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<br />..... <br /> <br />C...] <br />" <br /> <br />~, <br /> <br /><: <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />On Red Mesa farmers with junior water rights have more <br /> <br />dairy cattle than beef cattle. In the recent drought years the <br /> <br />dairy industry suffered severely as it was impossible to pro- <br /> <br />duce sufficient feed. Farmers who formerly owned dairy herds <br /> <br />were forced to sell their stock and many farmers were unable <br /> <br />to keep even one milk cow to supply family needs. Since 19;6 <br /> <br />dairying has shown some recovery and is reported by creameries <br /> <br />now to be better developed in La Plata Valley than elsewhere in <br /> <br />the San Juan Basin. With an improved water supply there should <br /> <br />be a considerable increase in the industry. <br /> <br />Hog raising is not general in the project because of the <br /> <br />lack of good pasture facilities, although there are a few <br /> <br />farmers in the Colorado Division raising 75 or more hogs per <br /> <br />year. A considerable increase in hog production should result <br /> <br />from an improvement in ~nter supply as there will be an in- <br /> <br />crease in available feed including ~3sture, skim milk, and grain. <br /> <br />ECONOMIC FEATURES <br /> <br />The La Plata Basin suffered hoavily in the drought cycle of <br /> <br />1928 to 1936. The water supply for the area, never abundant <br /> <br />except for a few weeks in the spring, was so short in the drought <br /> <br />20 <br />