Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1916-07-07

to their success. Further, it is no
ticed that some men were able t.
turn off fatter cattle and largel
lambs than their neighbors who hat
much betten natural advantages. Ii
short it became evident that the
whole grazing problem must be made
the subject of close study that has
resulted in such remarkable advances
in manufacturing and other lines oi
activity.
The first application of the scien.
tific idea to the grazing problem nat.
urally recognized the fact that GER
tain plants were greedily sought by
stock, while others were merely nib
bled or left untouched. The prefer
ences of sheep were chosen as more
readily discernable than those of cat
tie and horses, or at least, more cas-
lily studied with the degree of detail
and accuracy that scientific work de-
mands. A mass of information was
gathered at first hand, from which
lists of palatable and non-palatable
species of plants were constructed.
To the man or woman who has never
looked at the vegetation on the hills
except as so much green, gray, blue,
red and yellow, 1t is really astonish-
ing to find how many different kinds
Of plants there are, even on tho dry
sage brush slopes. When the diver
sity of conditions, of elevation, soil
moisture and slope, represented by
the National forest ranges, is taken
into account, the number of different
plants is truly amazing. And 1t must
be remembered that each plant ap-
peals in different way to the graz
ing animals. However, some spec
les are much more abundant and gem
eral than others that It was possible
to segregate the different types of
range, each dominated by a certain
class of plants. Thus the grazing
types were defined and described, the
principal ones being grass, weeds, as
pen, browse (chapparal, cherry, and
brush other than aspen) sagebrush
and coniferous. However, 1t was evil
dent that further subdivisions were
necessary in order to distinguish be-
tween aspen under which there was
a growth OF brush, from aspen groves
carpeted with grass or weeds. The
same principal applied to the stands
of pine, fir and spruce, as we'll as to
the open junior slopes. Maps were
made, showing different types of for
age as they occurred on the hills.
Many interesting facts were discover
ed as to the kinds OF places in which
each type was most likely to be found
and the well known fact that topo-
graphic conditions exert the deepest
influence on plant growth was thoro-
ly confirmed.
From this tentative work 1t was
recognized that each type of yege-
tation is best adapted to the use of
particular class OF stock and that the
of the animals could be
more naturally arranged il there was
some way of showing forest condi-
tions on permanent record; that is,
a map, from which the exact acreages
could be computed. So the work of
grazing reconnaissance was organiz-
ed, and the Caribou forest was chos-
sen as one of the first areas on which
to put this intensive study into ef-
feet not, however. until most Of the
weaknesses of the first cropping eff
forts have largely been eliminated by
experience on other forests.
The first essential preliminary co..
sisted in the obtaining Of accurate
maps for the region,
showing roads, streams and cultiva- I
ton. as well as the slope OF the coun-
try. Fortunately the geological sur
vey was then engaged in completing
such a map for a large part of the
forest and this map. shown by lines
drawn exactly around the shores that
would be established by bodies of
water Of certain regular depths, just
where the tutting ridges are located.
and where the ridges are long and
gentle. as well as the shape Of the
gulches, canyons and valleys. It is
a cause for eongratuIation 10 Bear
Lake county people that this map.
made after years Of experience on
other areas. Is one Of the best Of It's