51 



served witbin the fenced areas, but these comi)ose but a relatively- 

 small part of the total pasture lands, and the get all-you-can system is 

 rapidly and certainly ruining the ojien range. In jjarts of the range 

 region the scarcity of stock during the past few years, together with a 

 few favorable growing seasons, has allowed the grasses to recuperate 

 somewhat, but already the stockmen are beginning to increase their 

 herds in order to be able to take advantage of the anticipated rise in 

 prices of beef cattle, mutton, and wool, and there is danger that those 

 lauds not already overstocked will soon be so unless something can be 

 done to convince these stockmen of the shortsightedness of such a 

 policy. 



In the higher foothills and mountains the pasturage is generally in 

 good condition — much better than on the prairies. There are two prin- 

 cipal leasoiis for this. In the first place, there is usually a good supply 

 of moisture, and in the second place, the lands can be grazed during 

 only a portion of the year on account of the heavy snowfall. xVs the 

 lands can be grazed for but four or five months of the year at the out- 

 side, there is a long j^eriod during the early part of the season when 

 the grasses make a considerable growth, so that they are already well 

 along in the vseason's development, sometimes maturing seed, before 

 grazing begins. 



GRASSES OF THE PLAINS. 



Out on the open ranges of the plains, however, there are few locali- 

 ties in which the pasturage is anything like as good as in former years. 

 Leading stockmen from nearly all parts of the plains region estimate 

 that the stock-carrying capacity of the pasture lands has been reduced 

 on the average from 40 to 50 per cent in the last ten or fifteen years. 

 The real reason for this is overstocking. The real stock-carrying 

 capacity of a given area of pasture lands is the amount of stock that 

 can safely be grazed on it during a dry or unfavorable season; and if 

 these lands are to be kept in proper condition this limit should never 

 be exceeded except perhaps temjDorarily during particularly favorable 

 seasons; and the number of stock should be reduced as soon as it is 

 seen that the grasses are being grazed too closely. Under the i)resent 

 system, or rather lack of system, of controlling the open grazing lands, 

 it is hardly to be expected that the ranchman will do otherwise than to 

 continue to try to get his " share" of the forage on the open range, and 

 in so doing will continue to add to its already overburdened condition. 



There are many thousands of acres of the imblic lands in this region 

 that are of more value for grazing than for any other purpose, and in 

 view of their importance and of the great danger of permanent injury 

 resulting from the present methods of grazing it would seem urgent that 

 some rational system of controlling them should be devised and adopted 

 at once. 



All the native grasses are grazed by stock to a greater or less extent, 

 but many kinds are too small to afford much forage; others are too 



