200 WESTERN GRAZING GROUNDS AND FOREST RANGES 



Texas Panhandle, where there are many large fenced 

 pastures, it is figured at the present time that the an- 

 nual cost of handling one grown animal is close to $3. 

 This includes taxes, general ranch expenses, lease of 

 lands (from 3 to 10 cents per acre per year) or inter- 

 est on money invested in the lands, salting and all the 

 thousand and one little items that make up the ex- 

 pense account of a cattle ranch. 



The year-long charge for grazing cattle on the Na- 

 tional Forests runs from 30 to 60 cents, with an average 

 of 50 cents, counting those above six months of age at 

 the time of entering. On the large Indian reserva- 

 tions, where the cattle are grazed under leases from 

 the Indians, the charge is much more, running as high 

 as $3.20 on some reservations, where the competition 

 for feed is keen. The average is probably over $1.25 

 per head per year, counting everything that walks. 



Cost With Sheep. The cost of handling sheep on 

 the ranges has gone through the same rising process 

 as with cattle. It also varies considerably with the 

 locality, there being a great difference in running cost 

 between the southwestern and the northwestern sheep 

 herds. 



In 1890 an estimate made by several sheep men of 

 New Mexico and Arizona placed the annual cost per 

 head for handling range sheep in those territories at 

 from 60 to 75 cents. Some Mexican owners who were 

 able to handle their herds with cheaper help gave their 

 cost at not over 50 cents per head. Today the average 

 is probably not far from $1.50 per head. This does not 

 include depreciation, losses or interest. In 1908 sev- 

 eral large sheepmen in Montana estimated their aver- 

 age annual cost at about $1.50 per head, and with small 



