46 PRODUCTION 



In the United States deficiency of rainfall sets another limit to 

 the extension of agriculture, in preventing a rapid expansion of 

 meat-producing pastoral industries. The rough grazing lands or 

 " ranges " of the United States have been damaged in many 

 cases by over-stocking, 1 and it is now found that they require careful 

 management by seeding, limitation of stock, and definite periods 

 of rest if their grasses are to be saved from complete destruction. 2 

 The climatic conditions throughout the Western pastoral States 

 are such as to make close grazing by stock no longer possible. The 

 successful growing of lucerne or alfalfa as a forage crop, which is 

 the chief refuge of stock-raisers in those parts of North and of 

 South America liable to partial drought, requires a minimum aver- 

 age of 10-inch rainfall. This condition and others of soil and climate 

 necessary for the successful cultivation of lucerne are absent over 

 the greater part of the western area occupied by pastoral ranges. 



The limits upon further extension or expansion of stock-raising 

 are thus more or less definitely set for the present by natural con- 

 ditions as far as the West is concerned. 3 It is now convenient to 

 examine the various ways in which the pressure of population and 

 the increase of field crops for home consumption and for export, 

 have caused encroachment upon the resources available for the 

 prodution of animal foodstuffs throughout the country. Even 

 the W T estern Mountain States have suffered in this way. 4 It will 

 be seen that, without the introduction of more intensive methods 

 of farming, the meat-producing capacities of the country have 

 seriously threatened. 



In the first place, population has recently increased faster than 

 the area of farm lands has done, as shown in the following 

 table. 5 



1 " Pasture ranges which formerly supported 3-2 million cattle now carry 

 only 640.000 head ; in thirty years the carrying capacity of the range has 

 much decreased." U.S. Dept., Farmers' Bulletin, 72, " Cattle Ranges of 

 the South- West, especially Texas," p. 19. 



" To say that, on the whole, the annual crop of forage (in the Western States) 

 is 25% less than it was originally, is believed to be conservative, " U.S. Dept. 

 Agric Bureau of Crop Estimates, Report 110, p. 18. 



2 U.S. Dept. of Agric., Bulletin, 34 : " Range Improvement by Deferred 

 and Rotation Grazing," also Bulletin, 367, 1916 : " Carrying Capacity of 

 Grazing Lands in Southern Arizona," also U.S. Dept Agric., Report No. 110, 

 1916 : " Live Stock Production in Far Western Range States." 



3 However probable future developments may modify these restrictions 

 to some small extent. Various important irrigation schemes are now in pro- 

 gress, and the American Department of Agriculture recommends stock- 

 raising on irrigated lands to provide a change from cropping. Similar addi- 

 tions to live-stock may be made through the progress of dry-farming, the 

 introduction of drought-resisting forage plants, etc., but the total increase 

 through these developments cannot be very great at present. See also 

 American Geog. Review, Jan., 1916, pp. 48, 49, where a prominent writer 

 emphasises the likelihood of an increase in the future meat production of the 

 Western States. 



4 See American Geog. Review, Oct., 1916, p. 299 : The Mountain States " are 

 in an unstable and transition stage of economic development. The value 

 of the crops now exceeds that of the cattle and sheep." 



6 Figures taken from Report of the 13th Census, Vol. V., p. 67. 



