The record. [volume] (St. Maries, Idaho) 1913-1918, 1917-12-04

Uhe 81. Joe national Forest, has
fled with the District Forester
his annual grazing plans, giving
a resume of the grazing situa-
tiOn in the national forest for
the year and plans for the ensu-
ing year. The report covers
general range conditions, in
Guiding amount of rainfall, and
amount of forage as compared
with previous years, condition of
stock at the time of entering and
leaving forest, general condition
of the range at the close of the
year, and matters of general in
terest concerning the welfare of
the livestock industry.
Notwithstanding the summer
was unusually dry, the forage
during the season was very sat
isfactory, due to the heavy snow
fall of last winter, followed by a
late wet spring, with the snow
holding on until late. There was
a considerable increase in the
number of sheep grazing in this
section during the past summer
as compared with previous years.
On the St. Joe river drainage
about $4,000 sheep grazed dur
ing the past season, about 10000
of these being on the st. Joe
forest and the remainder on pri-
vate lands. Previous TO this year
about 10000 is the largest sum
Der of sheep grazing in the st.
Joe drainage.
Most Of the sheep were owned
by stockmen of eastern Wash
ington, although there were some
from the North Yakima country,
the Oregon country, and as far
east as Billings, Mont. This is
the first year that sheep have
been shipped from eastern points
to this territory. On account of
the 64O-acre homestead law a
great many stockmen in Montana
are forced TO find new range OF
go out of business. Summer
range which has heretofore beer
available to them has passed Out
of their control by the operation
of this law and they are nov
looking to the national forests
for their summer grazing. Thii
in the main accounts for then
sending their bands to this sec
ton the past summer, and it j
believed that more OF them vii
look to this section in the future
A number Of stOckmen VIII
have heretofore been using tn
COlville Reservation for summe
grazing have been forced TO see
new grazing ground by tn
lopening Of the reservation {
settlement. The Walla Wall
J country has a surplus of $500
sheep which cannot be provide
} with summer feed there and ther
is also surplus in the Mort
Yakima country which cannot b
Supplied with summer feed. a
] least $4,000 of these sheep ca
/ lbe taken care Of here. Investi
} cations carried on by the fore:
4 service this summer have mad
y available range for about 25,OO
d lmOre sheep on the national fore!
e in the st. Joe river country.
d The character of the rams
lere is weed and browse, part
d cularly suitable for the grain
8 Of ewes with their lambs. Eel
o lruary lambs grazed in this SCI
g lion are reported TO have reaeh'
e the Chicago market at a 90
e weight, which is about ten POun
e heavier than the average. Lam
n shipped in August from the
% Maries river range received f
d highest price paid in the Ghica
re market up to tnat time, o
he trainload being reported to ha
he brought st50, 900. Another /
ID feature to the advantage of {
range in this section is th
it losses of livestock in grazi
st this season were eXceptiOna
ed i small, there being practically
losses from poisoning and w