RANGE IMPROVEMENT. 323 



"A number of native grasses have been caused to spread successfully by- 

 gathering the seed in advantageous localities and simply scattering it where the 

 ground was badly denuded. Better results have been obtained when seed- 

 ing was done the last of June or the first of July. When sown in autumn the 

 ants pick up too many of the seeds. Beneficial results have been secured in 

 this way by the use of the seed of Andropogon saccharoides, Bouteloua vestita, 

 and B. rothrockii. Less positive results have been secured by the use of 

 native seed of Bouteloua curtipendula and Leptochloa dubia. Indifferent 

 results have been secured with Bouteloua oligostachya. The above illustrations 

 of the successful use of native species are important and interesting, but they 

 have no applicability to open-range conditions. However, where the land is 

 under fence, and seed can be secured in the vicinity without too much expense, 

 improvements can be made in very badly trampled areas. When the roots 

 of the native growth are not completely destroyed, it is questionable whether 

 in such situations as this, recuperation would not occur fully as rapidly by 

 proper protection from overgrazing without the use of seeds as with it." 

 (1910: 12.) 



Thornber (1910: 312) has furnished a detailed and comprehensive account 

 of seeding and planting operations in connection with the small range reserve 

 near Tucson : 



"The almost complete failure of the above experiments in a reasonably 

 favorable year led the writer to undertake a series of experiments on similar 

 land receiving more water than the annual rainfall. To this end the storm 

 water embankments or dams already noted were built and the small areas over 

 which their flood waters occasionally extended were cultivated and sown from 

 time to time with the more promising of the native grasses, saltbushes, and 

 other forage plants, in addition to a number of introduced ones. For pur- 

 poses of comparison, most of these varieties were sown on adjacent areas not 

 so flooded, and also in the forage garden on the University grounds where 

 moderate irrigation was given, 



"Good stands of blue grama {Bouteloua gracilis), hairy grama (B. hirsuta), 

 and side-oats grama (B. racemosa) were secured with heavy summer rainfall 

 in addition to flooding, on the small range enclosure. These, however, 

 gradually died out with average summer rains and little or no flooding from 

 storm water. Crowfoot or mesa grama (B. rothrockii), though more or less 

 common on the lower mesas, killed out badly with prolonged droughts. With 

 moderate irrigation practically all the grama grasses did well in the forage 

 garden, while without such irrigation their growth was short and they showed 

 signs of dying out. It is quite evident therefore that the rainfall at the lower 

 altitudes is too limited for the successful growth of these species. Silver-top 

 or feather bluestem (Andropogon saccharoides) has become established where- 

 ever sown on areas subject to annual flooding, after which with average rain- 

 fall it has yielded at the rate of three-fourths to one ton of hay to the acre. 

 It has resisted in a remarkable degree prolonged drought, never having suffered 

 any injury therefrom when once established, and is gradually spreading over 

 cultivated areas, and swales and mesa depressions. When sown on the higher 

 creosote land not subject to flooding, or during seasons with less rainfall than 

 the average, it has failed. Tangle head (Heteropogon contortus) has also made 

 a good showing on the small range enclosure, while in the forage garden it has 

 yielded even more heavily than silver top. The sacaton grasses made little or 

 no growth from the start with rainfall heavier than the average on land not 

 flooded, and this was true of a number of other grasses, including Hilaria, 

 Stipa, and Aristida. 



