618 



ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



alonfj lines which insure a minimum of damage and effort and a 

 iMiixiiiiuni of return. 



Perhaps the most important change which is taking place in the 

 industry is due to the curtailment of the unreserved and unappro- 

 priated range outside of the forests, partly through homestead set- 

 tlement and other forms of alienation and partly through the deterio- 

 ration resulting from misuse. Many outfits finding their customary 

 ranges depleted, occupied, or rendered impossible of access, have 

 endeavored to secure grazing privileges upon the national forests. 

 The rapid appropriation of the choicest lands and areas which con- 

 trol large tracts of grazing land has emphasized the value of the 

 national forest range, and there is a growing tendency to remove 

 stock from the unreserved lands to the forest lands. 



A few years ago cattle prices were low and the sheep industry was 

 at the high tide of prosperity. Consequently many stock growers 

 disposed of their cattle and engaged in the sheep business. More 

 recently cattle prices have risen rapidly while sheep prices have 

 slightly declined, and on some of the national forests there is a pro- 

 nounced tendency to replace sheep with cattle. In the States where 

 the sheep industry is dominant the trend is still from cattle to sheep. 

 Except when disturbed by abnormal economic conditions the de- 

 velopment of the live-stock industry within a given State is influenced 

 largely by the natural suitability of the grazing lands for the pro- 

 duction of a certain kind of stock, and the passing of the era of com- 

 paratively higher prices for mutton and wool is resulting in a more 

 normal stocking of national forest ranges. 



GBAZING TRESPASS. 



Both innocent and criminal trespass have decreased. The new 

 cases numbered 20 less than the preceding year. The following table 

 covers all grazing trespass cases: 



The uniformly favorable court decisions have tended to decrease 

 cases of willful trespass, and it is believed that this class of trespass 

 will continue to grow less. Cases of innocent trespass due to care- 

 lessness of herders and other causes will, of course, occur, but it is 

 anticipated that settlement of these will be easily secured without 

 resort to court proceedings. The prosecution during the past year of 

 herders and camp tenders for criminal trespass, whenevier it was 

 found they had acted in violation of the orders of the stock owners, 

 followed by the conviction and punishment of several of them, has 

 resulted in increased care and a decreased number of trespass cases 

 of both kinds. Heretofore trespass proceedings have usually been 

 brought against the owners. 



In the case of the Newcastle Land & Live Stock Co. for a trespass 

 upon the Sundance National Forest the jury, in addition to the value 

 of the forage consiimed b)'^ the trespassing sheep, allowed the Govern- 

 ment a sum to cover the damage to forest reproduction. Since this is 



