The Lubbock avalanche. (Lubbock, Tex.) 1909-1922, 1920-01-15
Stock Raising on the Plains

For a. many years Az the Plains
Country has known the white man u
has been known as cattle country.
Prior 10 the advent Of the white man
this section was the buffalo hunting
ground Of the Indian. Its natural
resources makes II ideal for the rails
ing Of animals which live and grow
on the natural grasses which cover
the Plains country.
Less than half century ago tins
country was a part OF vast un-
broken prairie. The well known
Texas Longhorns grazed at will over
thousands and thousands of acres.
There was nothing TO designate them
from any other longhorns except the
brand on their hip. The stock rais-
err in those days was satisfied to al
low his stock 20 ramble at Will, hav-
ing the annual round up 20 brand
those new animals in the herd and 70
cut out those he wanted TO market.
There was no particular ambition 20
the early day stockman. Cattle pro
pogated AT will There was no such
thing as pure bred animals. There
was no such thing as breeding 70
increase the garde of the stock.
There was but one grade of stock and
that was range cattle. II rustlers
did not interfere and the stockman
could find all his animals at the
roundup his profits were gagged by
the amount of development his herd
had made. He was perfectly salts
fled. He resented the suggestions
that farmers would break up his
ranges and plant feed stuffs. He
thought this industry was ruined
but time has disproven his fears
and contentious and today while the
ranges are not so free and this Is
still a stock country but far differ
ent. Progress and science have had
a hand in the reorganization of the
Plains country. More stock Is raised
and better animals are produced and
larger profits are realized. Scientif-
ic methods have been adopted. More
stock can be grazed 10 the acre aug
mented by the large volume of feed
stuffs produced for feed throughout
the winter months. The stock man
no longer is forced 20 send his cattle
into the corn belt for feeding, hence
that extensive expense is eliminated
He works on his agricultural lands
while his cattle Craze and raises the
feed on time which before was vast
ed sitting around the ranch house
waiting for the animals TO multiply
He doubles the value of his time. the
value of his animals and as a natural
sequence the amount Of his income.
In Lubbock county alone there Is
TODAY 100000 acres in round num-
bers Of grazing lands. A. much as
fifteen wears ago there was practi-
cally no land devoted to agricultural
pursuits. Today the smaller ranches
have been cut up into farms and
these farms have been so divided that
large per cent Of grazing lands are
maintained and percent IS planted
to forage crops. The soil is such as
TO encourage the raising of these
crops which furnishes the feed for
the animals during the winter
months. Every year finds more acre
age under cultivation yet the stock
raising industry holds its own, al
though the tendency is for stock
/ farming in conjunction with agricul-
ture and the future will see few large
herds. Naturally there will be a
maximum reached some day but un-
/ I'll this condition is reached the
stock raising industry will continue
TO Increase as will the agricultural
I production.
The Plains country Is a stock rals-
ing country and this Is one OF the
principle industries, coupled with
grain and cotton raising, but instead
of the longhorn his reign having been
completed by the advent Of the pure
bred animal Today the Hereford Is
/ the principle animal raised on the
stock raising lands The pure bred
Herefords have been imported and
today some Of the best blooded ami
mails are 70 be found on the Plains
including animals that will bring on
the market for breeding purposes
prices as high as $4,000.
The development of the stock
raising industry TO its high standard
of importance was naturally met