151 Eleventh Autnxtaz Report: 



for grazing purposes. The grasses have been killed out and the 

 seed blown or washed away; while in many localities the bared' 

 and devastated surface has begun to wash and gully in a disas- 

 trous manner. This condition is not only ruinous to the stock- 

 man, but also to the irrigation farmer who is affected by the al- 

 ternating floods and drouth caused by a bare watershed. 



While the principles of forestry are well understood, those of 

 range administration are not. But little is known in this region 

 as to the extermination of native grasses and shrubs by cattle; we 

 have no knowledge of the progress and completeness of the recov- 

 ery of our range country under rest and wise administration; lit- 

 tle has been ascertained of the rate of washing or of the methods; 

 of preventing it; neither has the difficult matter of putting a 

 scheme of administration into operation among existing stock in- 

 terests been dealt with. 



The study of these important questions, for some time in con- 

 templation, has, in co-operation with the Division of Agrostology, 

 U. S. D. A., been entered upon by the Arizona Station. About 

 350 acres of worn out range near Tucson is now (Nov. 17, 1900), 

 under fence, native grass seed has been secured, and the work of 

 reclamation and range study is to proceed in this vicinity under 

 the special attention of Dr. David Griffiths, botanist of the Sta- 

 tion. At present much confusion necessarily results from a dis- 

 cussion of this subject, partly for the reason that little scientific 

 knowledge upon it really exists, and the first step towards the so- 

 lution of the questions involved is the attainment of that scientific 

 and practical knowledge which is now in prospect. 



NEEDS OF THE STATION. 



Although the Station, during the past year, has enjoyed the 

 full use of its appropriation, even this has not been entirely ade- 

 quate for the reorganization and extension of its various depart- 

 ments. The laboratory and library equipments of the botanical 

 and chemical departments at Tucson are sufficient for the work in 

 hand, although both of these would greatly profit by extensions 

 which the funds will not now permit. 



The Experiment Station farm, in particular, is in need of 

 fencing, barns, dairy sheds, tool-house, stock scales and a resi- 



