Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-01-06
TO RESEED THE RANGES
Move Of Railroads For the Good
Of Western Plains.
MATTER OF VAST IMPORTANCE.

Thousand Acres to Different Grasses
to See Which Is the Most Suitable.
Proposed to Begin the Work Early
Next Spring.
1t has just been given out by railroads
with headquarters in Omaha, Neb., that
Il plan is now on foot which cOntein-
plates the ultimate reseeding of all the
western ranges, says the st. Louis Post
Dispatch. The preliminary portion Of
the scheme, itself a work of great mag
nitudc, involves extensive experiment.
ing with tie cultivation of different
range grass seeds with a view to deter
mining those best suited to the purpose.
This proposition is one of great sig
niticance and many ramitcations.
Should it be carried to a successful is
sue the ranges of Utah, Nebraska, Wy
oming, Montana. Nevada and Idaho
will be vastly affected If the proper
grass plant can be found the different
railroads interested in these states will
go to great expense to further the
plant
The railroads expect the government
to help promote the scheme as soon as
they show the matter to be practical
The different states to be benefited will
also be asked to contribute Il share of
the general expense incurred in carry
, ing the plans to maturity.
The men who are at the head of the
plans declare the scheme for reseeding
the ranges to be of more Importance to
the country than irrigation, because the
former will if carried out be far more
extensive in its scope and in the bene-
fits resulting from its adoption The
territory which can be benefited by If
| rigation is limited because of the inabil-
! ity to secure more than Il certain!
amount of water from certain streams.
The territory to he benefited by reSeed-
ing is only limited by the extent of the
! ranges of the west.
| The entire plan is said to be 50 well
mapped out that the actual working
out of the first step will begin with the
early spring. II. c. .Jutlson, industrial
agent of the Oregon Railway and Nay
iyation company, is said to be slated
for the experimental part which will be
, first attempted. He is now in charge
of tie experimental farm Of his road
at Walla Walla, Wash, and is already
, making careful preliminary tests along
/ the line suggested.
| Western ranges have been very much
/ impoverished and injured by over
crowding of herds in the past few
years. Sheep particularly have been
the cause of the trouble, as they are
very destructive to grasses. What they
do not dig out with their sharp teeth
they punch in with their equally sharp
hoofs, and if punched beyond Il reason
able limit they can entirely destroy all
, growth except the sage grass
AS q result of the deterioration of the
range in many places it now requires
, two and three times as many acres to
! provide for Il given number Of cattle
as formerly. The railroads expect by
rcseodilg % so improve these ranges
, that they will provide For larger mum
Der than originally.
For the conduct of tie experimental!
part Of the work the following PLAZA has
been determined upon. y spot contain
+ iEg some 5000 acres will be fenced oil
in some centrally located range. This
will be divided into thirty plots for the
trying out of as many different gra sses,
The central idea will be to find some
grass which will be permanent, luXu-
RANT and hardy Seeds from all over
the world will be used, and many from
Africa and South America have al
ready been received.
When the correct grass IS found,
the government and states will be call
ed upon to actively cooperate with the
railroads to resced the plains. The gov,
eminent will be asked to make large
appropriation for the purchase and
sowing of the seed throughout the
range country and the state will be
asked to provide for state lands every
where.
All of this will mean an enormous
work, but each passing year renders
it r'ore imperative. The greatest part
Of the work will be the protection of
| that part of the country reseedcd until
the new grass has sufficient start to
maintain itself This Is II vast prob
lem, and the government will be called
upon to bring it's authority to bear in