23 



emphasis, and well might it continue to be so used if it would en- 

 courage a larger production of cattle. Might it not better be said 

 that the rapid increase in population, rather than the decrease in 

 cattle, has been the chief factor in bringing about the present de- 

 mand for meat, and that because of this condition the demand will 

 continue to grow, and this should stimulate a larger beef production. 



MEXICAN AND CANADIAN CATTLE RANGES 



In attempting to forecast the future cattle supply of the West, 

 the regions beyond our southwestern and northwestern boundar- 

 ies must be taken into consideration. Defining the range country, 

 Mr. Frank Hastings has said: "The great bulk of the American 

 continent lying west of the g8th meridian, with large tracts in 

 Canada for its northern portion and greater still in Mexico for its 

 southern areas, may properly be called the range." 1 



Mexico has as yet developed the production of cattle only to a 

 small extent, and her significance as a factor in cattle raising lies 

 in her latent possibilities. The following is quoted from Mr. 

 Frank J. Hagenbarth of Utah, who developed the great Palomas 

 ranch in Chihuahua, 2 "The greater part of the area of Mexico 

 is above the tick line and all the plateaus leading to the Sierra 

 Madre mountains are ideal for cattle-breeding purposes. Only the 

 river bottoms and the coast country produce the bane of the cat- 

 tle industry, the tick. The whole country grows Para grass in 

 profusion. It is a marvelous feed, equal to the bunch grass of 

 Montana, succulent and highly nutritious. The states of Sonora, 

 Coahuila, Durango, Sinaloa, and Chihuahua not only produce this 

 feed in great quantities, but boast of an excellent climate. Calves 

 may come at any season of the year and encounter no vicissitude. 

 It must not be presumed that no handicap exists, however. The 

 northwest range country has a severe winter, while Mexico's 

 greatest obstacle to cattle raising is drouth. But this can be ob- 

 viated by constructing dams and storing water that falls during 

 the rainy season. The present practice, even on such properties 

 as the Terrazas ranches, is to let cattle wander anywhere from 

 ten to fifteen miles for water, if they find it then. I have met 

 few people in Mexico who had even grasped the beef-raising pos- 

 sibilities of the country. A few Polled Durham and Hereford 

 bulls have been taken in, but little effective effort can be detected, 

 and any impression that northern Mexico is in a position to flood 

 the United States markets with cattle of any kind is erroneous." 



Packers report that cattle purchased in Mexico compare well 

 with the northern United States range cattle that reach the Chi- 

 cago market. However, Mexico has not yet realized the possi- 

 bilities for the production of either cattle or sheep, and there can 



i American Breeder's Association, Annual Rept., Vol. I, p. 208. 

 2Breeders Gazette, June 21, 1911, p. 1453. 



