120 Journal of Agricultural Research voi. iii. No. 2 



The data given in Table VI, supplemented by observations made in 

 1908 and 1909, show conclusively that on the typical lands studied the 

 important perennial forage species are not being reestablished. For 

 example, such important species as mountain bunch-grass, little blue- 

 grass, and big bunch-grass gave a maximum count of 6.4 seedlings per 

 square meter, as opposed to one of 26.96 for sickle sedge, a species of 

 little value. Even on the lands which still support a fair stand of the 

 original valuable forage virtually no reproduction is taking place. Moun- 

 tain bunch-grass, which produces flower stalks at a relatively early 

 date, and whose chances are therefore good for maturing a viable seed 

 crop, shows no reproduction from seed where the ranges are grazed 

 each year before the first week in August. 



Practically all the seedlings on these ranges are of inferior species. 

 Sickle sedge, an unpalatable but aggressive perennial, forms not less 

 than nine-tenths of the total perennial seedling stand. This sedge 

 matures a strong seed crop at a relatively early date and, in addition, 

 perpetuates itself abundantly by offshoots from the rootstocks, which 

 later develop seed. Besides sickle sedge, there was an occasional seed- 

 ling of western porcupine grass, little needle grass, short-awned brome- 

 grass, and slender hair-grass. The first three species are fairly good range 

 plants, but the last named is grazed only to a limited extent early in the 

 season. Probably because of this fact slender-hair-grass seedlings were 

 more in evidence than any of the others. 



The maximum seedling density occurred on old bed grounds, where 

 the vegetative cover was exceedingly scarce. The average number of 

 seedlings obtained per square meter for all counts made upon such lands 

 was 26.96 and 23.6 in 1907 and 1908, respectively. This exceeds by 

 about 50 per cent the seedling stand for any other type of range exam- 

 ined. There are three chief reasons why the seedling stand is dense 

 on bed grounds: (i) The unpalatability of the parent species, coupled 

 with early maturity of the seed; (2) thoroughness with which the seed 

 is planted; and (3) relatively high water content of the soil. 



The seed of sickle sedge usually matures and drops before August i, 

 and in consequence the plant is neither weakened nor the seed production 

 interfered with by foraging animals. Though on most bed grounds the 

 soil is hard-packed, on the particular ones examined it was loose and 

 porous, and the trampling assisted in conserving its moisture by pulver- 

 izing the surface. During the main growing season in 1907 and 1908 

 the soil moisture content of the bed ground averaged 30.2 per cent, 

 exceeding by 7.9 per cent that of any other locality studied, except the 

 swales. 



To sum up, it may be said that season-long grazing continued year 

 after year seriously interferes with the growth of the vegetation, de- 

 creasing both the quantity and palatability of the forage crop. By the 



