The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1911-06-06

From the figures given above. 1t
might appear to the reader that the
production of cattle and sheep on the
western ranges Is on the increase.
What the table actually does indicate,
however, Is that the increased num-
bers of stock sent to market, have de-
pleted the numbers of cattle and
sheep In the herds and the lambs left
on the range. For some time there
have been several factors operating
gradually to decrease the numbers
of cattle In the west. In some places,
where thousands Of cattle used to
Craze, sheepmen have brought in their
bands Of sheep and crowded the cat
tie out. Another cause, which Is re-
sponsible for the decrease Of both cat
tie and sheep, Is the recent interest
In dry land" farming, and the new
homestead law which grants to home
steaders in the semi-arid region, 800
acres, instead of 100 acres. In one
section Of northern Montana with
which the writer is quite familiar,
within the last two years several hun
dreds of homesteaders have taken up
land, so that at the present time many
thousand acres of the best portion OF
the range has been fenced in for farm
ing purposes, says a writer in the
Rural New Yorker. Some Of these
new homesteads were fenced In az
early as 1909. The pasture that year,
however was unusually good, 80 that
the effect Of the reduced acreage was
not noticed very much. BY 1910, not
only we're there many more home
steads fenced in, but also the season
was an exceptionally dry one through
out the west, and the growth of grass
was correspondingly short.
Owing to the large numbers OF stock
on the range that has been reduced in
area, and to the unusually dry season,
by the time late summer had arrived
the range had already been grazed OF
short, and but comparatively little
grass was left for fall and winter
Consequently, in order to winter the
stock 1t would be necessary to pur
chase and feed unusually large quaint
ties of hay In response to this de
|
calities where, two years ago $4.5(
to Sc was considered fair price fol
alfalfa hay in the stack, the rancherf
were asking from $40 to $12 in the
early fall months of 1910, and some
were holding for even higher price
The price of good mixed hay or O
Bluejoint or Timothy hay, was ever
Ill hov To
chase the hay that would be necessar!
to carry the stock through the winter
at existing prices, would in many case
mean that the stock would "eat thei
heads OF" before spring Under thes'
conditions the only thing which man.
of the cattle and sheep owners coul'
do was to sell OF stock which unde
ordinary conditions would have beel
wintered over This Is the reason VIII
80 many more western cattle an
sheep have been received at Chicago
Kansas City, Omaha, and other larg
: markets, in 1910 than in 1909.
There will be less cattle and shee
on the ranges next spring than for
. considerable number of years prev
ously. And in view Of the condition
which have been stated in the pre-
ceding paragraphs. 1t does not appea
likely that the herds and flocks wi
, again be increased to what have bee
e the normal numbers in recent year,
. II "dry-land" farming can be success
I fully carried on, 1t is probable the
considerable more land that is no
unfenced will sooner or later b
fenced in for grain farming. II this b
:. true, it would appear that in the Fl
ture less of our beef and mutton wi
be produced on the free range pa
3 lures of the west. and therefore mo,
o will have to be produced on farm
: throughout the United States.