Beef Producers of the West 49 
cost of producing cattle conducted by the writer for the 
Cattle and Horse Raisers’ Association of Oregon indicate 
that with present (1916) prices the average cattle-man of 
the Northwest will have left as income from the grass 
land after he pays interest on his cattle, on oné ton of 
hay to a head and other incidentals, not to exceed $2.50 
a head. Therefore, the man who invests in range land 
should figure that land enough for a cow will produce not 
over $2.50 per annum. 
The reason that the present ranges are devoted to 
cattle rather than to some other form of agriculture, is 
because the land is too rough to be used for anything but 
cattle, sheep, or horses, and the competition of the farmer 
horse-breeder has largely done away with the range 
horse-men. The range is still rather evenly divided 
between cattle and sheep. The chief reason for raising 
cattie in preference to sheep is the absence of high moun- 
tain pastures where the grass will be green throughout the 
summer. This green grass is necessary for the ewes and 
their lambs, but the cattle can thrive in the drier sections. 
The high mountains of the Forest Reserves are especially 
suitable to sheep, and would be almost exclusively devoted 
to that industry were it not for the policy of the forest 
officials, who prefer cattle to sheep on account of the less 
damage done to young trees. The Forest Supervisor 
often refuses to allow cattle-men to run sheep in place of 
cattle, but will readily grant permission to make opposite 
change. These are the most important factors, although 
in many cases the large amount of work and worry con- 
nected with the sheep business leads the stockman to take 
up cattle instead; while personal preference is another 
factor. 
