Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-07-20
MEAT PRODUCTION IN THE WES1
Will Probably Be Increase ir,
Output and Also in Cost.
settlement Of Public Lands, Thus re.
ducing the Range. Rcsponsibie for
Former Decrease--Rnngc en-
pacity Can be Increased.


but that this increase is likely TO be
accompanied by an increase in tho cost
Of production. are the chief conclusions
of a report on Live Stock Production
In the Eleven Far Western Range
States' which the department Of agricul-
ture has Just published This report
is one Of the five sections Of the ex-
haustive report on the meat situation In
the United States. in the preparation
OF which the department specialists have
been engaged for some time. It dis
cusses the reasons for the long decline
in meat production in the West and ex-
plains why there is reason to believe that
this is now thing Of the past IN
addition II includes detailed studies OF
the present cost OF producing steers and
lambs.
Between 1910 and 1914. the year IN
which the investigations on which tho
the report is based were made. the Num-
hers Of live stock in the eleven States Of
Arizona. California. Colorado. Idaho.
Montana. Nevada. New Mexico. Ore
gon. Utah, Washington and wyoming.
declined about l3 per cent For this
decline the report holds the settlement
OF public lands and the consequent re-
duction Of the range primarily RESPONSE
bic number Of other causes have
contributed to the downward movement.
but It Is pointed out these have been
more than offset by high prices and
therefore more profitable range animals,
and the general agricultural development
which have favored production by lead.
ing to more widespread adoption Of
the practice Of winter feeding and win
ter pasturing on alfalfa and cultivated
crops.
The prediction that this decrease here
after will give way to an increase IL
based upon the belief that the amount
OF live stock on farms and homesteads
VII. be greater in the future that the
stock ranges in the national forests will
continue to improve, that the carrying
capacity of the stock ranges on the public
domain may be increased by legal regu.
Iatfon. and finally that high prices Of
range animals and better methods will
result in n more efficient utilization Of
the available forage, or. in other words
a greater production per unit of forage
In 1914 1t was estimated that no more
than 30 per cent. Of the new settlers had
more live stock than was necessary to
supply them with work and mich AMI.
mails. The situation in this respect. how
ever, was changing even then, and the
movement for the production of more
live stock may be expected 10 continue
because both market and agricultural
conditions make this Indispensable to
really successful farming The change
will be gradual, It is said, and only a
few head Of stock will be added to a
ta1, L.,
gregate the increase will be greater than
that which Is likely to be accomplished
In any other way. The problem for
the States and the national government,
it is said, Is to aid in the change by
working out system which will make
such agriculture profitable.
In addition to this increase in thu
numbers of farm stock, there is little
doubt that the carrying capacity of the
existing ranges can be greatly enlarged.
This has been demonstrated in the ma
tlonal forests where improved methods
and regulation have increased the capac-
ity Of many ranges from Is to 80 per
cent, This process should continue for
at least ten years more and should re-
suit in building up the carrying capa-
city of the national forest as a whole
by perhaps 10 per cent.
If similar control could be exercised
over the public domain outside Of the
forests, It is estimated that the capacity
Of these ranges could be increased about
so per cent About half of this would
result from the improvement in the
range itself after overstocking and pre-
mature grazing were prevented and nat
ural reseedinE facilitated The remain
der would follow water DEVELOPMENT. tho
Of fences and the introduce
ton OF methods Of handling stock which
are out OF the question as long as the
Improvement OF conditions on the range
merely provides an incentive for new
men to crowd in and undo by oversteck-
Ing whatcNer good has been accomplish
ed, The carrying capacity OF these
ranges has greatly diminished in tho
past and under the present system there
Is no reason for surprising that it win
Increase in the future
Other factors. though OF less lrnpur-
tance. that should tend TO Increase the
future pro6Gcsion Of live stock are
greater econonry in the use OF forage
both on the range and on the farm. the
use OF n,ore and higher grade bulls and
better management Of the breeding ami
nars through the year The last ew~.
i is said. offer the possibility OF I'm
creas sing the calf crop five or ten per
cent, and the average weight OF a two
,ear-old steer perhaps thirty pourShn
Where winter fe,-iius Is practiced n
IS believed" that xserttns steer win
,ost approximately sd ard a tong" twV-
'ear-oba SIS, In the range sect,,rs u
he Southwest. on the other haua.. thA
-osts may re estimated at from SIS to
80 for yeariing and from 50 to Sl5 for
two-yesr-old. With sheer, there Ss a
similar variation In California the cost
II producing lamb Is placed at stS5, In
ne Southwest at 81. = ard I'm the North
west at SIS, In considering these fig
ircS it must be reupem bered that they
I'll may be materially altered by in
ressins or diminishing the percentages
" births IN the herbs and ftcceS Bst-
err methods, it is pointed out. win ar
amb crops and IN this way reduce the
'ost of production yer head
In estimating these costs the investi-
;ators charged AGAINST the stock tho
market value, IN the vicinity. OF all the
iced consumed In this way the neees-
'tty of considering the money invested
n land and equipment Was eliminated
rut, ON the other hand. allowing tho
stock owner a profit on the Feed increases
somewhat the estimated cost OF produe-
ng animals As tho owner might not
get his profit on the feed II he did not
raise stock To utilize it, the actual prof
is In stnrk raising are Drobnbiy sone.