LIVE STOCK ON DRY FARMS 429 



doubly valuable. The protection wanted may also be 

 furnished at a minimum cost. 



The amount of live stock that a dry land farm will 

 sustain cannot be stated. It cannot be even approxi- 

 mated, owing to the very great difference in the condi- 

 tions. It will r3e at once manifest that where the rain- 

 fall is 18 inches, much more live stock can be kept than 

 where it is but 12, or even 15 inches. It will also be ap- 

 parent that where bulky foods may be readily grown, as 

 corn and the sorghums, more live stock relatively may 

 be kept than in areas where these do not succeed well 

 because of low temperatures. It would seem safe to 

 say, that the amount of live stock that a dry farm will 

 sustain will increase with increase in the precipitation. 

 The relative number that such a farm will sustain is not 

 high, not so high as in humid areas. Such farming 

 where the farmer has no access to outside grazing lands 

 is usually a mixed farming proposition in which the 

 growing of grain for sale will probably be a dominant 

 factor for many years to come. It would be unwise, 

 therefore, for one situated thus to make the growing 

 of live stock a dominant factor in his work at the out- 

 set, but this may be done by the farmer who has access 

 to pastures that are cheap or free. 



Great care should be exercised not to overstock the 

 dry farm. Under the most favored conditions, such a 

 mistake is very costly, as it forces the sale of the ani- 

 mals, whether in good condition or lean, and at such a 

 time it is almost certain that they will be lean. When 

 a very dry season comes, and it may come at any time, 

 there may be a serious shortage in both pasture and fod- 

 der, hence some reserve kept over from a season more 

 bountiful may be a wise provision. While the hazard 

 mentioned may occur, it does not furnish a fitting ex- 

 cuse for the exclusion of live stock from any farm. 



