42 BULLETI2T 1031, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



mands of such a situation, make it seem obvious that the character 

 and extent of livestock production in the section where these condi- 

 tions prevail should be carefully adjusted to the supply of range 

 forage as the primary source of feed. This is at least so until such 

 time as agricultural development and economic conditions change in 

 a way to suppl}^ other feeds in amount and at a price compared with 

 the value of stock which make extensive feeding profitable. 



The number of stock grazed must either be confined at all times to 

 the number that the range will carry over periods of drought, or pro- 

 vision be made to reduce the number of stock when drought begins 

 and increase them again with the improvement of range following 

 drought. To limit the number of stock in good years to the number 

 that can be carried over in drought would entail the loss of a great 

 amount of forage, amounting in good years to as much as 50 per cent 

 or more of the carrying capacity in normal years. The situation calls 

 for an adjustment in the business that will permit obtaining the 

 maximum use of the forage produced in good years, but at the same 

 time will permit orderly reduction in the number of stock in time of 

 drought without loss. 



Using as a basis the data on the volume of range forage which 

 may reasonably be expected annually over a period of years including 

 a drought and the effect of this variation upon grazing capacity or 

 percentage of stock grazed each year, as arrived at in the preceding 

 chapters, it remains to decide upon the class of stock and their num- 

 bers and management annually and for a period of years including 

 a drought. 



SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO A CATTLE-BREEDING SECTION. 



All stockmen may not agree that the ranges of southern New 

 Mexico are essentially a cattle-breeding ground. The facts, however, 

 appear to warrant this statement. One alternative would be to ob- 

 tain steers at an early age and grow them to 2, 3, or 4 j^ears of age 

 for shipment to northern and middle western pastures and feed lots 

 to be finished for beef. The difficulty of this practice is to obtain the 

 steers. In times past large numbers were obtained fi\)m Mexico. As 

 a future practice this has but doubtful possibilities, since it will be 

 some time before Mexico has any certain surplus of steers for export. 



The best permanent interests of the section will be served by de- 

 A'eloping the industry to produce calves and steers and surplus cows, 

 at least as long as present conditions prevail. In working out live- 

 stock production on this basis obviously the foundation is the breed- 

 ing herd, with variation in the number and ages of steers to conform 

 to variation in supply of range forage and market conditions. 



