398 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The table shows a decrease from the previous year of 81,512 cat- 

 tle, 5,467 horses, 1,356 ho^s, 121,048 sheep, and 49,596 goats, or a 

 falling off of 2.75 per cent in the total of all kinds of animals grazed 

 under })erniit. This falling off was due primarily to the decrease in 

 the grazing area because of eliminations either made or contemplated. 

 The area thus opened to free grazing was about 1.55 per cent of the 

 total area on wliich grazing permits were required in 1909. That 

 the percentage of decrease in animals grazed should exceed the per- 

 centage of land withdrawn from grazing control followed naturally 

 from the fact that the lands selected for elimination were along the 

 exterior boundaries of the Forests. In proportion to their area these 

 relatively low-lying and open-timbered or non timbered lands are 

 above the average of National Forest land in their carrying capacity, 

 while they are also accessible to near-by settlers who graze small 

 quantities of stock near home, but do not drive stock into the higher 

 and more remote parts of the Forest. In other words, the grazing 

 on these lands was in exceptional demand, and in demand especially 

 by small users. It is, therefore, not strange that the number of graz- 

 ing permittees using the Forests decreased by 5.7 per cent. The 

 decrease in the number of permittees for grazing cattle, horses, and 

 hogs was 6.6 per cent, and for grazing sheep and goats 1.6 per cent. 

 The average amount of stock grazed by each permittee remained 

 practically the same as in the previous year — 72 cattle and horses 

 and 1,531 sheep and goats to each permit in 1910, as against 71 and 

 1,541 in 1909. 



The percentage of approved applicants who failed to pay the graz- 

 ing fees and utilize their privileges was 7.8 per cent, as against 7 

 per cent for the previous year. 



The practice of issuing free permits under special fire-fighting 

 agreements on the Arkansas and Ozark Forests in the State of 

 Arkansas was abandoned, but the special exemption limits are still 

 maintained and the number of stock grazed was practically the same 

 as during the preceding year. 



The receipts for grazing fees paid on account of the above permits 

 are stated on page 10. They show a decrease of $45,276.32 from the 

 preceding year. 



The plan to allot grazing privileges for periods of five years was 

 extended to 9 additional Forests during the year, and is now effective 

 upon 35 Forests. Its success is beyond question, and it has received 

 the strong approval of the permittees. The general application of 

 this system will, however, be deferred until an equitable adjustment 

 of all conflicting interests, satisfactory divisions of the range, and 

 reliable estimates of the carrying capacity of the Forests have been 

 secured under the District organization. 



There were issued 2,615 crossing permits, for which no charge is 

 made. These permits allowed 77,507 head of cattle, horses, and 

 hogs and 4,944,401 head of sheep and goats to be driven to private 

 lands within the Forests or across the Forests to outside ranges or 

 shipping points, an increase in permits of 24 per cent and in stock 

 of 21.5 per cent. Xo permits were required for small bands of stock 

 which were driven along public highways, or for stock which was not 

 grazed upon Forest lands en route. There was practically no delay 

 in the movement of stock and no embarrassment to stock growers 



