170 ANNUAL REPORTS OP DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The nursery and planting station at Halsey, Nebr., has been desig- 

 nated the Bessey Nursery in honor of the late Dr. C. E. Bessey, of 

 the University of Nebraska, a leading American ecologist and for 

 many years active in promoting reforestation in Nebraska. 



With the new Niobrara Nursery completed, the nursery equipment 

 of the National Forests will be ample for the present requirements. 

 Barring exceptional losses, the nurseries have a normal yearly out- 

 put of 10,000,000 to 12,000,000 plants. There were used in them 

 last year 6,304 poimds of coniferous seed and 45 pounds of hardwood 

 seed. The average cost of the seedlings grown was $4.25 per thousand 

 trees, and of the transplants, $6.05. 



FREE DISTEIBUTION OF PLANTING STOCK. 



Under the act of March 4, 1911, 112,110 trees were distributed to 

 746 settlers in the Kinkaid district, Nebraska. It was necessary to 

 reduce the distribution somewhat, on account of the requirements 

 for planting on the Nebraska National Forest. The needs of settlers 

 in the Kinkaid district, however, appear to have been satisfactorily 

 met with the stock available. A study of the results of previous dis- 

 tributions indicates that these homestead plantings will be more 

 successful if special pains are taken with a limited number of trees 

 than if the work is attempted on too large a scale. 



The results obtained from trees distributed in 1914 were reported 

 by 411 settlers. These results indicate that 35 per cent of the plants 

 have established themselves successfully. This is probably as large 

 a measure of success as can be anticipated under the conditions ob- 

 taining as to soil, climate, and the experience of the settlers in work 

 of this character. 



RANGE MANAGEMENT. 



The high prices for all meat products during the past few years, 

 particularly beef products, have created a strong demand for range. 

 On many Forests the carrying capacity of the cattle range has been 

 almost reached. The conditions have been an incentive to stockmen 

 to improve the grade of their stock and to adopt better methods of 

 management. New regulations, designed to improve the grazing con- 

 ditions, have been adopted by the Forest Service, many of them at 

 the suggestion of stock associations and individuals. There has 

 been an increased construction of drift fences to hold the different 

 herds upon their respective ranges and to separate the different grades 

 of stock in breeding. Much has also been done in the development of 

 water and in other improvements to utilize new range. On the whole, 

 marked progi^ess has taken place in making the ranges more pro- 

 ductive. 



Weather conditions during the season of 1914 were very favorable 

 to forage growth, except in the southern portion of Idaho, where a 

 heavy frost early in June reduced the carrjnng capacity of some of 

 the weed ranges as much as 40 per cent, and in northern Idaho and 

 Montana, where no moisture fell after the middle of July, causing 

 the springs and forage to dry up early and reducing the carrying 

 capacity very much below normal. All stock was in good condition 

 at the close of the season and, with an open winter and an adequate 



