REK)ET OF THE BtlREAtT OF AtflMAl iNBtTSTRY. 331 



a position to profit by it. Southern Texas had large numbers of fat 

 muttons, and in north Texas there were quite a few. The run of 

 mutton to market became very strong and prices were not long main- 

 tained. 



The market is now in a satisfactory condition enough to induce mut- 

 ton shipments, but the poverty of the range sheep, at this time and. at 

 this period in several years, goes to show that the range can furnish 

 thousands of wethers fit for a farmer to put on full feed, where only 

 hundreds are ready for the butcher's block. This I contend is the 

 mission of the range from this time forward, to raise feeding muttons 

 for the farmers of the corn States. The State of Nebraska feeds 

 more range sheep now than all the balance of the United States, and 

 the farmers of the interior States are buying half fat sheep that are 

 shipped to the large markets. 



RANGE HORSES. 



The raising of horses upon the public lands of the West as an indus- 

 try has caused very little comment. The droves are smaller than cat- 

 tle or sheep, but the industry is generally successful and the stock 

 is exceptionally free from disease. Very many of the range horses 

 were from Texas originally, and the horse drive followed a wide trail 

 towards Fort Dodge, Kans. , that place being a recognized distribut- 

 ing point. Of late these drives have almost terminated, and the de- 

 mand seems to have dropped off. 



All the northern herds, including horses raised from Indian ponies, 

 are greatly improved, the combined effect of breeding and climate 

 seemingly resulting in the improvement of the common breeds. The 

 best range horses are in Washington Territory, Oregon, Idaho, and 

 in Montana. Wyoming also raises some fine specimens, but further 

 south the animals are smaller in size and are not so uniform in charac- 

 ter. 



No important question in relation to the horse interests of the 

 country in which I am employed has become apparent, the horse- 

 raising industry of the ranges being on a prosperous basis and con- 

 ducted without friction with other interests. In view of the possible 

 introduction of glanders, and other contagious diseases, amongst 

 these range horses, all regulations leading to control of the move- 

 ment of horses towards these ranges which can be instituted under 

 United States laws, will be greatly beneficial to an industry well wor- 

 thy of the fostering care of the Government. 



FARMERS TAKING THE RANGE. 



The range live-stock interests were at the height of prosperity in 

 1884. Then nearly every piece of available ground was occupied by 

 cattle, horses, or sheep, and the amount of territory so occupied was 

 greater than at any previous time. Since 1884 the amount of terri- 

 tory on which range cattle were raised has been greatly curtailed by 

 the inroads of farming settlers. The settlement of the western 

 country is now rapid, and the amount of land withdrawn from the 

 public domain by settlement is very large; yet the loss to the range 

 interest is tenfold greater than the amount of land actually occu- 

 pied by the settler. The sections occupied by the settlers are seldom 

 adjacent to each other, are located here and there upon the streams, 

 in the valleys, and wherever choice irrigable lands can be obtained. 



