The Raymer enterprise., 1911-04-06

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 mum.
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 166 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 writer In the
Rural New Yorker. Some Of these
new homesteads were fenced In as
early as 1909. The pasture that year.
however, was unusually good. so that
the effect Of the reduced acreage was
not noticed very much. BY 1910, not
only were 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 quanti-
ties Of hay. In response to this de.
mand. the price Of hay scared. In To-
calities where, two years ago $3.50
to Sc was considered a fair price for
alfalfa hay in the stack. the ranchers
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 Of
Bluejoint or Timothy hay. was even
higher than for alfalfa hay. To pur.
chase the hay that would be necessary
to carry the stock through the winter,
at existing prices. would In many cases
mean that the stock would "eat their
heads off, before spring. Under these
conditions the only thing which many
OF the cattle and sheep owners could
do was to sell of stock which under
ordinary conditions would have been
wlntered over. This is the reason why
80 many more western cattle and
sheep have been received at Chicago.
Kansas City, Omaha, and other large
markets, in 1910 than in 1909.
There will be less cattle and sheep
on the ranges next spring than for a
considerable number Of years previ.
ously. And In view Of the conditions
which have been stated In the pre-.
ceding paragraphs. It does not appear
likely that the herds and focks will
again be increased to what have been
the normal numbers In recent years.
II "dry.land" farming can be success.
fully carried on. II Is probable that
considerable more land that Is now
unfenced will sooner or later be
fenced In for grain farming. II this be
true. II would appear that In the fu.
ture less Of our beef and mutton will
be produced on the free range pas.
lures OF the west, and therefore more
will have to be produced on farms
throughout the United States.