A REVIEW OF THE CATTLE INDUSTRY 



IN MONTANA 



Aside from the records of the accumulation of numbers and growth of mar- 

 ketings, there are other angles of the cattle industry that are important his- 

 torically. These angles constitute the economic history of the cattle business in 

 Montana. 



In the early days of cattle production in Montana under conditions of free 

 usage of immense areas of public domain, a small ownership of land and little 

 fixed capital was necessary. Enough hay was raised to carry cows with calf 

 through the winters and steers in normal years shifted for themselves. Stock 

 were moved from winter or sheltered ranges to summer or open ranges in the 

 spring and trailed back again in the fall. The hazards were chiefly over-stocking 

 of ranges, poor hay crops and bad winters which could occur singly or in com- 

 bination. 



Such an unfavorable combination occurred in 1886-87. Ranges were heavily 

 stocked and grazing conditions during 1886 were below normal. The hay crop 

 was short and the following winter was severe. Cattle died by the thousand 

 and financial losses were heavy. This season from the summer of 1886 to the 

 summer of 1887 was recorded as the most unfavorable of the cattleman's exper- 

 ience in Montana. 



Generally speaking, the period from 1890 to 1910 was a favorable one for 

 the industry^ In a few years in this period grazing conditions and hay crops 

 were poor. The homesteader did not become a serious factor on the public range 

 until along toward the close of this period and the only difficulties cattlemen en- 

 countered in using the public domain were the rights of other cattlemen and the 

 increasing numbers of sheep. 



Cattle prices, which had been working downward to 1890, began rising def- 

 initely; by 1897 the Chicago price had crossed above the four cent line where it 

 remained until about 1902. From that year to about 1906, prices were lower but 

 after 1906 they again headed definitely upward. The industrial depressions of 

 1893 and 1907 were without important effects upon the industry. 



The period 1910 to 1920 was marked by two important economic events out- 

 side the cattle industry itself but which had considerable effect upon the indus- 

 try. The first of these was the severe encroachment of homesteaders upon the 

 public domain to a point where cattlemen were forced to production under con- 

 ditions of fenced range and smaller herds. Although this trend has started 

 earlier than the period named, its full effect was now apparent. The second of 

 these events was the world war and its stimulating effect upon production as 

 a result of higher beef prices. To what extent cattlemen would have been able 

 to profitably adjust their methods of beef production in response to the pressure 

 of the settler's encroachments, without the inducement of the world war to stim- 

 ulate production, is problematical. In any event we find cattlemen emerging 

 from this period as large land owners of both hay lands and grazing lands. In 

 some cases stockmen moved from original holdings to localities adjacent to the 

 National Forest in which cases the necessity of owning large tracts of grazing 

 land was obviated. 



THE WAR PERIOD 



Although marking a considerable expansion of the production of beef in 

 Montana, the period 1910 to 1920 was not one of real prosperity. On one hand 



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