THE SOUTHWEST. 4H 



('oiiti'olliiii;- their limds, {hvvo wiis a "oneral struooK^ oi, tJic j)ai-t oP 

 stockiiicii to make tlic uio^it of the "free grass. '' The result was a 

 rapid (lestriu-tion of many of the best (jfrasscs l)y overstocking-. The 

 more \'alual)Ic grassc^s ])eing" gradually destroyed, their places were 

 occupied l)y more or less worthless annual species, as well as weeds, 

 cacti, and mesquite. On account of the importance of the problems 

 and the interest in them which has been shown by the stockmen, con- 

 siderable field work has l)een done in Texas by the Division. 



WOKK DONE. 



Mr. J. G. Smith made a special study of the forage problems of 

 Texas and New ]\I(^xico. In 1807 he visited some thirty places in this 

 region and made a careful stud}" of the ranges and the grazing indus- 

 try". Information AVtis also secured by correspondence with cattle and 

 sheep owners in the State of Texas.. These incpiiries were directed 

 chiefly to ascertaining the present carrying capacity of the ranges and 

 the amount of increase or decrease in carrying cai)acity that has taken 

 place during the last twenty-five years. The results of Mr. Smith's 

 work were embodied in Division Rulletin No. 10, "(li-azing Problems 

 in the Southwest and how to meet them.'' This i-eport contains a very 

 thorough account of past and present conditions of tlu^ Texas range 

 lands; also the methods which have beea and are being followed ])y 

 stockmen, and the results. The very great decrease in the cai'rying 

 capacity of the range is pointed out and the reasons clearly indicated. 

 Aside from the destruction of the grasses l)y overstocking there is a 

 great amount of injury done by animal pests, especially prairie dogs 

 and jack rabbits. Th(\se pests were formerh" controlled chiefl}' by 

 their natural enemies, the gra}" wolves and coyotes, which have been 

 killed ])v stockmen on account of their destruction of sheep and young 

 cattle. These animals can, however, ])e eontrolk^d without great dif- 

 ficult}" if the ])roper steps are taken. Poisoning hits proven to be 

 very effective. The whole section of land upon which the range- 

 improvement experiments of the Division were located at Abilene was 

 entirely rid of prairie dogs in a very short time in this way. The 

 amount of grass destroj^ed by these animals is enormous. The prairie 

 dogs practical!}" exterminate all the grass in the vicinity of their bur- 

 rows. The bettei- gi-asses thus destroyed are replaced by inferior species 

 which have nuich less feeding value. The rapid increase of the prickly 

 pe^ir {Oj)untla eiigrlmavrii) is discussed and also means of destroy- 

 ing it. Fire is said to be the only remedv which is ell'ecti^'e in fight- 

 ing this plant. The mesquite l)ean {Promjnx j Klifiora) which we ha\'c 

 just referred to as rapidly spreading over the country can scarcel}' be 

 looked upon as an entirely undesirable intruder. It produces a great 

 abundance of fruit. The pods which are filled with a sweetish, palatal)le 

 pulp, are greedily eaten by cattle and hoi-ses, and ari^ regarded as \'ei'y 



