CHAPTER II. 



PROGRESS OF THE RANGE BUSINESS. 



In the phraseology of the western stock-raiser, there 

 are two distinct ranges the southern or breeding range, 

 and the northern or finishing range, sometimes called 

 the steer range. Broadly speaking, the states of. Texas, 

 Oklahoma, Arizona and New Mexico and the southern 

 half of Colorado constitute the southern or breeding 

 range. The rest of the Rocky Mountain states form the 

 northern or finishing range. 



After the great die-off in 1886 the stockmen of the 

 northern range practically abandoned the raising of 

 calves and turned their attention almost wholly to the 

 handling of steers. The long cold winters were not well 

 suited to the raising of calves under open range condi- 

 tions, but the quality of the grasses found on those 

 ranges gave a growth and finish to the young spindle- 

 legged steers brought up from the southern breeding 

 ground that made them almost equal to the corn-fed ar- 

 ticle. 



The Southern Steer Trade. Thus there grew up a 

 regular trade between the two sections, and young steers 

 by the thousands were moved northward every spring 

 from the southern ranges. The animals began their 

 long journey in the cars, but owing to the lack of rail- 

 road facilities the majority of them left the road and 

 finished the trip on foot. 



33 



