293 



tatum, i-ea-L<^p aim Bermuda grass. Originally ir was all o^^^.. 

 range, the cattle getting water from streams, water-holes or 

 brackish springs along the shore. A general mixture of breeds 

 had been used to a limited extent, Angus, Holstein, Devon, 

 Shorthorn and Hereford blood showing in the herd. The basis 

 of the herd, however, was light built, brindled, long-horned Mex- 

 ican cattle. On taking over this ranch seven years ago we de- 

 cided that under the conditions the Devon blood showed up 

 best. That is, under the hard conditions the cattle showing the 

 Devon strain of blood were the thriftiest. It was decided to build 

 up the herd with the old Devon breed. We have a herd of over 

 one hundred pure-bred Devons from which we raise our bulls 

 for the general herd. 



The range has been cut up into twelve pastures from 20,000 

 acres to 4000 acres, depending on natural conditions and 

 whether annual grasses or perennial grasses are the principal 

 feed. A system of pipe carries pure mountain water to all the 

 pastures. 



We plan to breed 2000 cows. Estimating a fertility of seventy- 

 five per cent this would give us a branding count of 1500 calves 

 (750 males and 750 females). Breeding the heifers to have their 

 calves when three years old and to be in the breeding herd for 

 four years, we will require five hundred heifers a year to go into 

 the breeding herd. The remaining two hundred and fifty are 

 s})ayed. Steers are marketed at three years old. Old cows culled 

 from the breeding herd, before calving, have to rear their last 

 calf, making them eight years old when ready to go to market. 

 Thus in a year we expect to have for market 750 three-year-old 

 steers, 250 spayed heifers and 500 old cows. 



To carry out this system a series of ear-marks was adopted. 

 ]\Iales are marked on the left ear and females on the right ear. 

 The tip of the ear is modified to indicate the age. 



Our * mark is this : 



In 1909 calves were marked full ear 



" 1910 " " " end cut off 



" 1911 " " '• split 



" 1912 " " " upper corner out 



" 1913 " " " lower corner out 



" 1914 '' " " same as 1909 



" 1915 " " " same as 1910 



In this way as cattle come through the chute they can be readily 

 separated either by sex or age. 



The above is the theory or basis on which we work. In the 

 practice of it judgment must be used, as it may prove more ad- 

 vantageous to throw out a barren three-year-old cow or a poor 

 mother and retain for another year an old cow that is an excep- 



* The author's diagram shows a concave mark in the middle hjwer edge of the 

 ear lobe. This is the only maik of 1909 ("full ear"). It is repeated in the suc- 

 ceeding classes, with the respective additions described above in words. — Ed. 



