2 BULLETIN 1031, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



tervals, came dry periods, series of dry years, with much less forage 

 produced than was required by the stock on the range and with 

 heavy losses from starvation. During the early days, before all the 

 ranges had been opened up, there was opportunity to develop new 

 range in such an emergency and thus relieve the situation to some 

 extent. Such possibilities diminished more and more, however, as 

 practically all the range came into use, until there was little oppor- 

 tunity of this nature during the drought that ended in 1910, and 

 practically none in the drought of 1916 to 1918. 



The setback to the live-stock industry, caused by this combination 

 of unfavorable climatic conditions and unwise range practice, comes 

 about mainly through heavy losses of stock, low calf crop, interfer- 

 ence with improvement of breeding herds, retarded growth of young 

 stock, and range deterioration. 



During the last drought, 1916 to 1918, according to estimates based 

 on the best data obtainable, losses were at an average rate of 20 per 

 cent annually for the three-year period and reached as high as 35 

 per cent in 1918, the worst year of the drought. Individual losses 

 were as high as 50 per cent. 



The large reduction in calf crop is probably next in importance to 

 losses. The natural increase is the main source of income, and if 

 greatly reduced at a time when expenses are high the result is serious. 

 The calf crop for some of the ranges affected by the last drought was 

 estimated at 35 per cent in 1917, 25 per cent in 1918, and 35 per cent 

 in 1919, the three years most influenced by the drought. These fig- 

 ures are probably not far from representing the true situation. 



Drought also has been a prime factor in retarding improvement 

 in the grade of stock. Heavy losses and forced sales might wipe 

 out years of effort in building up the herd or reduce the numbers 

 to an extent that culling and selection necessary to maintain qualit}' 

 would not be consistent with the importance of increasing the herd 

 to take advantage of good years, or the set-back might be such that 

 it left the stockman financially unable to purchase the right kind 

 of bulls. 



Retarded growth and development of young stock is a consequence 

 of the poor forage on the range in time of drought. This results 

 in further decreased returns from the industry, due to lower prices 

 being paid for stock taken, many steers being rejected by buyers and 

 left on the range when they should have been removed to make as 

 much range available as possible for cows, and heifers being stunted 

 and thus requiring another year's growth before they would breed. 



Range deterioration, or actual killing out of a part of the valuable 

 forage plants, is one of the bad effects of drought which requires 

 several good years to overcome. The extent of range deterioration 



