Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-01-02


Southwest is growing one, having
made rapid advancement during the
past two years. There remains lit
tie of the old time range stock busi-
ness, but a better situation is pre-
sented. The farmers and feeders are
growing better beef, sustaining less
losses and making more money. Dur
ing the past few years much has
been done to grade up stock on all
lines, and the results are beginning
to show themselves financially. The
country has not as great number of
live stock as during the range days,
but the stock now represents more
money. While it Is true that we do
not produce all the meat we consume,
this fact is due to regrettable policy
which has been in vogue here for a
few years, of shipping stock to east
ern packing houses and freighting
back again. This is a condition fix
ed by dealers and suffered by local
growers and consumers which can
not survive long. The annual in
crease of home grown meats here
after will help to drive out the de-
plorable policy referred to. If Du-
range cannot secure packing house
In the near future local dealers can
provide for cold storage and purchase
quantities of the stock before outside
in the fall, saving feed and freight
two ways as well as three margins
to dealers.
In horses, sheep. cattle and hogs
the country Is advancing steadily to
greater production.
The farmers are not keeping up
with the demand for their products,
although prices are most favorable.
1t is probable that there will be suffi-
cient hay in the country this winter
for the general purposes of feeding,
but frequently there has been short
age at high prices. The feeders have
learned that they must either make
early contracts annually or grow
their own feed. The opportunities for
stockraising and farming in the
Southwest cannot be rivalled any
where. During recent years many of
the former ranchers who calculated
only upon raising what they consum-
ed have given way to more progress
sive farmers, but these have not had
sufficient time to add materially to
the aggregate OF production. The
potato crop during the past year has
been short the price now ruling at
two cents, with an upward tendency.
Less wheat is being raised each year
n nd 1lc
throughout the southwest. We need
farmers and stockgrowers. Durango
merchants account for about $4,000
paid out annually for salt meats and
lard. The mountain towns can ac-
count for more than double this
amount, and the producers q. should
have produced all this meat within
fifty miles Of Durango instead of al
lowing it to come from Kansas and
Nebraska, thereby saving to the
country two hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars annually. Added to this
amount OF money going out of the
country is thirty thousand dollars
year for poultry and eggs and nearly
as much more for butter, and the
mountain counties buy largely di-
rect from other states, these noun
tain sections for which the Durango
country should raise these products
Is it not very evident to those seek
ing homes that the Durango country
with thousands of acres of produc-
tive lands should present opportuni-
ties for producing these various short
ages? Where is there another coun-
try that offers such advantages to the
farmer and stockgrower?