42 FIELD WOEK (»K DIVISION 0¥ AGKOSTOLOGY. 



oils iKitivo ])l:ints other than gTiisses, and are not held lonj^" (>noui»li in 

 one place to cause an}' injury. The sheep-orazing- industry may ])e 

 injurious or not, according as it is conducted. In some localities there 

 is eA'idence that sheep grazing in th(> forest reservations is conducted 

 in such a manner as to result in great injury to the forests and to the 

 grazing lands, and indi recti}' to the whole country on account of the 

 inability of the denuded soil to retain the rainfall. We are of the 

 opinion, as already expressed by the Division of Forestr}', that sheep 

 grazing under proper restrictions is not necessarily injurious to forest 

 reserves. 



THE SOUTHWEST. 



CONDITIONS AND PROBLEMS. 



Tt is in this region, which includes westei'n Texas. New ^Mexico, 

 Arizona, and southeastern California, that the most ditHcult conditions 

 and problems present themselves. The greater portion of this I'egion 

 presents conditions quite different from those found in any other part 

 of the United States. The most favoral)Ie climatic conditions are to 

 be found in central and western Texas. Here the annual precipitation 

 ranges from 25 inches near the center of the State to 15 toward the 

 western l)order. The greater portion of this pai'tof Texas is excellent 

 grazing land. In fact, there are few areas to be found where the nat- 

 ural conditions are so favorable to stock raising. Considerable change 

 has taken place in- the aspect of this country since the departure of the 

 buffalo and Indian, owing to the destruction of bushes, shrubs, and 

 trees, caused by the prairie tires which the Indians are said to have set 

 in order to improve the grazing or which were started accidentall}'. 

 Very few of these plants survived except in protected situations. As 

 soon as the prairie fires became less frequent the shru))])y Aegetation 

 spread rapidly, especially the mesquite bean ( Promjyis sp.). This tree 

 has spread with great rapidity in recent years and now forms a scattered 

 growth over a great portion of central and western Texas as well as 

 throughout the lower jiltitudes of this whole region (PI. XIX, tig. 1). 

 The rich and nutritious native grasses and forage plants were exceed- 

 ingly a)»undant at the time the stockmen began to bring their flocks and 

 herds to these ranges. The territory was so inaccessible l)efore the 

 coming of the railroads that there was a great abundance of food for 

 all the stock, and the opinion prevailed that the forage resources of the 

 country were inexhaustible. At this time it is said that the grazing capac- 

 ity of large areas of land was one head of stock to 2 to 5 acres, whereas 

 on these sam(> areas to-day it requires from 10 to 16 acres to carry a 

 single head of stock. The building of the Texas Pacific Kaili'oad in 

 1888 gave great impetus to the stock-raising industry, which iiume- 

 diately })egaii ii rapid deyidopment. The grazing being practically 

 free, as no j)royision had yet been made by the railroads or State for 



