46 Western Live-stock Management 



ranges any but pure-bred bulls of some recognized beef 

 breed. The use of these good bulls has proven very prof- 

 itable and to-day steers of good breeding, that is, carrying 

 several crosses of Hereford or Shorthorn blood, are selling 

 for $10 to f30 a head more than unimproved stock even 

 when the feed has been the same. 



While there are many very large and very wealthy cattle 

 outfits in the West, particularly farther south, the business 

 is very largely in the hands of small cattle-men running 

 from 100 to 500 cattle and having invested a capital of 

 $10,000 to $50,000. While these men handle large 

 numbers of stock and own or control hundreds of acres 

 of land, the capital invested and the annual proceeds are 

 not so far different from the capital and income of the 

 general farms of the irrigated sections or of the Corn-Belt. 

 The profits of the business are very hard to estimate. 

 Most of the ranch-men have been in the business for many 

 years and have accumulated considerable propertj^, both 

 in cattle and land. The land was in most cases obtained 

 for little or nothing and the cattle were raised at little 

 expense. The business was accomplished by much risk 

 and considerable hardship, but on the whole those who 

 have followed it for a number of years have been successful. 

 At the present time, these men value their real estate 

 rather high, and this, combined with the large amount of 

 hay required in the winter time, makes the expense very 

 heavy. Few of these men are now making more than a 

 moderate rate of interest on the \alue which they give 

 their holdings. The situation is also complicated by the 

 rapid deterioration of the range. Much land which for- 

 merly produced a large amount of grass now produces prac- 

 tically nothing, and in many places sage-brush and weeds 

 have almost completely taken the place of grass. This 



