3.
Modern Business Geography
The second section where the raising of beef cattle is the dominant
industry includes the grasslands scattered throughout the mountains
and plateaus farther west. There are not nearly so many cattle
in this section, however, as on the Great Plains. Although the area
is larger, the rainfall is less than in the plains, and grass is less abun-
dant. In addition to this, much of the land is too rugged for cattle.
Feeding cattle for market. In both sections enormous quantities
of alfalfa are raised in limited areas favored with irrigation (F ig. 19).
This appetizing clover is fed to the cattle during the winter or when
the natural pasture fails because of unusual dryness. Alfalfa is used
also for fattening the cattle for the market.
Some of the cattle in the dry cattle-raising sections become fat on
the natural pasture, but the majority are comparatively thin. When
they are about three years old, those that are fat are collected into cor-
rals in the fall and are driven into freight cars to be shipped directly to
the meat-packing centers, such as Kansas City and Chicago. The
thin animals are sent to the corn belt. They are purchased by the
farmers, who feed them generously upon corn and hay during the
winter, and pasture them on good grass for a few months in early
spring. Then as sleek, fat cattle, they are sold to the slaughter
houses for a sum that pays the farmer a good price not only for his
corn and hay, but for his labor. Moreover, the manure from the
cattle has enriched the soil of his farm.
—
EACH DOT REPReS
2000 HE A®
UNITED STATES
AND CANADA
NUMBER OF
CATTLE
Fia. 67. Comparison with Figure 31, page 47, shows the close relation between corn growing
and meat production. It also helps to explain why Chicago, Kansas City, and Omaha are the
leading centers of the meat-packing industrv. (Milch cows are not included on this man.)