220 RURAL CALIFORNIA 



upon the purchase of animals of high blood than in 

 California." 



The result of this effort and expenditure was the 

 transformation of the common stock. Although the 

 drives from the Southwest to the great plains were 

 chiefly cattle of Mexican type, those gathered in 

 California for this movement were very different, for 

 they had more or less crossing with the pure-bred 

 and had assumed a distinctive character known as 

 American. 



In this contribution of graded stock to the ranges 

 of the interior, California helped to demonstrate 

 a matter which was greatly in doubt several decades 

 ago, although now unquestioned, and that is the 

 ability of improved stock to endure the hardships 

 of the range. In 1859 a Butte County cattleman 

 wrote: "I have since 1852 been engaged in stock 

 breeding in northern California. Shorthorn grades 

 I have invariably found to keep in good condition 

 upon a smaller amount of feed than any of the 

 native or common run of stock. Last winter I had a 

 band of Shorthorn grades, common American and a 

 cross between them and the native stock. Of the 

 latter kinds I lost 18 per cent by starvation; of the 

 grades not one. Because of half-starved condition 

 many common cows dropped small deformed calves 

 which died when dropped. My neighbor lost 50 

 per cent of his calves this spring from that cause. 

 I have not yet lost a calf from a grade cow." 



The editor who published the foregoing added this : 

 "If a cross of improved breeds produced a hardier 



