The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1917-09-20


Stockmen have offered a suggestion
Tor the consideration Of the govern
inert and especially the forestry de-
of great benefit to the livestock in
dusiry and one of the greatest infiu-
cnces for increasing the production
OF livestock. The plan is simple and
consists only of the government adopt
ing definite policy Of seeding each
fnll all OF the land within the ma
tional forests that has been burned
over during the summer.
The stockmen are hopeful that
Commercial clubs and organizations
identified In food production and con-
seryation movements will become in
terested In the seeding Of the burned
over lands so that the matter may be
such a manner as win receive favor
able consideration.
The stockmen point to the present
government activity 10 encourage the
production of livestock and also to
the fact chat the forestry department
is leasing its reserves each season
for the grazing Of cattle and sheep
during the summer period They
contend that the summer range sit
uation is the great embarrassment to
increasing the production of livestock
and that by seeding the burned over
districts In the national forests. the
government would offer summer pas
ture to more than double the number
OF livestock now handled. 1t Is
also suggested that seeding In the
districts where sheep have run dur
ing the summer would result In the
growth of good grass for the next
season and that the adoption Of def
mite policy along these lines would be
of the greatest service to the live
stock industry and at the same time
no expense to the government as the
ranges are leased on the basis Of a
definite price per head and the in
creased number of cattle and sheep
handled would more than Offset the
cost Of seeding.
The time for seeding, according to
the stockmen, Ia in the fall after the
rains set In and after the stock has
been taken from the mountains. Orch
ard grass, broom grass or blue grass
will do well on the Idaho reserves and
with the facilities. Of the experiment.
the department could soon know the
varieties of grass that are best suited
for the several reserves.
III IN tAi,fuiHtu that Tic hu} octuftu
from the benches adjacent to the
rivers in stock growing sections and
the stubble fields and straw stacks in
the agricultural districts provide an
abundance of winter feed for large
numbers of cattle and sheep but the
summer range Is limited and the In
creased production of livestock can
not be made profitable until the sum
mer range has been provided. The
elimination of the open range has beer
In process for many years and after
the plateaus suitable Tor farming were
occupied by the. farmers, the stock
men sought the river breaks and Other
isolated sections where they believed
themselves immune from furthel
disturbance but the homesteader has
pushed his fence lines into even the
most rugged sections and the govern
ment has aided him by enlarging thu
homestead holdings for such settle
ments. These conditions have fore
ed the stockman to depend largel.
upon the government forest reserve
for the summer pasture and the CLAIM
is now made that the government ha
the opportunity to make these re
serves capable of reeding more thai
double the amount Of livestock nov
pastured.