The Lasater Philosophy of Cattle Raising

ECOLOGY IN ACTION SOME OF THE IDEAS in this book may be challenged by old-time ranchers, but all of them will admit that Tom Lasater has made a success of his ranching operation. Lasater maintains that Nature knows best, and that Man should interfere as seldom as possible. Yet Lasater himself does not hesitate to cull heifers that fail to produce. "We might lose a few good ones, but we get all the lemons," is his basic philosophy. Regular readers of Texas Western Press publications may be surprised that we would publish a book so specifically directed to cattle people. Such a book may seem more appropriate for an agricultural college. But today Ecology is the "in" thing, and it is time our Western history buffs learned more about cows and calves! The author ( Laurence ) ranches in the State of Coahuila, Mexico, where he practices the principles advocated in this book, which he learned from his father (Tom) who ranches in Colorado. Lasater's explanations of the "Six Essentials " will be of value to ranchers and will provide good reading for laymen interested in conservation. Everyone should read the chapter on "Disposition" in order to become a critic of movies which show a herd of cows running across the horizon! -CARL HERTZOG