Bisbee daily review., 1914-02-10
HOW GRAZING MAY
 BE CONSERVED ON
 WESTERN LANDS
Department of Agriculture
 Calls Attention of Stockmen to Need Systematic Action

That a serious decline in the carry ing capacity of vast areas of west ern grazing lands, due largely to the fact that stockmen fail 10 give ihe range pants a chance to keep grow ,pg. can be remedied without closing tn,se areas to cattle and sheep 10 tlie statement made by the depart. ment of agriculture in a bulletin re- cenuy issued on range improvement Excessive grazing in the spring Ve- fore the forage crop is mature and such grazing continued year after. Year, says the department, are the main causes of range deterioration.
 On the national forests, the depart ment points out where the govern. mont is doing away 'with these eyilA aud stock is handled under govern menr regulation, the range lands have improved to a point where it Is agnn possible to market large numbers Of beef and mutton animals directly from the range.
 In the free fer ali' period of early days, the department gees on to say, the most palatable forage plants we, so closely cropped that they were un' able to develop the necessary plant food, and so literally starved. In ad- dition, the rot ts were frequently in- iured by tramphng or killed by Ox' posture. As a result the best kinds Of vegetation grew weaker from se1- son to season. and where the practice of early and close grazing was con tinued. the range at last became prao tically denuded.
 The vegetation which furnished the grazing crop has much the same grcwth requirements as farm crop. No farmer who hopes to realize the best returns from permanent hay meadow. it is stated, would think Of harvesting the crop as soon as 1t Is tall enough to cut. regardless oi whether or nct it is nature. Nor would se graze a permanent pasture rlc sely irom the time the growth be- gins until 1t ceases. for he knows that this will result hnaliy in killing 1t out. And since climate and soil conditions over much Of the western grazing lands are less favorable tc plant growth than those on tae aver age firm, even greater care must St exercised in utilizing the range croI than is necessary with that on th' larm..
 Tte remedy suggested for range deterioration Is a system of deierre, , grazing. Under such plan an over
 grazed portion Of the range, sufficent ly large to supply the forage Iron
 the time of seed maturity until th' erd of the grazing seascn, is protected
 from stock until the seed crop ha mattured Upon maturity Of tho sect [ crop the forage is grazed during th first season. but not to the extent O
 injuring seed plants The same are is protected In the same way durinl r the second and, if necessary, subst
 duent scnsons, CT until the new plant
 have been securely established. Whe l. the area has been thoroughly r' ,- seeded 1t can be again grazed earl in the season, and a second area, larg
 enough to accommodate the stocl ,, from the time of seed ripening |
 the end cf the season. is protecte
 until the forage is mature.
 By this method Of alternating lat
 grazing from one area to anothe k weakened vegetation can recover ii
 vitality without the need of hayin land closed to grazing the entiE VI year.