Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-01-15
stealing and cutting the trees which
shelter 1t. These things ought not SO

stealing and cutting the trees which
shelter It. These things ought not SO
to be.
The federal OK pasture has also
been invaded BY homesteading. This
process is still rapidly going on de-
stined to be furthered too, by a num-
Der Of resoupes whose power is only
just coming to be felt.
One Of these is irrigation public and
private. We need not so SO far as
some irrigation enthusiasts to be
convinced how vast an area now too
dry for profitable agriculture will by
and by become good agricultural
land
As much more will be withdrawn
from pasturage little later by the
creation of forests This process Is
to be accentuated by the growing inn
possibility of obtaining sufficient tim
Der for the needs Of this great coun-
try from the sources hitherto known.
There Is not county this side Of the
Mississippi which might not grow its
own timber. few that might not, be.
sides this, grow for export many,
very many where timber would be
THE most profitable crop which could
be raised -far more 50 Than pasture
grass. This profltableness viii be
discovered ere long, With the result
that artificial forests will spread over
millions Of acres nov sandy and bare.
Wherever houses, hedges and fences
are erected. ponds created and filled
and crops raised, the effect is felt
miles away Continuous sections that
we're dry are made less So and begin
to blossom. Later. they Too, are profit.
ably farmed, and III tnrn. take up the
missionary work, the advance posts of
agriculture as II inpades the desert.
This is what is meant by us of Kan.
sas, Nebraska and the Dakotas III the
proverb that the rainfall is moving
westward. Afforestation ID any tract
will work similar miracles far and
wide in the nelghboring dry regions.
Clearly, public pasturage must in no
very long time cease to be an import.
ant factor in raising beef. | myself
query whether the market price Of
beef is any longer determined by the
cost of cattle production on the pub.
| lie domain; whether, in other words,
the supply derivable from this source
has not become so small as to lose all
effect upon prices in the great cen.
tiers.
Now. recalling what was set forth
earlier. we have confronting us a
strong net tendency to decrease the
supply Of beef cattle and also an equa,
| ly strong net tendency to increase the
demand for beef. From this exhibit
| 1t would appear inevitable that beef
must in the next years considerably
advance.
But let us not conclude till we ar
rive at a conclusion. Must not high
er prices Immediately act TO obstruct
the enlarging demand? No, not neces.
sarily. at least for a very long time
The same logic is here in place which
have elsewhere employed % show
that agriculture must hereafter be a
more profitable business than hereto
fore. The case ii briefly as follows.
The population OF the world IL increas
ing by leaps and bounds. All mus,
live off earth products, which Of course
include beef. II the products of mems
toll other than husbandry were TO in
crease In cost as hIsbandry products
must, the power of npnsagricultural
producers 10. obtain nusbandry pro
ducts would fall off but this is not
the case. While husbandry products
are going to be harder and harder to
get. other products are as rule de-
stined to be obtainable at lower and
lower cost as the years pass. The
result must be that in spite of the
higher cost OF beef the ability Of non.
agricultural producers to obtain beef
will not substantially change. The
higher prices * beef vii therefore to
all likelihood not chi down the de.
mand. hut. such parts II them as can