
from many districts. Very early grass
Is an absolute necessity TO keep many
of the cattle alive.
The cattle OF commerce." or. more
intelllGently speaking. cattle in the
feed lots. do not enter into this ques-
tlon in any manner. us the agricultural
districts have sufficient feed to carry
these animals through the winter with
only nominal losses.
With the exception of Montana. re-
ports have been received from leading
stockmen. and are considered accurate
us far rs they go. IN Idaho, Wyom-
ing. Colorado. northern and western
Texas. New Mexico, Oklahoma and In
dian Territory. the winter has been
very severe. the worst known in ten
years or more. Fortunately the great
cold made the storms dry, and there
was enough wind and sun to keep n
fair proportion of the ranges uncov-
cred. Oregon. Washington and Ari-
zona suffered very little and will have
only nominal losses. California Is still
suffering from drouth and the outlook
there is bad. The losses in Wyoming.
~ hA In hnv
not averaged per cent. In northern
md western Texas and northeastern
New Mexico, and through southern
Oklahoma and Indian Territory, the
heaviest losses have been with So
called Through CATTLE that Is cattle
being moved north from the south
Where the cattle went into the winter
in bad condition. the morality has
been heavy. reaching in some sections
as high as 20 per cent. Taking the
range section as Il whole. TO the pres
ent time, the losses will average per
cent. With the most favorable condi-
tions that can be expected an addition
al loss of per cent. may be looked
for before spring. and should the
weather continue bad through March
n heavy loss will certainly result
The Department of Agriculture re-
hood of 100000 head OF cattle in the
range country on January list. 1899
Assuming that this is correct, 6 per
cent. of this number would indicate
the destruction of 100000 head of cat
tie during the present winter. ..
In Utah, Wyoming and some parts
of Oregon heavy sheep losses are re-
ported. 1t is also feared that there
will be heavy sheep losses in Montana.
Wyoming reports some instances of
losses reaching as high as so per cent
and some claim that IL March furnish
es, much bad weather the sheep loss in
that state may reach % per cent. In
western Utah the conditions appear to
be almost as bad. In several instances
the reports give the average for this
section rs being 30 per cent. These
two states are the greatest sufferers
of any reported.
In New Mexico. Colorado. Kansas
and Nebraska the reports are not so
discouraging. but in sections of these
states, where the range Is depended
upon exclusively, the losses have been
heavier than usual. In the feeding
districts losses are but nominal, al
though the stock have not prospered
because of the extreme cold.
One feature of the reports received
Is the scarcity of steers above the age
of two years which seems to prevail
generally over the West. Some sec
tlons. notably Texas, reports scarcity
of all classes of cattle, but outside of
old steers the shortage is not pro-
nounced. and many sections report
plenty of young stock.
Final conditions on the opening of
spring depend entirely upon the wea-
fnt ho ,,i. to
early to give anything more than a
bare estimate of conditions as they
now exist. The following is the sub
stance of the detailed information re.
ceivcd by states, with few quota
tions from some of the individual re-
ports.