hubert howe bancroft - Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History ...

CATTLE. 55
The new restrictive methods are particularly favororable
to the development of dairying, which was
j under the constant introduction of the heavier American, which is far
superior for milk and beef, though excelled for special purposes by Jerseys,
Dorhaina, Ayrshire*, and Alderneys. These growing favorites deteriorate on
the wild pastures, but with the growing price of land and expansion of farming
and horticulture, the ranges are peing reduced, and cattle-raising ia
becoming more and more associated with other branches, within cultivated
fields and pastures more suited for the liner breed. The greater part is confined
to farms, serving to glean stubble and weed, and returning manure.
Some farmers are still able to send their stock to the mountains, if numerous,
and so impart to it the benefit of continued pasture, together with an invigorating
climate. The plains begin to dry in July. The mountains supply the
deficiency better until Oct.; then, till Jan., follows a season of scanty feed,
under which the stock grows thin, a percentage dying of starvation almost
every year. The available acreage under these conditions is greatly reduced
in value. In the rugged northern border counties an average range of 35
acres is calculated for every head, from Shasta to 35° lat. 25 acres, although
tome assume 5 acres of valley land, or 20 of mountain slopes, to suffice in
central California, and so in Los Angeles; others insist upon 10 acres on S.
Joaquin plains. In the more humid coast counties of Humboldt and Mendocino,
7 acres are sufficient. Of sheep, 4 to 5 subsist on the acreage for 1
cow. The return per acre is not large in a stock-raising business alone.
The effort of stock-raisers is to secure water, so as to control much of the
adjoining government land. Thus, £1 Tejon rancho of 200,000 acres, which
contains all the available water, controls 300,000 acres of public land. Miller
& Lux own 750,000 acres, costing them on an average $6, 600,000 acres being
under fence, and estimated to sustain one head on every three acres.
Their success is due to an admirable business tact, associated with prudence
and personal supervision, ever eliminating the wasteful and applying improved
methods. William Dunphy and (ien. Beale rank among the first in
importance, and J. D. Carr, P. Saxe, C. Younger, and J. Bidwell are among
leading breeders of fine stock.
Mr Dunphy was a pioneer of 1849, a man of great ability and merit, who
associated himself with T. Hildreth to form one of the leading cattle firms on
the coast, with Nevada as chief range for his 20,000 head of cattle, and S. F.
for a market. In the north-east section of the state, chiefly dedicated to
stock-raising, Irvin Ayres holds a corresponding position. He was born on
March 30, 1832; in Montgomery county, N. York, where his father practised
as physician. Reaching California in 1853 he became agent for the
Cal. Stage Co. at Tehama, and drifted, after a brief experience as livery-stable
keeper, into the trading, notably at Fort Bidwell, at present as member of
the firm of D. L. Beck & Sons. During the union war he drilled several
companies for service, and was barely restrained by business pressure from
'otning the fortunes of his brother, Gen. R. B. Ayres, a graduate of West
i
taint, stationed in Cal. in 1854 and 1859, who acheived a brilliant record as
one of the five foremest artillerists during that war.
Miller k Lux are able to brand 90 per cent of calves, while on some of
the open ranges of Kern only 60 per cent are branded. The increase in
weight bince in 1855, under improved breed, feed, and method, has been fully
200 lbs. per head, the average weight of yearlings in 1855 being 250 to 400
lbs. net, and in 1880, 400 to 450, and of beeves 450 to 500 lbs. as compared
with 750 to 800 in 1880. The live weight of American three-and-a-half-yearold
beeves is placed at 1,100 lbs., worth $24; graded American 1,150 lbs.,
worth $25; three-fourths American 950 lbs., $21; half-breed Californian 875
lbs., $21; California 800 lbs., $19. U. S. Census, 1880, iii. 1035. The average
value of cow9, $17; of calves, $7. Every 100 cows are estimated to drop 80
calves, 73 surviving to yearlings. The percentage of loss among cattle over