RANGE AND CATTLE MANAGEMENT DURING DROUGHT. 69 
maintenance ration. Cottonseed cake has been used to supplement 
the range forage each year on the Jornada Range Reserve. 
Table 25 shows the actual number and per cent of total herd, 
amount of cottonseed cake fed to supplement range forage, and cost 
of feeding, for the main breeding herd of approximately 1,500 head 
on the Jornada Range Reserve, 1915 to 1918. 
TABLE 25.—Records of supplemental feeding of cottonseed cake with range for- 
age to cows from the main herd of approximately 1,500 head. 
Amount | Total Cost per 
Vee Number Be cen cotton- | cost of Eos pee head Period of 
; cows fed. fea seed feed and fed entire feeding. 
: cake. feeding. . herd. 
Pounds. 
NOUS 1G Set ae ek Stl 174 5.1 5,900 | $118.00 $1.59 $0.08 | Feb. 1-Apr. 26, 
NOUGS pas See. © EAT 1200 13.1 16, 885 485.45 2.42 .32 | Dec. 18-Aug. 7. 
QUESTS eee een fie 21,296 85.4 59,424 | 1,772.72 1.39 1.19 | Jan. 1-July 31. 
POUSSTNG BR ARI Ee Ee ees SEMEMIA GAR Gici ic lame eke 
1 Includes some bulls. 2 Includes only breeding cows. 3 No feeding. 
The number of stock, amount of feed, length of feeding period, 
and cost of feed will depend largely upon the year and feed prices. 
In the spring of 1916 the period was comparatively short, because of 
rains in April and May. The years 1917 and 1918 were very dry 
years and the feeding period was longer. In 1918 the ranges were 
considerably overstocked, which accounts in part for the excessive 
feeding that year. 
As pointed out under increasing the calf crop, the 500-head herd 
was fed to maintain them in thrifty condition for breeding. When 
the herd is kept in this condition there is, obviously, less ree of 
loss from starvation. 
Feeding of roughage.—In case of prolonged drought the pote of 
range feed may near depletion or become entirely exhausted. To 
meet such emergencies some supply of roughage will be of advan- 
tage. Such a supply of forage is limited to (1) native forage plants 
that are unusable in their native state but may be prepared into 
feed; (2) forage crops raised under irrigation; (3) dry-land forage 
crops raised during wet years and stored for emergency purposes. 
Of these, feeding prepared from native forage plants offers the best 
possibility thus far. 
Feeding of soapweed.—The use of soapweed as emergency feed 
(Pl. X, fig. 2) was first started on the Jornada Range Reserve in 1915 
by making ensilage out of the tops of the plants.” When fed in 1916, 
1917, and 1918 this ensilage gave very satisfactory results. During 
the fall of 1917 machinery for cutting soapweed was developed, and 
21 Jardine, James T., and Hurtt, L. C., Increased Cattle Production on Southwestern 
Ranges, U. S. Dept. of Agr., Bul. 588, 1917, p. 26. 
