Timely Hints for Farmers. 255 



In this way, it is either surfeit or starvation with him most of the 

 time. Again, a washed and gullied country contributes enormous 

 quantities of silt to its drainage water. This not only inconven- 

 iences the farmer, filling his ditches and embarrassing him in hand- 

 ling his water, but becomes a complicating factor in connection 

 with the great storage reservoir propositions which have in recent 

 years been discussed hopefully as a possible solution of the irreg- 

 ular supply of irrigation waters caused by the overstocking and 

 mal-administration of the watersheds. 



Appreciating the necessity for the acquisition of scientific 

 knowledge concerning worn out range country and the ways and 

 means for its reclamation, the Arizona Experiment Station has 

 taken its first step towards the dissipation of our ignorance on this 

 very important matter. About half a square mile of worn out 

 range country near Tucson, has been fenced, with a view to study- 

 ing its restoration to the original grass-covered condition. Rook- 

 ing to the future, however, it must be remembered that scientific 

 knowledge of this subject must be coupled with legal ingenuity in 

 order to be effective, and that the application of such knowledge 

 over an occupied range of considerable extent is a problem which 

 experience only can solve. Forestry reservation and administra- 

 tion presents similar difficulties, the actual work in this case being 

 undertaken by the Government. The often discussed leasing of 

 public lands to private parties, on the other hand, leaves the prac- 

 tical work of range improvement to individuals. The relative 

 merit of these two general methods must, in part, be decided with 

 the aid of fuller scientific knowledge of the subject than we now 

 possess. 



With this passing suggestion as to the administrative difficul- 

 ties of range improvement, it may be stated in conclusion that the 

 hoped for outcome of range study is : 1. The betterment of stock 

 interests by demonstrating methods for reclaiming grazing lands ; 

 2. The improvement of irrigation interests, by showing how meas- 

 urable control may be exerted upon the run-off of a given range ; 

 and 3. By adding to the life of reservoirs in lessening the 

 amounts of silt carried in flood waters. 



R. H. Forbes, 



Director. 



