KANGE MANAGEMENT IN NEW MEXICO. 9 



after the people have become adjusted to the conditions of the region. 

 No exact data are available as to the total area that may be culti- 

 vated in this way, but an estimate by good authorities places it at 

 approximately 15,000,000 acres, which is doubtless large enough to 

 cover all possibilities. 



The national forests of the State now contain 9,881,660 1 acres of 

 more or less densely timber-covered lands, practically all of which is 

 used as grazing land for at least- a part of the year. 



Large areas are included in the old Spanish land grants, but much 

 of this land is unfenced and is treated as open range. That portion 

 of it which is arable is included in the farming lands previously 

 referred to ; the remainder is grazing land of greater or less value. 



As an endowment for the public educational, penal, and charitable 

 institutions, several million acres of land have been given to the State 

 by the Federal Government, and these lands are managed by a State 

 commissioner of public lands. Much of this land is leased, and doubt- 

 less most of it will be in the not distant future. 



Large areas of land (about 4,000,000 acres) were given to some of 

 the transcontinental railroads when they were first built, but con- 

 siderable of it has been surrendered for lieu-land scrip or sold outright. 

 About one-half of their present holdings of 2,500,000 acres is rented 

 for grazing purposes, but none of it is fenced. 



About 5,000,000 acres of land are held in Indian, military, and other 

 Government reservations, not including the national forests. Stock 

 is run on most of this land, sometimes by the Indians themselves, or 

 the land is leased for grazing purposes by the agents in charge. 



On July 1, 1913, there were 31,298,621 acres of Government land 

 open for entry in the State of New Mexico, aimost all of which is 

 classified as broken or grazing land. It is probably safe to say that 

 40 per cent of the total area of the State is still Government land, 

 and therefore used without legal right and controlled only by custom. 

 It is also true that many of the State lands and the Mexican grant 

 lands that might be placed under legal control for one reason or 

 another are not so controlled to-day, though this is a continually 

 decreasing area. 



A careful analysis of these data shows that but a relatively small 

 part of the State is fitted for the growing of field crops, and it empha- 

 sizes the fact that by far the greater part of the total area, under 

 whatever form of tenure it may be held, is grazing land and is likely 

 to remain so, at least until some method of farming with a smaller 

 supply of water is developed. 



1 Apr. 1, 1914. The gross area includes over 1,000,000 acres of alienated lands. 

 84972°— Bull. 211—15 2 



