CHOPPED SOAPWEED AS EMERGENCY FEED. 11 



Chopping into feed : 



1 foreman, at $2 per day $2. 00 



3 laborers, at $1.50 per day 4. 50 



Fuel (gas and oil), at $4.50 per day 4. 50 



Repairs, etc., at $4 per day 4. 00 



15.00 

 Capacity per day, 25 tons. 

 Cost per ton $0. 60 



Hauling from cutter to feed lot : 



2 laborers, at $1.50 per day $3. 00 



2 mules (feed), at $0.50 per day 1.00 



4.00 

 Capacity per day, 10 tons. 

 Cost per ton . 40 



Total cost per ton delivered to the feed troughs 2. 27 



THE COST OF A MAINTENANCE RATION. 



The cost of cottonseed meal used at the Jornada Range Reserve 

 in 1918 was approximately $63.50 per ton at the reserve. The cost 

 of the soapweed was $2.27 per ton. At this rate a daily ration of 

 from 15 to 20 pounds of the soapweed with from 1 to 1J pounds of 

 cottonseed meal cost approximately from $1.46 to $1.95 per head per 

 month, which is a reasonable figure compared with the average cost 

 Of a maintenance ration of hay, even if hay were available. 



This cost does not include the cost of machinery, nor depreciation 

 on machinery, wagons, and equipment, nor any charge for the serv- 

 ices of mules, nor the cost of riding to gather the poor cattle put on 

 feed, and to keep the poorest ones segregated from the rest in the 

 feed lots. Most of these items will vary greatly and can be esti- 

 mated best by the individual feeder for his intended operations. 

 The riding will not be much greater than is ordinarily done to look 

 after the stock in times when range is short, and most stock ranches 

 have work horses or mules which would probably be idle if not used 

 in the feeding operations. 



A chopping machine of about 25 or 30 tons daily capacity and an 

 engine to run it cost approximately $1,000 early in 1918. 



THE TIME REQUIRED FOR CATTLE TO LEARN TO EAT SOAPWEED. 



Little or no trouble has been experienced in getting poor breed- 

 ing cattle to eat the chopped soapweed, and after they begin they 

 relish it. Not a single animal among approximately 1,000 head fed 

 on the Jornada Range Reserve seemed to dislike the feed or refuse 

 to eat it at the first feeding. Feeding cottonseed meal with this 

 highly palatable feed soon accustoms range cattle to the taste of 



