The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-10-29
GRAZING EXPERIMENT
ON NATIONAL FOREST
Plans Made to Utilize Land
Heretofore Considered
Without Value.
snecial 10 The Tribune.

Special 10 The Tribune.
OGDEN, Oct, aS.-In an effort to
alleviate as much as possible the recog-
nized shortage Of beef and mutton
products throughout the United States,
the forest service officials arc conduct
ing a series of special experiments to
demonstrate the value of forest grazing
lands not considered by the stockmen
to be Of value for grazing purposes.
The experiments, which have been
conducted during the past few years,
to a report issued from the local head
quarters of the Fourth district. Tho
experiments have been made with a
view to developing methods OF range
management on national forests which
will result in the most com plete utiliZa-
tion Of the range without injury to the
forage and young trees, which might be
trampled or killed by too intensive
grazing.
There are also thousands Of acres of
timbcred range within the national
forests which are not now considered us
having a grazing value by practical
stoc!tmen who are accustomed to using
the more open grasslands outside the
national forests.
In order to demonstrate the value of
the unused ranges in District 4, md
further to perfect methods of manage
ment which Will enable the stockmen to
harvest the forage crop on timber lands
without ipiuring the small trees, an
experiment was initiated last year on
the Payette National forest in southern
Idaho. The range selected was vir-
gin area previously ungraZed, which the
members OF the forest service con-
sidered as one producing forage sui1i
cient TO sustain approximately 10000
head Of sheep during the regular sum-
mer grazing season. A detailed recon
Nuisance was made of a sufficient area
to support, in the judgment of the
forest officers, two bands of sheep of
1900 head each. When this work was
completed u prominent sheepman of
southeastern Idaho furnished two herds
of sheep TO be used in the experiment.
One of these herds was handled by the
sheepman himself without restriction,
the other was placed under the direct
supervision Of a graduate OF the Logan
Agricultural college, employed by the
forest service, with instructions to per-
handling the stock, which would require
the minimum amount of range to pro.
duce maximum results without injury
to the forest. AT the end of tho season
the average weight of the lambs in the
herd under the supervision of the forest
service exceeded the average weight of
the lambs in the check herd by FIVE
pounds. During the season of 1913
the experiment WAS continued, and the
were also followed as closely as possible
by the herders, The sheep entered the
range on June 90, the average weight
being on that date 39 pounds for the
lambs and 81 pounds for the ewes in
the check band, and 1913 for the lambs
and 9s.G for the ewes in the expert
mental band handled under the super
vision Of the forest officers. At the
close Of tho season, September 90, the
average weights were 77.9 pounds for
the lambs and 107 pounds for the ewes
in the check herd, and 77.9 pounds for
the lambs and ia pounds for the ewes
in the experimental band grazed under
forest service supervision This is an
increase in weight of 1873 pounds for
the lambs and Is pounds for the ewes
In the check herd, and 3S.6 pounds for
the lambs and l5.S pounds for the ewes
in the experimental band. This increase
In weight, which was put on In q period
Of ninety days. on range previously
considered as having no practical value
has demonstrated to the satisfaction Of
the officers of the forest service, and
viii also probably prove to the sheep
men, that the range can be utilized
very proftably for sheep grazing pur-
poses.
Mr.. Fem, in charge of the grazing
department in the Ogden Office. stated
today that the weight of the lambs on
September 20 was considerably above
tho average for the ranges on the ma
tional forests in Utah, Nevada, Idaho
and western Wyoming.