20 CONCEPT AND HISTORY. 



others of the Andropogon species. The curly mesquite will stand almost any 

 amount of drought, trampling, and hard usage, but is easily killed and rotted 

 out during a wet cold winter. The drought-resistant needle grass is frequently 

 destroyed by wood lice over considerable areas. This usually happens in the 

 spring on burned areas after light local showers. Finally, the entire seed crop 

 may be destroyed by early autumn fires. Thus it is seen that through some 

 one of many natural causes a species of grass may be all but exterminated and 

 its place taken by others, often of less value. 



"On overstocked land there is uniformly an alternation of needle grass and 

 mesquite at short intervals, unless the overstocking is carried too far, when 

 these perennials give way to annuals and worthless weeds. The carrying 

 capacity then depends almost absolutely on the proper distribution of rainfall 

 through the growing season in order to bring this transient vegetation to its 

 fullest maturity." (p. 28.) 



The text is divided into the following heads: (1) investigation of carrying 

 capacity, (2) destruction of grasses by animal pests, (3) deterioration through 

 increase of weeds, (4) renewing the cattle ranges, (5) rest versus alternation 

 of pastures, (6) additional aids to range improvement, (7) grazing regions in 

 Texas and New Mexico, (8) relation of land laws to range improvement, and 

 (9) benefits of improving the ranges. The most significant part of the report 

 is that which has to do with the regeneration of the range by means of rotation 

 pastures. Experimental sections were selected at Abilene and Channing, 

 Texas, representing prairie and plains respectively. 1 On these the following 

 experimental pastures and areas were established (p. 20; Bentley, 1902 : 15). 



Pasture No. 1 (80 acres) : No treatment except to keep all stock off until June 1 of each 

 year, pasturing the balance of the season. 



Pasture No. 2 (80 acres) : To be cut with a disk harrow, and stock to be kept off until June 1 

 of each year, pasturing the balance of the season. 



Pastures Nos. 3 and 4 (40 acres each) : To be grazed alternately, the stock to be changed 

 from one pasture to the other every two weeks, thus allowing the grasses ?. short 

 period for recovery after each grazing. 



Pasture No. 5 (80 acres) : No treatment except pasturing until June 1 and keeping stock 

 off the balance of the season. 



Pasture No. 6 (80 acres) : No treatment except to keep stock off during the first season. 



Pasture No. 7 (80 acres) : To be harrowed with an ordinary straight-toothed harrow and 

 stock kept off during the first season. 



Pasture No. 8 (80 acres) : To be disked and stock kept off during the first season. 



Pasture No. 9 (70 acres): Reserved for special experiments, viz, to determine (1) whether 

 or not seeds of a number of wild and cultivated varieties of grasses and forage 

 plants, exclusive of the grasses, could be sown directly in the sod with satisfactory 

 results. (2) Whether the roots of certain sod and pasture grasses could be trans- 

 planted to the bare spots and a good stand secured in that way. (3) Whether the 

 stand of grass could be improved by opening furrows across the pasture, in which 

 the grass seeds blown over the ground by the winds could be arrested and the 

 stand of grass be improved. 



Bentley, 1902. — The preceding experiments, though initiated by Smith, 

 were carried out by Bentley from 1898 to 1901. His results are of great value 

 as the first outcome of actual and successful experimentation in improving 

 the range. At the beginning the maximum carrying capacity of the area was 

 determined to be 16 acres per head, or 1 : 16. During the first year, the 

 carrying capacity was estimated to have increased to 1 : 8, or 100 per cent. 



'No record seems to have been made of the experiments at Channing, and it is assumed these 

 were early discontinued. 



