Durango semi-weekly herald., 1907-09-16
RESEEDING THE RANGE WITH
CULTIVATED GRASSES.

sources of the West-the forage crop.
From the plains to the Pacific an as
tonishingly large proportion of the
area is grazing land. 1t is estimated
that this region contains over 100000,
600 acres which are useful at present
only for pasturing stock. A map
printed in colors to bring out the main
areas of agricultural, grazing, and
desert lands was published not long
ago. 1t showed the grazing-land color
spread like a sheet over nearly all
this vast domain. which comprises
something like one-third of the en-
tire United States, with relatively
minor patches of the other colors.
In arid regions the range is compare
lively poor, but almost everywhere
enough forage plants can grow to
make grazing profitable.
The forest service, in cooperation
with the bureau of plant industry,
has begun a series of experiments to
fnd out how the carrying power OF
grazing lands within national forests
can be increased. In nutshell, the
problems are, first, how to grow, and
second, how to utilize the largest
amount of forage. The conclusions
| reached are likely to have an import
| ant bearing on improved use of the
open range generally. The economic
possibilities of these experiments are
enormous.
In the past the stockman on the
public lands has simply taken what
nature offered him. But grazing tends
to put nature at disadvantage.
| Plants which propagate by seed, for
example, have no chance when the
seed stalks are being eaten off all
the time. In many grazing regions
the carrying power of the range has
| been very greatly reduced through
| the present methods of use. Within
national forests the restriction of the
number of stock to the capacity of
Il
worst evils which result from over
grazing. But the new investigations
promise much greater things.
These Investigations are to be car
ried out along three distinct lines
studies of what can be done in the
way of introducing cultivated grasses,
studies of range improvement through
better knowledge of how wild grasses
propagate, and studies of how to han.
die both cattle and sheep SO as to re-
duce the waste due to herding and
trampling. The present account deals
with the first, the introduction of cul-
tivated grass.
| The man in charge of these studies
is Mr.. Frederick v. Coville, of the
bureau of plant industry, who is an
expert in matters connected with the
use of the range. Mr. Coville made
a careful study of grazing problems
iii the Cascade mountains of Oregon
lor the interior department ten years
ago, and contributed to the discussion
OF grazing questions which formed
| part of the public lands commission
| report made in 1905. 1t was on his
recommendation that the laboratory
for desert botanical research was es-
tablished by the Carnegie institution
| OF Washington at Tucson, Ariz. He
is. therefore, very well prepared for
this work. which to be successful.
must be run on thoroughly practical
lines.
The experiment will begin in Wall
owa county, in northeastern Oregon.
In the lmnaha national forest. Here.
at different attitudes, a number of
moist natural meadows have been
picked out. Those having the great
est altitude are 10000 feet or more
above the sea, where in early July
the snow still covers the ground, al.
though rapidly melting under the sum
mer sun. The lowest meadows are
about 5000 feet above sea level.
ihe puipOst VI lHeSe Wet-meaQOW
experiments is improvement of the
summer range. Stock do not winter
in the mountains, but are driven grad
ually higher and higher as the ad-
vancing season calls forth the vege-
tation on which they feed. The win. |
ter ranges on the plains, supplemented
largely by the hay. alfalfa, and other
feed crops which the ranches produce.
depend for their utilization upon this |
summer pasturage, to which the stock
can be driven when the dry season
sets in. If means can be found to i'm.
prove the summer range the benefit
will be felt from Canada to Arizona
and New Mexico. so that the expert.
ments are OF broad Importance.
In the higher parts of the Imnaha
national forest good late summer pas.
ture for sheep is valuable. Snow