The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1911-02-09
Will name GRAZ
ing EXAMINERS
Especial to the Silver State)

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WASHINGTON, Feb. "a new gov
m position is disclosed by the
announcement by the U. s. civil service
commission Of an examination which
will be held February % and "a to find
three grazing examiners for the for
est service. The positions will paw a
salary of 81, 200 a year at entrance.
The announcement specifies that the
applicants must be men, at least 20
years old, and possessed of at least one
season s experience in handling range
stock. together with at least one year
of technical training in specified botan-
zeal studies.
The establishment of this position is
in line with the objects which the de-
partment of agriculture has always
had in view in its management of
grazing ON the national forests. 1t is
not merely seeking to prevent cattle
and sheep from doing damage to for
est growth and watershed condi-
tions, as they Craze on the heritage
which is yearly produced in the open
forests, parks and high mountain
meadows within the national forests.
Range-fed stock are a matter of de-
cided Importance to the American peo-
pie in these days of raising prices for
food products and diminishing sup
plies, in proportion to population, of
livestock; and therefore Secretary
Wilson intends that every acre of ma
tional forest range shall be made to
produce as much forage as it is capa-
BILE Of doing, consistently with the
carrying out of the other purposes for
which the national forests are main
tanned.
Ever since the forest service took
over the management of the national
forests, it has been studying the range
problem along with its regulation of
grazing. In the beginning it was con
fronted with the fact that a large part
of the range had been badly abused
and depleted through the competition
of rival owners before any restrictions
had been put upon them, and by over
crowding and bad methods of handling
stock. It's supporting power had in
consequence been greatly reduced, and
was steadily declining. To enable
over grazed areas TO recuperate, and to
prevent the extension of over grazed
conditions to new areas, the amount
of stock to be allowed on the forests
was everywhere carefully prescribed.
The results were then observed, and
it appeared that there was still over
use of the range, the numbers permit
ted were cut down still further. On
the other hand, where recuperation has
taken place the allowance of stock has
been eorrespondingly increased.
The proposal to appoint specialists
who are both thoroughly trained botan-
- - @a - A~at AxnarsAnAa
in range matters indicates recognition
Of the fact that to attain the highest
point of range productivity the best
scientific knowledge must be applied to
the study of the problems of forage
production and utilization. AS stock
Craze on the range, the effect on the
different kinds of vegetati n differs
both with its palatability or un7
palatability and with its capacity TO
produce seed, its time of seeding, its
resistance to trampling, it's name of
growth and many other elements.
What is aimed at now is nothing
less than to find out all the things on
which depend the production of the
largest amount of beef, mutton, wool
and hides ON a given area. This in
wolves learning how both to restrict
and to time the grazing so as not to
interfere with the reproduction of the
most valuable elements in the forage
crop, how to prevent unnecessary loss
to feed through trampling and in 9th
er ways, how to exterminate poisonous
plants from the range, how to prevent
the loss of forage which results from
the multiplication of prairie dogs and
gophers, whether it is practicable to
introduce new forage plants by direct
seeding and many othr matters. 1t is
to look into such matters that the
grazing examiners are to be appointed.
Besides seeking to bring about the
reeuperation of depleted ranges, the
reduction of waste, and the develop
ment Of all range to what may be term
ed an artificial state Of productiveness