TENURE AND USE OF ARID GRAZING LANDS. 31 
Animals of breeding age which do not breed are an incumbrance to 
the business and should be disposed of at once. Moreover, gross 
receipts depend upon quality as well as numbers of the salable ani- 
mals. High class results, therefore, are dependent on the degree of 
control over breeding. 
On an open range there is little possibility of obtaining effective 
control over the breeding of cattle. The ultimate result of this con- 
dition is a small percentage of calves per hundred cows of breeding 
age. When the percentage of increase is small the range is carrying 
more aninals, both cows and bulls, than are necessary to produce the 
largest possible number of salable animals. If the percentage of 
increase is 35 (the estimated average for New Mexico in 1918) the 
range must carry about 4.5 mature animals for every one that is sold. 
If the percentage of increase is raised to 70 the ratio is 2.7 to 1, as- 
suming the common type of business of that region, and the ordinary 
losses. On a controlled range it is not difficult to raise this percentage 
by the adoption of three or four practices that are easily applied when 
the pastures are fenced, but which are practically impossible other- 
wise. The rules of these practices are: (1) Use small breeding pas- 
tures; (2) wean the calves at six months, and keep them away from 
the cows; (3) feed small quantities of concentrates to the breeding 
animals of both sexes for a short time before and during the breeding 
season, and (4) keep all steers out of the breeding pastures. By such 
methods as these it is possible to control the time of dropping of calves 
and so have a uniform bunch of yearlings to show the buyer when he 
comes. Much better service can be obtained from valuable bulls 
in this way, and a larger number of calves from each bull, thus reduc- 
ing the number of breeding animals necessary and increasing the 
possible output of salable animals. These practices result not only 
in a larger number of salable animals but in a higher price for them 
when sold. (See p. 38.) 
Increased expenses. — Another way in which the lack of individual 
control reduces the net returns of the business is by compelling larger 
expenses. Open range management of a cattle ranch requires more 
men and saddle horses at work all the time than are necessary on a 
fenced range of the same size. An increase in the saddle horses needed 
makes necessary an increase in the stock horses (breeding mares) on 
the ranch, with a consequently smaller number of cows. Such an 
increase in men and saddle horses increases the payroll for labor and 
the expense for food and feed. 
An open range necessitates the semiannual " round-up," which is 
always expensive, not very effective, and frequently comes at an in- 
convenient time. The round-up method brings a labor load for a 
short time that is sometimes very hard to carry. Even under the 
