The copper era., 1911-02-10
Government to Appoint Grazing
 Examiners For National Forests.


 Washington, Feb. GA new Co., Vernment position is disclosed by the announcement by the U. S. Civil Service Commission of an examin ation which will be held February B and "A to find three grazing examiners for the Forest Service. The positions will pay salary of S1, 200 a year at entrance.
 The announcement specifics that the applicants must be men, at least twenty years old, and possessed of at least one seasons experience in hand ling range stock, together with at least one year of technical training in specified botanical studies.
 The esta ablishment of this position is in line with the objects which the Department of Agriculture has always had in view in it's management of grazing on the National Forests It is not merely seeking to prevent cattle and sheep from doing damage to forest growth and watershed con- ditions, as they graze on the herbage which is yearly produced in the open forests, parks, and high mountain meadows within the National Forests. Rangefed stock are a matter of decided importance to the American people in these days of rising prices for food products and diminishing supplies, in proportion to population, of livestock; and therefore Secretary Wilson intends that every acre of National Forest range shall be made to produce as much forage as it Is capable of doing, consistently with the carrying out of the other purposes for which the National Forests are maintained.
 Eyer since the Forest Service took over the management Of the National Forests, it has been studying the range problem along with it's regula- tion of grazing. In the beginning it was confronted with the fact that very large part of the range had been badly abused and depleted through the competition of rival owners be- fore any restrictions had been put upon them, and by overcrowding and bad methods of handling stock. It's supporting power had in consequence been greatly reduced, and was steadily declining. To enable overgrazed areas to recuperate, and to prevent the extension of Overgrazed conditions to new areas, the amount of stock to be allowed on the Forests was every carefully prescribed. The re- suits were then observed, and if it appeared that there wasstill over-use of the range, the numbers permitted were cut down still further. On the other hand, where recuperation has taken place the allowance of stock las been correspondingly increased.
 The proposal to appoint specialists who are both thoroughly trained | and men of practical ex- oerience in range matters indicates -ecOghition of the fact that to attain | he highest point of range produc- | ivity the best scientific knowledge | must be applied to the study of the | problems of forage production and | Utilization. As stock graze on the | ange, the effect on the different | ,inds of vegetation differs both with ts palatability or applicability and with it's capacity to produce seed, it's ime of seeding, its resistance to ramplIng, its manner of growth, and | many other elements.
 What is aimed at now is nothing ess than to find out all the things on which depend the production of the argest amount of beef. mutton, wool, nd hides on given area. This iu- olives learning how both to restrict nd to time the grazing so as not to interfere with the reproduction of he most yaluabl elements in the | orage crop, how to prevent unneces- ary loss to feed through trampling Il nd in other ways, how to extermiuate II oisonOus plants from the range, how o prevent the loss of forage which esults from the multiplication of rairie dogs and gophers, whether it , practicable to introduce new tor ge plants by direct seeding, and lany other matters. It is to look 1to such matters that the grazing xaminers are to be appointed.
 Besides seeking to bring about the of depleted ranges the eduction of waste, and the develop