Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-11-29
VALUATION IN Oklahoma DUR
ING LAST YEAR REACHED
NEARLY MILLIONS.
NO INVESTMENT REQUIRED
Acres of Grass Land Lie Behind ono
of States Greatest Industries
Combination Farm Ranch.


meadow products for last year is an
oyo-oponer In tho way Of a revelation
of tho states natural resources for
1t is not every s1.7S3,5Ol valuation Of
saleable farm stuff that can be gotten
out with no investment Of labor up
until the time for harvesting. Per-
haps this item represents greater
amount OF genuine profit than any
other agricultural commodity. both
because It requires but about so per
cent of the capital and labor invest
ment required to place any other crop
upon the market and for the reason
that the land Investment tios UP but
about one-half the capital which land
producing other crops represents.
There are, all told, 433,856 acres Of
native meadow in the state, and this
body of natural grazing ground is one
of the largest and finest types of that
sort of properly values in tho coun-
try. The grasses are largely nutritive
and for a portion of the year become
the grazing grounds Of thousands of
Texas cattle, besides taking care OF
tho Oklahoma herds. Last years pro-
duction of 420,77S tons Of hay, repre-
senting a total valuation of s1,7SS.-
sol, is by no means an unusual oc-
ourence, showing but a normal In
crease over tho figures for the two
preceding years. The nutritive quail
tiles contained in these gIpsses are so
prominent that every year thousands
Of cattle are prepared for the market
by range feed alone. A splendid exam
accomplish by this autumn's cattle re-
celpts at the local packeres.
These meadows are composed al
most entirely OF a class Of land acre
age that could not be otherwise util-
lied, being what is commonly known
as brakes or other uneven spaces un-
accessible to tho hoe and plow. In
listing values on other commodities
one can think of other crops that
could have been raised on the same
soil which would have brought an
equal saleable valuation as the ones
which were raised, but not so with
the native meadow group-it repre-
sents source of wealth for which
nothing could be substituted and con-
stitutes a clean-out source of orig
inal revenue.
The native meadow hay is as nutri-
tious in the baled form as 1t Is in the
form of forage grasses growing over
the wales Of the brake lands. II
is commercially designated prairie
grass hay" and tons of II are carried
at every feed store in the state. II
finds a ready market at from eight to
ten dollars the ton. and, next to al
falfa, is the most commonly used
kind. However, its valuation of ST.
7S3,501 represents but a fraction Of
the total wealth producing valuation
of the native meadows most of the
value of which Is represented In fat
livestock of this state and Texas.
The value Of these meadows is ma
tcrially increased for grazing purpos-
es by the presence of an abundant
supply of small ponds for watering
purposes There are, all told. L.
.253 Of these ponds, which, IL massed
into one body, would form a lake OF
fresh water overspreadlng 6.i37 acres
They, therefore. average about six
seventh Of an acre in size and con-
sltute what Is ormally an abundant
fresh water supply for the grazing
cattle.
Finally these grazing meadows con-
stitute the real foundation OF Okla
homa's greatest industry. namely. the
livestock industry. 1t is said to be
very much to the credit Of the farm
ers of the state that they have utlll-
zed their waste land brakes to build
up a source Of revenue that is great
er than the combined revenues de-
rived from all the wheat, corn and cot
ton that are grown in the state. 1t
would prove expensive and unprorit-
able to engage even moderately in
the production of livestock with the
farmer depending entirely upon the
products Of the cultivated portion OF
the farm to fatten his cattle.
on the other hand the advancing
tides of commerce and agriculture
have driven out the herder of the old
days, who was i'm practically free pos
session Of miles Of very fine range.
The prevalent Oklahoma method Is a
combination Of the farm-ranch and
preserves the intrinsic merits OF the
old order. at the same time releasing
all the tlllable land Of the state to ag-
rlcultural purposes. Every farm in
Oklahoma has more or less brake
land and this is fenced off into a
pasture for range purposes. the bal
ance of the land being apportioned to
tho cultivation Of cultivated crops.
The farmer then accumulates as many
head OF livestock as his range can ac-
commodate and from a month to SIX
weeks before he places them on the
market ne usually supplements the
native range feed with peanut hay.
cowpeas. sorghum or some other crop
raised In the fields. This renders the