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 quality 
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 
