Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-05-10

ton, of the New Mexico College of
Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. has is
sued the following bulletin on the
ranges of New Mexico:
The annual report of the governor of
New Mexico for 1901, (p. 800 states
that he assessment returns for that
year show a total of 2,705, 900 head of
stock-cattle, horses, sheep and goats
having a taxation value of 81, 594 900.
1T IS the opinion of the gentleman max
ing the report that this represents
about half the actual number of ami
mails now to be found in the territory
and the valuation is certainly low. 1t
is quite safe to say that the capital
invested in stock raising in New Mex
leo is not less than SIS, 900. 900, and the
industry certainly pays 10 per cent on
this capital. To the average New
Mexican it goes without saying that
this income is practically dependent
upon the native forage crop of the ter
ritory-very little feeding being done.
as yet. A search after a sensible policy
of management of this industry leads
to the consideration of the details of
u present customs and their effects.
The report, above referred to, (p.
279), gives a short synopsis of the
more important native grasses of the
territory, which need only be mention
cd here.
The gramma grasses belonging to
the genus Bouteloua are much the
most important and. of these, two spe-
cies alone are considerably the most
valuable, simply because of their
abundance and their adoption to our
climate conditions. The blue gram
ma or white gramma" or simple
"gramma" (Bouteloua Oligostachya) is
the commonest and is found on the
plains and in the mountains at eleva-
lions ranging from about 5000 feet to
1000 feet. At the lower limit of this
altitudinal range it meets the BLACK
gramma" (B. eriopoda) which is to be
found upon all our mesas, that are not
too aIKanne. at elevations below 5000
feet. Overlapping upon a part of the
zones of each of these species is an
other (B. hirsuta) which Is very valua-
BILE, while the little six weeks gram
mas" (B. p~olystachya) and (aristi-
doides) and the tall gramma" (B. cur
%tipendula) help out very materially,
especially at certain seasons.
There are two species of "galleta
grass which are quite valuable. One
of them (Hilaria mutica) seems to be
able to stand great extremes of moist
ure, as it grows vigorously in standing
water and just as readily lives for
months without any water at all. 1t is
not SO valuable as the nearly related
species Oh. Jamesii) which grows at
higher levels, while the curly mes
quite" Oh. Cenchroides) of the Texas
plains bids fair to become important
on our southern ranges.
salt grass (Distichlis spicata) is
of considerable value in vet alkaline
locations, though it has been reported
as causing some loss when stock eat 1t
after it has been frost bitten. Bunch
grass and "sacation" (Sporobolus
airoides, S. c%ryptandrus and s.
Wrightii) grow quite well upon dry al
kaline soil and furnish considerable
pasture and a little hay upon the lower
mesas of the territory.
In the mountains above 1000 feet
the important grasses are the wild
oats (Bromus C%iliatus) mountain
bronze (B. Porteri var.) Colorado
bluestem" (Agropyron glaucum) n
on the highest peaks, Arizona fescue"
Festuca Arizonica). There are in all
about fifty species of grasses reported
from The territ Dry and all are more or
less valuable. No attempt is here made
TO mention anything but the most i'm
portant.
Besides the grasses many of the an
nual weeds are of almost inestimable
value to the stockman and many of
the shrubby perennials are of great i'm
p%ortaIce. Scrubeak, shadscale, mes
quite, sotol, mountain mahogany, Fal-
LUCIA %paradoxa. nopales and numerous
others have each it's separate distribu-
ton and value.
Another factor. usually lost sight OF.
is the fact that this forage crop grows
upon land which pays no taxes and
costs The users nothing. While this is
a direct gift to the stockman, it e
no one else any harm since the Ian is
of no value for any other purpose.
Very few if any of the stockmen con-
slider themselves as the recipients OF
any privileges, yet they all unhesitat-
ingly lay claim to the range immedi-
ately surrounding the watering places,
which they have patented. This is a
necessity at the present time, and can
certainly not be otherwise, but the fact
that the range is really free gives rise
to endless squabbles for possession, and
all sorts of schemes are worked in or
der to drive out rival claimants. Since
no claimant has a legal or just right in
the case, there is no court OF appeals
in which the disagreements may be
settled. All parties suffer, but what is
worse, the range suffers n the ter
ritory in the end is the loser by all
such private disagreements.
1t is out of place in this article to
discuss the details of just TO- this ali
comes about, but it would be easy to
demonstrate that all these selfish con-
tentions for ranges, which really be-
long 10 none of the ~contending parties,
lead TO but one thing. The range is
more or less heavily overstocked. All
the contestants admit this as a natural
result. and each n lays the blame on
the other fellow; they all suffer loss
and sometimes all are forced to take
their cattle entirely of the range. But
what is worse the range has in the
meantime suffered almost irreparable
damage; they have killed, or at least,
crippled the goose that laid the golden
egg. And as a result the whole COM
~onOnueaIth feels the nSeQuen