The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 71, July 1967 - April, 1968 Page: 41
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Range Deterioration in West Texas
of life, were eager to give up enterprises with which they were familiar
and go into the "cow business." Every state in the United States was
represented in the single State of Texas; and in every county in the State
recognized as stock country, Englishmen, Scotchmen, and indeed men from
most of the countries of Europe, were rushing to get a foothold, "a
range right," and herds of cows to make them rich in a hurry, eating
"free grass.""
It is difficult to estimate the number of cattle that moved into West
Texas during the boom period. The cow business was all profit, or at
least its promoters said so. The result was bound to be disastrous.
Men of every rank were eager to go into the "cow business." In a short
time every acre of free grass was stocked beyond its fullest capacity.
'Thousands of cattle or sheep were crowded on the ranges where half
the number was too many. The grasses were entirely consumed; their
very roots were trampled into the dust and destroyed. In their eagerness
to get something for nothing speculators did not hesitate at the per-
manent injury, if not total ruin, of the finest grazing country in America."'
Range deterioration started immediately under the huge numbers
of cattle on the semi-arid West Texas ranges. Livestock yields went
down and demands to increase the number of cattle came from the
absentee owners. In 1889 Fred Horsbrugh, manager of the Spur Ranch,
wrote his board, "with the advent of large numbers of cattle, land
became dear, and was bought, or leased, and fenced into pastures.
With this the character of the grass completely changed; where for-
merly there was long luxuriant grass that would fatten an animal
without his having to do too much walking; there is now only short
grass at the best of seasons.""'
It is difficult to determine just what level of stocking rates caused
the rapid deterioration of the ranges of West Texas. Records on most
ranches were poorly kept. It was quite common to keep a "book figure"
for the record and a range tally for actual operating. The "book fig-
ure" usually assumed a predetermined percentage calf crop and death
loss. The extent to which the book figure could be incorrect is evident
in the 190o5 figures of the Spur Ranch. Their book figures indicated
46,932 cattle; the manager's actual count was 32,o021."
6"Bentley, Cattle Ranges of the Southwest, 8.
"7Henry Lewis Bentley, A Report Upon the Grasses and Forage Plants of Central Texas,
in United States Department of Agriculture, Division of Agrostology, Bulletin No. zo
(Washington, 1898), 9.
"sWilliam Curry Holden, The Spur Ranch; A Study of the Inclosed Ranch Phase of
the Cattle Industry in Texas (Boston, 1934), 38.
"Ilbid., 59-
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 71, July 1967 - April, 1968, periodical, 1968; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117145/m1/59/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.