THE SOUTHWEST. 49 



ment under such conditions will ho readil}^ rccotrnized, as the range 

 can not bo recovered except by seeding-. The methods of resting and 

 disking have little hope of success here, as the grasses having been 

 practically destroyed, none are left to reseed the land. 



Of course, the condition of affairs described above represents the 

 extreme. We are told, however, that there arc extensive areas 

 throughout these territories where the ranges are in the same condi- 

 tion. The effect upon the country of this denuding of the ranges is 

 not restricted to the stock-growing industries, but affects the whole 

 future of the country. One of the most serious immediate results is 

 the "erosion which follows the removal of vegetation from the surface. 

 This erosion is so rapid and so great as to be almost beyond belief to 

 one who has not actually observed it. The scanty rainfall, which 

 usually comes in torrents, runs rapidly away over the bare surface of 

 the soil, flowing through and rapidly eroding every shallow depression, 

 so that it becomes only a matter of a few years when a cow-path or a 

 wagon track f oruis an arroya several fe-^t wide and deep. AVe had 

 pointed out to us by reliable observers examples of erosion of this sort 

 which have been produced within the past six or eight years. The 

 accompan3'ing illustrations show the results of nine years of this 

 erosion in the vicinity of Tucson (PI. XXIII). Besides the injuries 

 caused l)y erosion are those resulting from floods and the deposition of 

 the great amount of soil which is carried down by the streams.' It 

 will be seen from this that aside from the desirability of covering these 

 barren lands with vegetation for forage purposes, there is still a greater 

 necessity of covering them in order to conserve the rainfall and pre- 

 vent, this destructive erosion. However discouraging the case may 

 appear, we do not regard it as hopeless. 



The flrst and most important step looking toward the improvement 

 and restoration of the public grazing lands is the control of these lands 

 in such a manner as to make it to the advantage of the stockmen to 

 improve the range rather than to devastate and destro}' it, as is the 

 tendency at the present time. This is the question of most funda- 

 mental importance, for no matter what temporary improvement may 

 be brought about it can not be made lasting without there is some 

 means of protecting the range from overstocking. The resources of 

 this region, so far as native grasses and forage plants are concerned, 

 are great, and if properh^ conserved and cared for wiU be found to 

 meet, for the greater part, the needs of the country. 



Several species of mesquite {lUlaria spp.) are conunon and furnish a 

 considerable percentage of the pasturage on the range, particularly on 

 the mesas. Curly mesquite [Ililaria cenchroidcs) (PI. XX, ffg. 2.) is one 

 of the most excellent grazing grasses in the southwest. It is a so-called 

 "short grass^" forming a dense turf, spreading by means of runners 

 and producing an abundance of very nutritious forage. It is in habit 



1923— No. 25 4 



