The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-02-16
GRAZING EXAMINERS
NEW POSITION is
CREATED IN FORESTRY.
Uncle San Proposes to Appoint Spec
iaIists to Solve the Range Prob
lem - Position Will Carry Salary
of $1,000 a Year.

position is disclosed by
the announcement by the U. S. Civil |
Service commission of an examina-
ton which will be held February 20 |
and "a to find three grazing exam
liners for the forest service The po-
sitions will pay a salary of $1,000 a
year at entrance.
The announcem MT specifies that
the applicants must be men, at least
twenty years old, and possessed of
at least one seasons experience in
handling rang stock, together with
at least one year Of technical train
ing in specified botanical studies.
The establishment of this, position
is in line with the objects which the
departm mt of agriculture has always
had in view in it's management of
grazing on the national forests. 1t
not merely seeking to prevent cattle
and sheep from doing damage to for
ests growth and wat rshed conditions
as they Craze ON the heritage which
ests, parks, and high mountain mead
ows within the national forests.
Range fed stock are matt of de-
cided Importance to the American
people in these days of rising prices
for food prducts and diminishing
supplies, in proportion to population,
of livestock; and therefore Secretary
Wilson intends that every acre of
national forest range shall b. made
to produce as much forage as 1t Is
capable of doing, consistently with
the carrying out of the 9th r pur-
poses for which the national forests
are maintained.
Ever since the forest service took
over the management of the national
forests, it has b en- studying the rang
problem along with its regulation OF
grazing. In the beginning it was
confronted with the fact that very
large part CT the ranch had been bad
~ abused and d pleted through the
competition of rival owners before
any restrictions had be Il put upon
them, and by overcrowding and bad
methods of handling stock Its sup
porting power had in consequence
been greatly reduced, and was stead
lily declining. To enabl. overgrazed
ar as to recuperate, and to prevent
the extension of over-grazed condi-
tons to new areas, the amount OF
stock to be allowed ON the for SITS
was everywhere carefully prescribed
The results were then observed, and
and lie it appeared that there was
over-use of the range, the numbers
permitted were cut down still furth-
er. On the other hand, where t.
cuperation has taken place allowance
of stock has been correspOndingly in
creased. - .
The proposals to appoint specialist
who are both thoroughly train
tbotanists and men of practical ex
rience in range matters Indicates
recognition of the fact that to attain
the highest point of rang" .productlv
ity the best scientific knowledge mus
be applied to the study OF the PROB
ems of forage production and utilza
ton. AS stock Craze on the rang
the effect of the different kinds O
vegetation differs both with its palat
ability or unpalatability and with 1t
capacity to produce seed, its time
S eding, it's resistance to trampnnE
its manner of growth and many othe
- elements.
What is aimed at now is nothln
less than to find out all the things {
which depend the production OF tn
largest amount of beef, mutton, WOO
and hides on a given area. This II
yolys learning how both to restrlt
and to time the grazing so as not
interfere with the reproduction OF u
most valuable element in the forae
crop, how to prevent unnecessai
loss to fe d through trampling and
other ways, how to extermlnate pol
prevent the loss of forage which r
wits from the multiplication
prairie dogs and gophers, whether
is practicable to introduce new foras
q plants by direct S eding, and man
other matters. 1t is to look into su
II matters that the grazing examine
are to be appointed.
# Besides seeking to bring ABOUT u
recup ration of deplete ranges
reduction of waste, and the oeVeie
Inert of all range to wnat may
termed an artificial state OF proo'
tiveness through control OF rep
duction, accompanied, it is hoped
the introduction of new forage plan
the studi planned will also aim
increasing the area of range ave
able. There is much natural graz
land in the national forests wnlch
net be put to use, either because
country is too rough for STOCK 10