The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1916-01-27

We have just finished reviewing tho
annual reports from the forest super.
visor. covering the grazing on h 1853
national forests Of over eight million
sheep and goats and two million cattle
and horses during the grazing season
of 1915. aud with few exceptions these
reports indicate hat the stockme3
have experienced u OF tho best sea.
SOM of the last decade.
Taking tho country covered by the
national forests a. a whole with the
exception OF the extreme southwest In
Texas. New Mexico and Arizona. and
the western part OF Montana, where
The summer rains We're rather above
the normal, an unusually dry season
was experienced. In most parts OF the
northwest. there was onc OF the long.
est periods OF rainl.ss weather ever
known In the history pf the country.
the reports stating that on IN average
no rain fell for q period OF about 100
days over a large portion OF thc region.
With such conditions II was natural
" expected that the livestock inter-
.sts would suffer. yet all OF our re-.
ports Indicate very clearly hat th0|
contrary wRs h case.
This In an intensely interesting natl
ter. for a close study shows conciusive-I
~ that while the rains were much be-
low normal. and the feed was some
what shorter than usual. nevefthclessl
the forage tina did cover the tangesl
was of an unusually fat p<oducin.|
character, which not only put approx-I
lmately ms much weight into the stock
az in previous years. hut what wasl
more valuable. IL was hard flesh and
the lima stood up under traiiingt
and shipping conditions in "A most rel
markable manner Not OILY this, butt
our forest officers all state that theI
anges themselves, while rather closet
Is graxed Tor the fun period, did not
show signs uf injury, n also the !actl
IL clearly established that there was al
closer utilization OF every portion OIL
the range than We have ever had bel
fore. Thus. what at first seemed ike-l
ly TO prove "A most disastrous season
has turned out to be the best one iaI
years.
We arc satisfied that this condition
was In great part brought about byl
closer attention TO their stock on the
part Of the pcrmitees, owing To thel
fear tina, the drought conditions we're
going to bring MUIR both To the
ranges and their eto.,. This ioctI
proves conclusively that where o~nefsI
take sufficient lnterr Il and are alive 'oI
the situation. losses among hvcstockl
on tho open ranges mas not always bel
entirely eliminated. but certainly cam
be greatly reduced.
This too has beer an unusually sat-
isfactory wear for the cooperation tori
which we have been STRIVING, between
the pcrmitoes and the service Ia thel
handling of their stock. h resula-l
ton which went into effect a year orr
two aeo by which the service under
took To cooperate with stock associa-l
tons IN the erection and maintenance
Of drift fences. improvement in' water
supply. building OF stock trails ana
The placing upon the ranges Of mofel
and better bulls has been extremely
satisfactory. Under this regulation the
associations on n number Of the for
csts have erected many miles OF dfitti
fences whi,., could not nave been n-l
nanced except for the COOPERATION
brought about through this new plan,
The question OF sailing hasl
always been "A very live u on the
open ranges. Ia rapidly being settled
through these associations. Many o..
them are now purchasing b salt
through the officials of the association
who obtain il in large lots and contract
To have il placed directly on the salt
,nv grounds. thus relieving the indi-
viduai OF an responsibility for tho
work. This has resulted In decreasing
no, only the per capita cos ~ saltins'
HIT also places upon each inhiNiduai-
no matter whether he graxes ten head