410 REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



be properly classed as even "half -bred." The smallest percentage 

 of improvement is to be found in the extreme West and South, the 

 largest, so far as beef production is concerned, in the central western 

 States. 



The breeders of pure-bred cattle rank among the most intelligent 

 and progressive of American farmers. To their efforts much of the 

 improvement in the cattle of the country is due. It is also true that 

 many of them have found the business very profitable. There have 

 been great fluctuations in value, times of depression, followed by 

 years characterized by ready sales at high prices. Unfortunately 

 there has been a time of unusually depressed cattle markets for two 

 or three years past. The year 1888 was one of the least satisfactory 

 to either breeders or feeders that has been known for many years. 

 Some of the causes are easily seen. Among the chief may be named 

 the remarkable development of cattle-rearing on the far western 

 plains. Under the conditions found there of practically free land, 

 with a climate such that the sparse grass dried where it grew and left 

 passable food during the winter, it was possible to produce moderately 

 good cattle at very low cost. Vast sums were invested in these west- 

 ern cattle ranches, and the supplies from them became enormously 

 large. The demand for cattle with which to stock these ranches gave 

 a stimulus to cattle-rearing in the central western States, and in some 

 degree reduced the supplies sent to the ordinary markets. After a 

 few years the proprietors of many of these ranches found that the 

 losses from severe winters and other causes resulted in a net loss in- 

 stead of the expected profit. This caused a disposition to reduce the 

 numbers by increasing the shipments to market. The demand for 

 breeding-stock for the ranches largely ceased. The year 1887 was 

 characterized by severe* drought over a large area and a decreased 

 corn crop. Increased shipments to market, often of only partially 

 fattened cattle, naturally followed. Lower and lower prices fol- 

 lowed, jRrith increasing discouragement to producers and increasingly 

 large shipments, often of calves or breeding females. 



The receipts of cattle at Chicago in 1888 were about 230,000 in ex- 

 cess of those in any previous year. They were 2,611,543, aside from 

 about 100,000 calves. This is an average of 50,000 for each week. 

 In one week over 70,000 were received, with over 20,000 in one day. 

 The year 1889 opens with almost unprecedentedly low prices for both 

 fat and breeding cattle. It is believed, however, that a reaction is 

 not far distant, and that fairly remunerative prices will again pre- 

 vail. There is no reason to believe that cattle rearing is to cease to 

 be a leading industry among the farmers of the United States.^ 



In a country of such vast extent there is great variation in the 

 systems of management. Those of most general interest are the 

 ones pursued in the regions which furnish the largest numbers of 

 cattle or beef for the great markets of the country. These are chiefly 

 the two regions already described as the great maize and grass pro- 

 ducing States in the central West and the grazing lands of the still 

 further West. 



In contrast with the best systems in older countries, or even those 

 most favored in the older settled portions of the United States, the 

 cattle rearing and feeding of these regions seems rude, often waste- 

 ful of land and food. The one thing most carefully husbanded is 

 human labor. Judged by adaptation to the circumstances, or by the 

 quality of much of the product, the systems pursued in the West 

 are good. 



