the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

 San Francisco Office) 



F-177 



MEAT PRODUCTION Oil NATIONAL FORESTS INCREASES 



Secretary of Agriculture Allots Range for Near 137 Two Million 

 Cattle and Nine Million Sheep 



V r ashington . . . : Receipts from grazing permits on the 

 National Forests for the season of 1915 will contribute to the 

 public revenues approximately $1,800,000, or about $200,000 

 more than last year, according to an estimate made from the 

 allowances just authorized by the Secretary of Agriculture. 

 The Forests this year will furnish forage for 1,983,775 cattle 

 and horses, 8,747,035 sheep and goats, and 64,040 swine ; the 

 figures indicating a material increase of meat production on 

 the government-regulated ranges, 



The increase of 92, 65^ cattle and horses over the allow- 

 ances for 1914 is &K3SKii3::s:iiE& accompanied by a d ecrease of 

 120,881 sheep and goats, showing that in many parts of the 

 sheep are giving way to cattle. It is thought that the recent 

 high price of beef has been encouraging many farmers and former 

 sheepmen to go into the cattle business, though it will be the 

 first time in the last five years that the allowance of sheep 

 has not increased over that of the previous season. There are 

 localities, however, where the demand for sheep range is far in 

 excess of the supply. 



The grazing charges are slightly higher this year. In 

 the West the rates have been fixed at 48 to 90 cents per head 

 per year for cattle and horses, and 12 to 18 cents for sheep 

 and goats ; in the East the rates- are from 85 cents to $1.50 for 

 cattle, $1.10 to 03.00 for horses, and 25 to 40 cents for sheep 

 and goats. Pigs pay from 29 to 43 cents in the west and 50 to 

 90 cents in the East. 



The grazing allowances indicate the relative import- 

 ance of the stock business in the various parts of the West in 

 which the National Forests are situated. the Forests in Dis- 

 trict 2, which embraces Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Ne- 

 braska, western Kansas, northern Michigan, and northern Minne- 

 sota, are allowed the largest number of cattle, 522,550 head, 

 and next to the largest number of sheep, 1,397,500 head; Dis- 

 trict 4, comprising Utah, southern Idaho, western Wyoming t 

 eastern and central Nevada, pnd northern Arizona, the second 

 largest number of cattle, 431,150, and the largest number of 

 sheep, 3,335,860; District 1, comprising Montana, northeastern 

 Washington, northern Idaho, northwestern South Dakota, and south- 

 western North Dakota, 193,510 head of cattle and 1,304,500 head 

 of sheep; District 3, comprising Arizona and New Mexico, 418,900 

 cattle and 905,800 sheep.; District 5, embracing California and 

 southwestern Nevada, 212,280 cattle and 508,050 sheep; District 

 6, com -rising Washington, Oregon, and Alaska, 159,250 cattle 



