The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1911-12-16
ADDRESS
TO THE WOOLM[N

the annual convention of the National
Wool Growers association at Omaha
yesterday as follows:
Realizing the Importance of the live
stock industry to the general welfare
of the west, the forest service, from
the beginning of its administration of
the national forests, adopted a conser-
vative policy for dealing with grazing
problems. Most of the mountain ranges
which have been included in the ma
tional forests had been occupied by the
flockmasters long before the forests
were created. With the demand for
summer range in many localities great
er than the supply, there had followed
overgrazing and serious damage,
while absolute waste of a large pro-
tion of the forage crop was taking
place. Many ranges were fast deteri-
Grating, through carrying no more
stock than could be permanently sus-
tanned under proper regulation.
The first thing was to check the
damage and waste with the least pos
sible curtailment of grazing privi-
leges. Such divisions of the range
were made as would secure the use of
each potion by the kind of stock to
which it was best adapted and give
each group of owners, so far as pos
sible, the use of the range upon which
thev had customarily grazed their
stock. Then it was decided what por
tions should be used only during the
summer, what ones during the win
ter, spring, or fall, and what portions
during the entire year, with the dates
at which the grazing season should be-
gin and close in normal seasons.
These measures did much towards
stopping waste of surplus forage and
showing that better methods were
worth while. Attention was next
given to extending the area of avail
able range through encouraging the de-
velopment of watering places and
opening trails to make accessible un-
used ranges. Unfortunately it has
been necessary to make quite heavy re-
ductions on some forests to enable
Iovergrazed ranges to recuperate, but
such reductions have been made gradu-
ally in order not to cause undue bust
ness disturbance. The increased num-
Der of stock, however, provided for on
other ranges has nearly offset the re-
duetions. There were grazed on the
forests this last year ,442 900 cattle
and horses and 7,450,000 sheep and
goats.
The collective grazing capacity of
the national forests is now on the in
crease. Energetic efforts have been
made by the forest service to promote
the utilization of surplus forage which
now goes to waste in northern Wash
ington, Idaho and Montana. The re-
moval of the forage crop in a proper
way greatly reduces the fire damage
| If grazing is too close, however, the
reproduction of the forest is interfer'
ed with. Many timberland owners are
willing to offer grazing privileges up
on extremely favorable terms because
they are not planning to grow another
crop of trees. Replanted areas must
be closed against grazing for few
years, and where reproduction is diff
cult cut-over areas must be protect
ed, by reducing if not excluding the
stock, until the young trees are out OF
danger from trampling or nibbling
! Since, however, the area cut-over and
that replanted each year form, com
ihined, less than one per cent of the to
tai area of the forests, no serious in
reference with grazing is involved.
Careful Investigations of the dam
age done young trees by stock in thu
southwest showed over twenty pc
cent of the seedlings and young tree
seriously injured, and in some case
on ranges used extensively by sheer
over fifty per cent, but the most dam
age was done when feed was scare
and therefore largely due to overgraz
ing. The immediate and urgent prob
lem which now confronts us is the de
velopment of the ranges to the high
est possible state of productivity.
The gradual increase of the carrying
power of the ranges will be brough
about through improved methods o
handling stock and of growing tn
forage crops. A careful study is unde
way to ascertain the character of al
land within the forests, the kind o
stock to which each natural grazing
unit is adapted, the natural periods o
use, and the undergrazed, fully grace
and overgrazed areas.
Experiments in lambing sheep il
small enclosures proved that, unde
some conditions at least, saving o
lambs and labor can be made NOR
than enough to offset the cost. In tn
coyote-proof pasture experiments
regular herder, without assistanc
from the forest service, handled tn
sheep with the same reductions in eS
pense, amount of range required, an
percentage of loss, and the same in
crease in weight of lambs, as in pre-
ceding years. The mountain bunch
grass range investigations have show
how, by proper rotation in the grazing
to secure thorough natural reseedin
of overgrazed and without serious dt
crease of the number of stock whi
the range is being restored.
Many forage species have been teste
through artificial reseeding exper
, mrnts The introduction of new grasse
, is very difficult problem. Redto
! was found to succeed better than an
other cultivated grass on poorly draiI
ed bogs where the soil is acid, Will
! Hungarian bronze grass is better adaI
! ted to arid localities. Timothy is fai
! lv drought resistant and yet can b
! depended upon to make a good stan
I In moist meadows. On the lands studie