The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-06-28
0VERFCRoWDI1G OF
The GRAZING LANDS
Forest Service Seeking Means
For Development Of
Forage Crops.
wEEbsFoLLoW
One OF the First ~Fsosults Ct oversraz-
ing Is Seen in Number OF Mo-
ious Plants Unfit fer AMI
NAL Food.
WEEDsFoLLCW CRoWDING

Overcrowding of the grazing lands of the
public domain of the west before the crea-
ton of the national forests, brought many
of the ranges into very poor condition.,
and many stockmen have requested adj
vice on possible methods of increasing
the forage. The bureau of plant industry
of the department of agriculture, and the
forest service rave just joined in CO.
operative work in investigating the best
means to develop IN increased forage
crop in the overgrazed national forests.
Frederick V. Coville of the bureau of
plant industry has been placed in charge
Of the work of making these invest:ga-
tons and will report to the forester in
the matter. Tn fields in which these in
vestigations will Immediately begin are To-
Gated as follows: Imnaha national forest,
oregon; Sawtooth national forest, Idaho;
and Pixies Peak national forest, Colorado.
The work in each forest will be IN charge
Of a special inspector or special agent re-
porting to Mr.. Coville.
Reseeding Range.
Mr.. Coville is we'll fitted to conduct these
Investigations in reseeding the ranges as
he has had extensive experience in much
other work along the same line. In ls9S
he compiled a report on sheep grazing
in the Cascade mountains of oregon for
the forest service and in 1904 in the serv-
ice of the public lands commission in
vestigated and made a report on grazing
under state lease laws. He is a director
OF the botanical experiment station of the
Carnegie i,s titution at Tucson, Ariz., and
IS lending aluable service in the bureau
of plant industry of the department of ag-
riculture.
The especial significance of this new de-
parture lies in the fact that it shows the
forest service is not only trying to prevent
abuse from making the range worse but
( ic also ztltippr active Sfa,1G IN mako tip
range better. Obviously this is of large
( Importance to the grazing industry. All
grazing tends to change the character
Of the forage, generally for the worse,
just as timber cutting tends 10 change the
character of the forest for the worse by
taking ont the most valuable trees and
leaving the poorer kinds 10 take their
place.
one of the first results of overgrazing
IS seen in the increase in the number Of
weeds, which stock either refuse to eat
or avoid as long as anything better an
be found. and which therefore go to seed.
If the natural grazing land of the west
Is 10 be made the most Of, it must grow
the kinds OF forage plants which VIII give
the range the highest value per acre to
the stocknan. 1t is therefore q fact of
considerable interest to the stock indus-
try that the matter is to be taken up
scientifically, to find out in the Light of
full knowledge of the requirements and
the feeding value of all kinds of plants
what it Will pay to try to in,roo9ce N the
national forests.
Reduce Number cn Range.
In the management OF grazing on some
] of the ranges the forest service has found
it necessary to greatly reduce the nuln-
Der of stock in order to Stop the damage
from overgrazing of the land. That this
damage has taken place is admitted by
the stockmen themselves.
In attempting TO increase the amount of
Forage by artificial seeding, If possible, the