78 BULLETIN 1031, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
buyers and lower prices for those taken. This cut-back in 1917 and 
1918 varied from 10 to as high as 50 per cent of yearlings offered for 
sale. Prices paid for yearling steers have not advanced in New 
Mexico since 1916, in spite of some improvement in grade, while 
there was marked advance in prices paid for this class of stock 
elsewhere from 1916 to 1919. According to information furnished 
by the Cattle Sanitary Board of New Mexico, the maximum average 
high price has been $40 since 1915, while the average minimum 
price has dropped from $39 per head in 1916 to $25 in 1918 and 
1919. This lack of increase in price is traceable to the lack of growth 
in young stock in time of drought. Young heifers, too, did not 
make normal growth, and while fewer of these are sold, they are 
often set back so that they are not in fair breeding condition. 
Eliminating the period of no growth, or having young stock in 
condition to respond quickly and make more rapid growth after 
feed comes, would mean a higher price for the steers to go as stock- 
_ers to northern pastures, and possibly would produce a steer that 
would go direct to the feeder. Improvement along this line is im- 
portant to obtain maximum returns from the attention and expense 
required to grow better-grade stock. 
SELLING STEERS AND SURPLUS HEIFERS AS CALVES. 
Selling steers and surplus heifers as calves in the fall would elimi- 
nate carrying them over the most expensive period of the year. The 
better grade of stock similar to that now being raised on the Jornada 
Range Reserve should find a ready. market as calves among feeders 
in the farming States. This practice will be largely hmited by two 
factors—lack of uniformity in age of calves in the fall and the 
necessity of holding over stock to consume surplus forage not needed 
by the breeding herd. 
The breeding season on Southwestern ranges is ordinarily con- 
sidered yearlong, and as a result, calves are dropped throughout the 
year, although mainly from March to July. Consequently, a large 
number of calves too young to sell in the fall must be carried through 
the winter and sold the following year. Restricting the breeding 
season to a certain period of the year would result in more uniformity 
in size of offspring at time of sale. 
Selling most of the steers and surplus heifers as calves, however, 
will not leave sufficient stock on a range to consume surplus forage 
in good years, an essential part of range management where drought 
occurs. In such cases the practicability of selling calves will depend 
upon the grade of stock being raised. If the greatest profit from 
good grade stock may be obtained by marketing the product as 
calves it may be advisable to sell the calves raised each year and in 
good years when there is surplus forage purchase cheaper steers. 
