332 REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



The intermediate lands are occupied by the little herds owned by the 

 settlers, and the country thereabouts is no longer available for range 

 cattle. The farmers are able to closely stock the country they use, 

 and save themselves from winter losses on short range by feeding 

 alfalfa, sorghum, and other forage crops. The small herds aggre- 

 gate more cattle after settlement, according to the acreage used, than 

 the same territory would support under the range system. 



In former reports mention was made of the fact, still apparent to 

 myself, that in the arid region there are lands to ever remain as now, 

 and of but little use to the nation for agricultural purposes, and un- 

 less obtained in large tracts by lease or purchase no revenue can be 

 derived therefrom, and appearances indicate the live stock-business 

 to be the only chance of keeping these arid tracts from being utterly 

 worthless. 



As the settler drives away the herds of cattle, horses, and sheep 

 from the heretofore immense grazing fields of the Government, the 

 range industry is pushed back upon these permanent ranges, and to 

 save himself from still further movement, the ranchman becomes in 

 turn a settler, seeking to hold as much range as possible by means of 

 water rights and claims. 



As the ranges decrease in extent the range herds must be curtailed 

 in numbers, or the winter storms and summer droughts will cause 

 disaster. Disasters have occurred on every range fully occupied, 

 from the northernmost line of Montana to the Texas ranges on the 

 Gulf coast, and the fear of losses through overstocking ranges, com- 

 bined with the inroads of settlers, is causing ranchmen to intrench 

 themselves behind land purchases and leases wherever they can rea- 

 sonably be obtained. 



In 1884, Mr. Nimmo, then Chief of the Bureau of Statistics, pub- 

 lished a map showing the land then used as grazing territory. Now, 

 three years later, one-third of that grazing area is unavailable, and 

 is already occupied by the stock farmer. 



DEEP WATER ON THE TEXAS COAST. 



The stock interests of the western country are desirous to see the 

 Federal Government take decided action to concentrate all appro- 

 priations made by the river and harbor bill for Mexican Gulf, ports 

 upon one Texas harbor, with a view to secure a deep-water port capa- 

 ble of admitting the large ocean-going vessels. This was expressed 

 in a resolution unanimously adopted by the International Range 

 Association at the last meeting, held at Denver, Colo., as follows: 



OFFICE OF THE INTERNATIONAL RANGE ASSOCIATION, 



Denver, Colo., April 2, 1888. 



To the Senators and Representatives in the Congress of the United States : 



I am directed by the International Range Association to call your attention to the 

 following resolution, passed unanimously at the regular meeting of the association 

 recently held in this city, viz: 



" Resolved by the International Range Association, That Congress be, and is 

 hereby, earnestly urged to provide measures to secure a deep-sea channel at some 

 point on the Texas coast." 

 Very respectfully, 



H. M. TAYLOR, 

 Secretary International Range Association. 



No expression was adopted with more unanimity, and none was 

 more important. The immense ranges of the West produce hun- 



