Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-12-17
LIVE STOCK INDUSTRY AND IA.
HONAL IOREsI1 ARE CLOSE
Ii ALLIED ~ Isl.
WASTING OF LAND CHECKED
What tho Government b. Doing in fhe
NaS of Increasing Efnfenry u
uIr HrrdoI Arras.

Growers lss1r.lf..r af omaha t.-ar
. sa. ms .H D-Et a. fO..Hs.
Realizing tas .mp1rarcs %, 'El
7 lse stock industry 20 the general vel
I fare - the west. the forest sarr re
from the beginning o. l,s adm.1a,ra-
ton Of the national forests. adopted
"a constructiys policy for dealing vith
grazing problems. Most of the noun
tain ranges which have been Included
in he national forests had been oc-
cupled ly the flock masters long be-
fore the forests were created. with
the demand for summer range in
many localities greater than the sup
ply. there had followed oyergrazing
and serious damage. while absolute
waste of large portion ~ the forage
crop was taking place Many ranges
were fast deter.oraung though carry
Ing no more stock than could be per
mancnily sustained under proper reg
ulatiOn.
The first thing was 10 check the
damage and waste with the least pos
sible curtailment Of grazing privileges.
Such divisions Of the range were made
az would secure the use Of each por-
ton BY the kind Of stock to which
It was best adapted and give each
group Of owners 80 far as possible,
the use Of the range upon which they
had custOmarily grazed their stock.
Then II was decided what portions
should be used only during the sum
mcr. what ones during the winter.
spring or fall, and what portions dur
Ing the entire year. with the dates at
which the grazing season should begin
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 Civ
en- to extending the area OF available
range through encouraging the devel-
opment Of watering places and open
ing trails to make accessible unused
ranges. Unfortunately Il has been
necessary to make quite heavy reduc-
ti0ns on some forests to enable over
graZod ranges to recuperate but such
reductions have been made gradually
In order not TO cause undue business
disturbance The increased number OF
stock, however, provided for on other
ranges has nearly offset the reduc-
ttcns. There were graZed on the for
csts this year 1.4i2,OO cattle and
horses and 7.45O,OOO 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 10 promote
the utilization of surplus forage which
now goes 10 waste IN northern Wash
lngton, Idaho and Montana. The re-
moyal of the forage crop In proper
way greatly reduces the fire damage.
IF grazing h too close, however,
the reproduction OF the forests is in
terfered with, Many timber land own
err are willing to offer grazing priv
lleges upon 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 reproduc-
ton Is difficult cut-over areas must
be protected. by reducing II not eX-
cludlng the stock, until the young
trees are out Of danger from tram
pllng or nibbllng. Since. however, tho
area cut over and that rcplantcd each
year form, combined. loss than ! per
cent ~ the total area Of the forests,
no serious Interference with grazing
Is involved
Careful Investigations Of the dam
age done young trees by stock in the
southwest showed over 20 per cent Of
the seedlings and young trees serious
ly injured. and In some cases on
ranges used extensively by sheep over
so per cent, but the most damage was
done when feed was scarce aud was
therefore largely due TO over grazing.
The immediate and urgent problem
which nov confronts us liz the deyel-
opmcnt OF the ranges to the highest
possible state of productivity.
The gradual increase OF the carry
ng power OF the ranges VIII be
brought about through improved
methods of handling stock and Of
the forage crop A careful
study is under way to ascertain the
character Of all land within the for
Csts, the kind OF stock to which each
natural grazing unit is adapted. the
natural periods OF use. and the under
grazcd, fully grazcd and ovor-grazed
areas
Experiments In lambinr sheep IN
small enclosures proved that. under
some conditions at least. saving OF
lambs and labor can be made more
than enough TO offset the cost. In
the coyote-proof pasture experiments
a regular hcrder, without assistance
from the forest service. handled the
sheep with the same reductions In
expense, amount OF range required.
and percentage Of loss and the same
Increase In weight OF lambs. as IN pre-
ccding years The mountain bunch
grass range investigations have shown
how. by proper rotation In the graz
ing, to secure thorough natural re-
seeding Of over-g grazed land without
serious decrease Of the number OF
stock while the range is being re-
stored.
MANY forage species have been
Iested through artificial reseedlng ex-
perlments. The introduction OF new
grasses Is a very difficult problem.
Redtop was found TO succeed better
than any other grass on poorly
drained bogs where the soil Is acid.