Arizona republican., 1907-09-06
CULTIVATED GRASSES
 10 RESEED RANGES
Studies and Experiments to Increase
 the Forage in National Forests.

tiiS TeSlOn contains oNtI fVVrVv'fV'N acres which are useful at present only
 for pasturing stock. map printed
 in colOrs to bring out the main areas
 of agricultural. grazing, and desert
 lands was published not long ago IL showed the grazing-land color spread
 like a sheet over nearly all this vast domain, which comprises something like one-third Of the entire United States, with relatively minor patches of
 the other colors. In arid regions the range is comparatively poor, Out ai- most 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 find out how the carrying power of grazing lands within national forests can be in- creased. In a nutshell. the problems are. first. how to grow, and second. how to utilize, the largest amount Of forage. The conclusions reached are likely 10 have an important bearing on improved use of the open range gen. erally. The economic possibilities of these experiments are enormous.
 In the past the stOckman on the pub
 iAA idIhS iltS SiiilDlN AsihtiA W lAtiA AAaANhif offered him. But grazing tends to put nature at a 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 for
 ests the restriction of the number Of stock to the capacity of the range has already checked the worst evils which result from over grazing. But the new Investigations promise much greater things.
 These investigations are to be carried out along three distinct hnes-studies of what can he done in the way of introducing cultivated grasses. studies of range improvement through better knowledge of how wild grasses propa- gate, and studies of how to handle both cattle and sheep so as to reduce the waste due to herding and tramplinE. The present account deals with the first, the introduction of cultivated grass.
 The man in charge Of these studies is MT. Frederick V. Coville. of the bu- reau of plant industry. who is an ex- pert in matters connected with the use of the range. MT. Coville made a care ful study of grazing problems in the Cascade mountains of oregon for the interior department ten years ago. and contributed to the discussion of grazing questions which formed part of the public lands commission report made iu [ Gs .s. that the labors tory for desert botan- ical research was established by the Carnegie Institution of Washington at Tucson, AriZ. He is. therefore very we'll prepared for his work which. to be successful. must be run on thor oughly practical lines.
 The experiments will begin in Wal Iowa county. in northeastern Oregon. in the Imnaha national forest. Here. at different attitudes. number of moist natural meadows have been picked out Those having the greatest altitude are 10,0O feet or more above sea where in July the snow still covers the ground. although rapidly melting under the summer sun. The lowest meadows are about 5000 feet above sea level
 The purpose of the wet-meadow ex- perinents is improvement of the sum mer range. Stock do not winter in the mountains. but are driven gradually higher and higher as the advancing season calls forth the vegetation on which they feed. The winter ranges on the plains. supplemented largely by the hay. alfalfa. and other feed crops which the ranches produce. depend for hafr n turage. to which the stock can he driv- en when the dry season sets in. If means can be found to improve the summer range the benefit will he felt from Canada 10 Arizona and New Mex ico. so that the experiments are of broad importance.
 In the highest parts Of the Imnaha national forest good late summer pas ture for sheep is valuable. Such GOV CTS the ground nine months of the year. and the grass that grows must grow quickly. The natural pasture on these nigh mountain meadows is fairly good, but there is room for improve ment. The native bluegrass does not produce a sod. but grows in punches. A sod or turf is wanted, and some of the meadows will be seeded with we'll known species to test whether they will grow and bring the desired result. Tim ! othy, redtOp, bluegrass. and a clover 1 called Alsi<e. originally brought from ! Sweden, will be tried. Eight or more patches of from 3 to 2O. acres each will | be seeded.
 II is a wild and rugged mountain re- zion with few trails and those very difficult. Harrows or other aSricul- 1 tural machinery could not be, taken in. | except on the backs of pack animals. | Plainly any method of seeding which | could have any practical value must | find other instruments than the tools upon which the farmer ordinarily re- lies. The sharp cutting hoofs of sheep | will be the only harrow used.
 The meadows selected for sowing will | first be grazed as short as sheep can | crop the native grass. Since the ground | is wet, fl will be much cut up by the | sheep. Clover. timothy. redtOp. or blue I grass seed will then be sown broad | cast. and the sheep will be driven to | and fro across it until the seed is beat | en well into the soil. This will be lone late in the season. so that the seed will | lie dormant until next summers sun | melts the snow and warns the ground. | Whether it will grow, and mature a |