Gunnison news-champion., 1917-11-02
STOCK SITUATION CRITICAL
Z VI. Ammons Tells of the Gravity
Facing the Country and Points
Colorado Dealers to Their Advant-
ages.

mestlc and foreign, is so much great
er than the supply that even unparal-
ieied pr.ces co not suffice to furnish
the meat demanded. Long periods of
improbable PRODUCTION drove grow
ers into other vocations- The in
} creased value of lands and lack of
pasture in the olac- farming dis
tricts prevented an increase of farm
animals to keep pace with the growth
Of population. The settlement of the
west decreased the area of the range.
Even when the scarcity was felt and
war demands accentuated the situa-
tion, the unprecedented call for
breadstuffs brought all grains to n
price which almost prohibited their
use in the making of meats.
The campaigns so successfully
waged to increase hog production in
Rocky Mountain territory have met
their first decided check this. year,
rs is shown by % per cent decrease
in the receipts at the Denver market.
Word now comes that the situa-
ton among the warning countries
abroad has grown decidedly worse.
The British government has ordered
two million acres more of grass
lands put into grain, and live stock
decreased accordingly. A similar
policy is being followed in all other
European nations. Every stimulus
that could be employed has brought
out very slight increase in cattle
during the past few years. but not
nearly sufficient to keep pace with
the growing demands. In the past
decade and half, sheep have fall
len off in number, nearly ten mil
lions, and swine half as much, in
spite of the fact that we have not
only experienced an unusual foreign
demand, but our own population has
increased nearly 25 per cent.
This is not the worst of it. The
cutting down of live stock in farm
ing districts has decreased the pro-
duction of the land to an enormous
degree. 1t is estimated by many
good authorities that the production
per acre of the staple crops of wheat
corn, oats and potatoes has fallen
off on an average in the last gener-
alton almost one-third, while large
areas of farm territory have been
turned back to brushwood.
It is exceedingly unfortunate that
this condition should arise at the
time of our entrance into the great
world war. A continuation of such
conditions as we have recently ex-
perienced will further reduce the
productivity of our grain fields, the
grass lands essential for the grow
ing of live stock, and seriously af-
feet the future of our farming pro-
duction.
With the demand for an increase
of meats has come an unprecedented
call for wool, which can only be
met by a strenuous campaign Of ed
ucation to place focks on every Iarm
in the country.
There has never been q time when
the need Of increase in live stock was
SO essential and SO advisable as is
the present The stock shows, the
agricultural colleges, the extension
workers and county agents should
unite their efforts with all the agri-
cultural press in a campaign to re-
lieve the present serious situation.
No section can offer better oppor-
tunity for live stock growing than
are found in the intermountain ter
ritory. We have an ideal climate,
the richest of grasses, and can pro-
duce the best feed for the growing
and finishing of meat animals. Many
of our most profitable crops are not
needed for breadstuffs. The high
est priced bacon in the world is pro-
duced from barley, which is an enor-
nous yielder in Colorado and ada
cent territory. No better pork is
grown anywhere than that fed on
peas, which are most profitably
grown throughout our mountain dis
tricts. Our root crops are unexcel-
led, and no stronger hay is raised
in the country. Even the by-pro-
ducts of the crops, such as grains and
sugar beets, have surprised the live
stock world in their value in pro-
ducing meat animals.
We have another advantage,
namely, the quality of meats Of all
kinds produced on our native feeds
and grasses is Of the highest, and
there is no doubt we can do much
better in future than We have been
able to do in the past.
There is much we may do now to
hurry an increase in supply. With
grass costing little or nothing in the
were three or four years old. Thru
y campaign ior carry maturity, We
can easily reduce this age by
at least year, thereby making room
for a larger number of animals, to
say nothing of producing better
beef, with less waste. The same
general principles will apply to hogs
and sheep.
Our people should not be misled
into blowing up too much grass land
The greatest crop we have, and, in
deed, the only one we cannot do
without, is grass. We should give
its growth the same consideration, at
least, that we give our other crops.
The most economical way to increase
production is to do better farming
on what we now cultivate, rather
than plow up lot of good pasture
which il yery difficult to replace,