Living from Livestock 



The Natural Conditions of Montana Make It a Great Pro- 

 ducer of Livestock, the Present Industry Tending to 

 Foster the Raising of High Grade Animals 

 on Smaller Farms 



I HERE has been witnessed no more remarkable change in any 

 industry in Montana than that in livestock, which has changed 

 from that of the bonanza stockman, on the large ranch, to a 

 profitable enterprise of the small stockman-farmer with well 

 kept herds of high grade stock. And yet this change has brought 

 with it an increased profit to the farmer and an increased pro- 

 duction of beef cattle to supply the needs of the eastern markets. 

 Montana has natural conditions that foster the industry. 

 It has always been and always will be a great producer of livestock. The great herds 

 that roamed the plains in the past and were shipped in the fall to the eastern markets, 

 to compete there with the corn fed animals of the central states, brought untold for- 

 tunes to the great cattle kings of the west. The climatic conditions that made it 

 possible for the animals in Montana to range out most of the winter months, made 

 the cost of production small and losses from severe weather few. Even the activities 

 of "rustlers" and the losses from lack of care failed to cut down the margin of 

 profit to any appreciable extent. 



Free Kange About Gone. 



All this has changed with the coming of the homesteader and farmer. The free 

 public range has gone never to return and with it the cowboy, the large ranch and 

 the vast herds of range stock. The cowboy tales of picturesque scenes of a few years 

 ago find no application today to the small herds of well bred stock of the numerous 

 stockmen-farmers in all parts of the state. 



Yet a Great Producer. 



And yet Montana has not lost its place as a producer of livestock. So well ' is 

 the smaller stockman succeeding his predecessor that annually the great quota 

 of Montana beef cattle is supplied to the eastern markets. The number of animals 

 on the open range is being surpassed annually. The production of the open range 

 reached its maximum in 1894, when more than 300,000 head of beef cattle were 

 shipped to market from this state. This, however, was an abnomal year, and the 

 average for a period of twenty years ran from 200,000 to 225,000 head. While 

 1914 was the lowest mark reached in cattle shipments, there has been a rapid 

 increase since then with a total of 264,382 cattle in 1916, and in 1917, the largest 

 number ever marketed, 334,000, with a valuation of nearly $30,000,000, while the 

 local consumption has been constantly on the increase. 



Pure Bred Stock Numerous. 



The passing of the public range and the necessity for better care of livestock 

 naturally resulted in more attention being paid to the class of animals being raised, 

 so that splendid herds of pure bred stock are now scattered all over the state, while 

 the general grade of all animals has been improved. This is strikingly shown by a 



