Show live stock tf JB AV 9 los angeles june 30 in years past the beet beef cattle industry in the west has been conducted largely as a range operation depending upon the seasonal grass supplies where feed lot operations developed they vere bere conducted along the line of a separate business from that of the range cattle producer in those days the reason tor for this of 0 course was that much of tho the grass land was not suitable for cultivation and the calves were produced in those sections and shipped to sections where proper concentrated feeds were available this practice continues to a large extent at the present time but the tendency on the part of the range cattle man is toward developing teed feed lot operations in connection with his range production this gets away from the uncertainty of depending on seasonal grasses and the losses which have occurred so frequently from a marketing standpoint brought about by the necessity of moving the bulk of the years production in a short period the coupling in of the practice ol of lot finishing lias has been made possible to a largo large extent by the th constantly increasing acreage each year coming under irrigation which with an increased yield of roughage and concentrates at points nearby the range producing sections in many cases even though teed feed lot finishing i snot pursued cattle raisers are utilizing different forms of rough age and concentrates as supplemental feeds to till fill in during seasons when the grasses tail fail thus spreading out the marketing period accomplishing shing better distribution and putting a finish on beet beef animals which makes them more desirable an important element in combining teed feed ing of livestock with the range production has been the economical maintenance of 0 soil fertility in the irrigated sections and this element Is being recognized as it has proven itself in the middle west A considerable amount of education at al work is being done in tile the west along these lines and noticeable progress is being made it is a fact that the concentrates grown in the west such as barley milo mile and katir have as great a fattening value as those produced in the middle west and many times are grown more economically then too the southwest particularly ticul arly has access to large amounts ot of cottonseed cake and meal which has a high feed value due to the amount of dig digestible estable protein which it contains many range producers are ara using cotton cake by spreading it on the range to supplement the grass ration and it has proven an excellent conditioner where the grass crop Is s poor door or weather conditions such as to make grazing difficult a few pounds of this teed feed taking the place of a large amount of forage several large plants are projected in the southwest especially in southern california tor for the purpose ot of manufacturing feeds to meet tile the growing requirements these concerns on are equipped with modern research and laboratory departments tor for the purpose of finding and putting together in the best beet way possible various foods adapted to the fattening of livestock no doubt the manufacture of 0 these concentrated feeds will represent a most important western industry and will be ol of material assistance in rounding out tho the agricultural program ot of the west in utilizing much ma mater lla that Is now being wasted the west Is admirably situated to produce its own beet beef cattle raising its own teed feed and carrying on extensive feed lot operations either through the range producer doing tile the actual feeding or producing tha feeders on the range and selling them to nearby toed feed lot operators the coast demand for well finished beet beef animals in a large volume has made it necessary to reach back to distant points for supplies but indications are that these demands will soon be met mc by local western production |