234 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



expensive has now all been planted. It is also very desirable to 

 e.\i)an(l the plantin<jf on the National Foi-ests in Michifran and 

 Minnesota, where tliere are hii'ge areas oi" land, denuded by lire, 

 Avhich can l)e planted cheaply and effectively. The plantations 

 already established in these States have been notably successful and 

 are rest()rin<!: to pi'oductivity hind Avhicli Imd been completely de- 

 vastated Ity re[)eated iires. 



RANGE. 



Genj:ral conditions. — Unusual grazin<^ conditions characterizeu 

 the year. In the Southwest the ran<::es have seldom been better, but 

 from about the latitude of Denver north the year was hifj^hlv unsatis- 

 factory to stockmen. 



Practicall}^ throughout this region drought during the summer of 

 1919 was followed by an exceptionally severe winter, which in Colo- 

 rado, Wyoming, ISIontana, and part of Utah was unusually prolonged. 

 Early in April, wdien the supplies of feed were generall}' exhausted 

 and just as the stock was being turned out on the ranges, a series oi 

 storms set in. The usual early growth of grass did not appear, and 

 the cattle and sheep, w'eak and gaunt from their long winter, died by 

 thousands in spite of the vigorous efforts made by their owners to get 

 feed to them. Hay went to about $40 a ton on the average, and in 

 man}' instances $50 and $60 was paid. 



In California, the prolonged period of cool spring weather during 

 which the grass grew but little was unusually serious, and sheep 

 suffered severely, especially during lambing time. In the face of this 

 emergency the ranges on mam^ Forests were thrown open seA^eral 

 weeks earlier than usual. This undoubtedly saved a large number 

 of stock. 



Naturall}^, after such a winter the lamb and calf crops were con- 

 siderably below the average, although much above what w^as looked 

 for. With hay so high the cost of lambing in sheds Avas much greater 

 than usual, but those sheepmen who lambed under such conditions 

 were well repaid by the increased lamb crop secured. Once the spring 

 opened, however, and the weather began to moderate, the grasses and 

 forage plants made rapid advances, since the soil was unusually moist. 



At the close of the fiscal year the condition of both stock and feed 

 on all the National Forests was in general above the average for the 

 last 10 3'ears, and the outlook for fat cattle, sheep, and lambs in the 

 fall was excellent. 



The number of fat stock turned off from the Forests in the fall of 

 1919 was fully equal to the average year, in spite of the drought. In 

 fact, on many Forests all stock, especially cattle, were in much better 

 shipping condition than usual. This has been noticed in previous 

 years of drought and is presumably due to the more fully developed 

 condition of the forage plants. The dry weather also made possible 

 the full use of many swamp3% wet meadows from which little feed 

 can ordinaril}' be obtained. 



The high prices of hay and concentrated feeds in the fall of 1919 

 and the prospects of a long winter-feeding period caused large num- 

 bers of stock to be marketed or shipped to points where feed could be 

 obtained at more reasonable rates. The stock marketed was sold at 

 considerable reductions from the prices of the previous three years. 



