39G ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



uation on the summer ranges was less serious than on the fall and win- 

 ter ranges, where the feed had made little if any growth and in many 

 sections was not likely to make mucli before the close of the growing 

 periods. 



The National Forest cattle industry suffered little. Cattle gen- 

 erally were in good condition at the close of the year, though there was 

 a shortage of calves in consequence of the severe winter. Sheep inter- 

 ests were much more seriously affected. The lamb crop was very 

 short. The number of grass-fmished lambs turned olT of the National 

 Forest ranges will be much below normal, and a much larger percent- 

 age Avill be sold as feeders or carried over until next year. Prices for 

 cattle grazed within the Forests remained fairly strong, but prices for 

 wool and mutton fell off. 



Under the system of range control applied to the National Forests 

 the conditions, though imsatisfactory, were vastly superior to those 

 upon adjacent pubhc lands. In a number of instances stock on the 

 ranges for a time was replaced by other stock from outside ranges, 

 thus conditioning a double amount. Requests for admission to the 

 National Forests from persons not previously occupying them were 

 numerous, and were granted whenever possible without injuring 

 other permittees or forest interests. Many areas hitherto considered 

 inaccessible were brought into use, and every effort was made to pro- 

 vide range. Approximately 100,000 head of sheep were thus tided 

 over the emergency caused by abnormal conditions. 



With three or four notable exceptions in the States of Utah and 

 Oregon, grazing conditions are so well settled upon the National For- 

 ests that few reductions in the total number of stock allowed need be 

 anticipated, though the recognition of new settlers in or adjacent to 

 the Forests will entail limited reductions for some individual permit- 

 tees. No large areas have been closed to grazing during the year, and 

 no condition has arisen which will require the exclusion of all classes 

 of stock from any considerable area of Forest land during the coming 

 year. 



IMPORTANT CHANGES IN LIVE-STOCK INDUSTRY. 



There is at present an evident inclination among many National 

 Forest stock growers to raise sheep instead of cattle. This is espe- 

 cially noticeable in the Northwestern States, but is not confined to 

 them. The tendency to change is not due to the system of grazing 

 control, but to the greater present profits of the sheep business and to 

 the greater success of the sheep interests in the competition for the use 

 of uncontrolled pubHc lands. In most instances, and wherever 

 changes could be allowed without injury to forest interests, damage 

 to important watersheds, or injustice to other permittees, requests 

 for changes in classes of stock have been granted. 



GRAZING TRESPASS 



The published reports of the decision of the Supreme Court of the 

 United States in two grazing trespass cases in California caused a 

 widespread impression that the regulations of the Secretary of Agri- 

 culture were not enforceable, and in some States there was a pro- 

 nounced inclination to attempt to graze stock on the Forests without 

 permit. The definite announcement that the regulations would con- 



