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Show BRIGHT FUTURE FOR LIVE STOCK Experiments With New Mexican Ranges Show New Possibilities Possibil-ities for "Industry. Rnngo experiments in tho southwest south-west are developing range improvements improve-ments which will mnko posslblfi a very material incrcaso in tho livestock industry in-dustry of this section of tho United States within thho next few ycara, according to Prof. R. J. Becraft in charge of range management studies for tho Utah Agricultural experiment station. Prof. Bccrnft recently made n trip through California, Nevada, Arizona, Now Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming to study tho rnngo experiments of theso states and to learn whnt they were doing to develop this immense industry which will of necessity always al-ways be of great importance in tho west. Two of tho most important experimental experi-mental reserves visited by Prof. Bccrnft Bc-crnft wcro tho Santa Rita Rnngo Reserve Re-serve and tho Jornado Reserve n tract of 40,000 acres near Las Cruses, New Mexico. On both sides of theso reserves, re-serves, which under tho supervision of tho U. S. Forest Service, very extensive ex-tensive experiments aro under way. Tho Jornado Rescrvo is a semi-desert rnngo which received an nvcrago of only eight inches of rainfall annually. an-nually. Wonderful results havo been obtained on this reservo in rongo improvement im-provement even though year long grazing is practiced, according to Prof. Becrnft. This has been accomplished accom-plished by stocking very highly the most choice rage, the grama grass type, during tho growing season, determining just what tho range would carry and then not overstocking overstock-ing it, and by tho better distribution of water places. These factors aro responsible re-sponsible for a E0 per cent increase in foliage in three years time. Anothor big problem under investigation investi-gation on this range is tho prevention of disastrous -losses of cattle during drought periods. In 191G, 1917 and 19 : 18 a very sovcro drouth was experienced experi-enced in the southwest. On tho rescrvo the steers and culled cows wcro disposed dis-posed of and an attempt made to thirds of tho herd. Theso wcro successfully suc-cessfully carried through tho drouth by supplementary feeding whereas on the open range thousands of cattlo died and many stockmen wcro financially finan-cially ruined. "In different parts of the country the range problem varies," saya Prof. Becraft, "but without doubt much of our range is capacity and tho adjustment adjust-ment of number of stock management, manage-ment, other problems suih as tho beat range rccccding, deferred grazing, cts. furnish a rich field for experi-mentn experi-mentn work in this state. |