PREFACE. 



The vast areas of grazing lands in the Southwest have long been 

 justly famous, and the almost numberless herds of cattle and bauds of 

 horses raised and fattened upon the nutritious grasses of that region 

 have enriched thousands of individuals and have been a source of great 

 commercial wealth to the nation. 



Less than thirty years ago 4,000,000 buffaloes and countless numbers 

 of wild horses roamed unrestricted over the region in question, grad- 

 ually moving northward as the season advanced, returning southward 

 at the approach of winter. This natural movement of the stock per- 

 mitted alternation of pasturing and rest for the land, resulting in the 

 maintenance of the forage supply; in fact it was an ideal method of 

 fostering and improving these pasture lands which covered nearly 

 200,000 square miles of country. 



The nature and extent of the interests here, make this region an espe- 

 cially important one in the line of grass and forage i)lant investigation. 

 The carrying capacity has diminished fully 40 per cent through over- 

 stocking and bad management during the past fifteen years, and the 

 grazing and forage problems of the region demand serious and careful 

 attention. 



The Secretary of Agriculture, fuily appreciating these conditions, 

 directed this Division early in 1807 to begin investigations of these for- 

 age problems and conditions throughout the region of the Southwest, 

 with instructions that particular attention be given to the native 

 grasses and forage plants, their abundance and value, their preserva- 

 tion, and the possible methods to be employed in restoring the former 

 carrying capacity of the ranges. The Division was also emjjowered to 

 establish experiment stations for testing the grasses and forage plants 

 in different sections of this region and to x^iactice such methods of 

 range renewal as might seem worthy of trial. 



As a preliminary to these investigations a circular of inquiry was 

 sent out to over 1,500 stockmen in Texas, New Mexico, etc. The 

 reiilies, together with other correspondence which these circulars 

 elicited, have brought together many valuable facts and demonstrated 

 that the stockmen throughout the region in question are anxious that 

 the work should be commenced and willing to cooperate with the 

 Department in any way possible. 



The assistant chief of the Division was sent to Texas about the mid- 

 dle of May, 1897, and between that time and the 1st of September col- 

 lected botanical material and made extensive notes and observations on 

 range conditions of central and southern Texas, visiting some 30 sta- 

 tions in that State and ISfew Mexico, securing information by direct 



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