262 PROFITABLE STOCK RAISING 



back as long as it was possible. The era of big 

 pastures on public land came to an end a number 

 of years ago, through government intervention. 

 The immediate result of this was the throwing upon 

 the market enormous numbers of range cattle. It 

 is, no doubt, due to this fact more than to any other 

 that the exportation of cattle became so heavy in 

 the years between 1902 and 1906. Besides all the 

 cattle of these big companies which were fit for 

 slaughter being placed upon the market, the pas- 

 tures and feed yard of the Mississippi valley states 

 were filled with western cattle to be finished for 

 market in the corn-growing states. Still there were 

 large areas of land which were controlled by cattle 

 raisers, and which continue, even up to the present, 

 to support great numbers of range cattle. The 

 holdings of individual ranchmen were very largely 

 reduced, and a greater number of small cattle grow- 

 ers took charge of the industry. 



Irrigation along the valleys has, meanwhile, been 

 developing, so that great amounts of winter feed 

 are grown and the more progressive of these ranch- 

 men have begun feeding in the winter, thus reducing 

 their loss and placing the business upon a more 

 stable basis. Title to range land has been acquired 

 by them in most cases. State and school lands have 

 been leased, while the open government land has 

 been used as summer range upon the rule of "First 

 come first served." 



TEXAS A GREAT CATTLE STATE 



Texas has continued to be the greatest cattle- 

 producing state. The holdings there have ranged 

 from 7,000,000 to 10,000,000 for a great many years. 

 These cattle have been kept principally in pastures 

 for a long time. This is made possible by the fact 



