A REPORT UPON THE GRASSES AND FORAGE 

 PLANTS OF CENTRAL TEXAS. 



THE CATTLE RANGES AND THEIR DETERIORATION. 

 PURPOSE OF REPORT 



The purpose of this report is to invite the attention of stoclvmen and 

 farmers to the mistakes made in the past in dealing witli native grasses 

 and forage plants, and to offer suggestions for their future guidance. 



Central Texas may be considered a typical stock section. The 

 jjroblems here presented are identical with those of other regions 

 where overstocking and insuflicient care of the natural growth of 

 grasses and forage plants have led to the impoverishment of the 

 ranges. The natural herbage of the Southwestern plains and prairies 

 was once as varied and as rich as could be found anywhere. The 

 wild grasses could not be excelled either for hay or pasturage. They 

 are still to be found scattered over the region, not in as great profu- 

 sion and abundance as in the days when the cattlemen first drove their 

 herds into that magnificent, pasture, but enough of them are there 

 to make it possible by intelligent management to produce something 

 like the former conditions. 



PHYSICAL CHARACTER OF THE COUNTRY. 



The central Texas of this report includes all the counties of Stone- 

 wall, Haskell, Throckmorton, Fisher, Jones, Shackelford, Xolan, Tay- 

 lor, Callahan, Eunnels, Coleman. Tom Green, Concho, McCulloch, and 

 parts of the counties of Kent, Scurry, Mitchell, Coke, San Saba, Brown, 

 Eastland, Stejihens, and Young. It embraces a territory about 100 

 miles wide, east and west, and about 200 miles long, north and south. 



The characteristics common to these counties are : An open prairie 

 country with some black-jack, post-oak, and live-oak timber on the 

 uplands and ridges; a scattering growth of mesquite on the lands away 

 from the streams, which, together with the timber on the streams, sup- 

 plies ample firewood and posts for fencing purjioses; numerous streams 

 that furnish an abundance of water, fringed along their banks with 

 groves of pecan, elm, hackberry, wild china, cottonwood, and other 

 trees; an altitude ranging from 1,500 to 1,900 feet above sea level; an 

 annual rainfall of from 20 to 34 inches, the average being about 27 



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