Nov. 16, 1914 Revegeiation of Range Lands 145 



sumed the first time the stock passed over it. On ranges grazed after 

 seed maturity the naked flower stalks, rising from leafless tufts of bunch- 

 grass, remained after the stock had passed over them, but on ranges 

 grazed when the forage was succulent and tender no flower stalks were 

 visible after the passage of the stock. No appreciable amount of herbage 

 remained on either area. 



Sheep from several allotments where deferred grazing was practiced 

 made fully as good progress as other sheep in allotments not handled 

 under deferred grazing. By the time the seed has ripened, the milk flow 

 of the ewes is nominal, and though it may decrease slightly when the 

 animals are placed on the semi-air-cured forage, the lambs by this time 

 are 4 or 5 months old, and milk is secondary to the nourishment secured 

 through cropping. 



Deferred grazing does not materially change the character of the for- 

 age on mountain ranges after seed maturity, because by this time succu- 

 lent forage everywhere has been reduced to a minimum, lea\'ing only 

 the air-cured plants and on open grazing lands a small amount of second 

 growth. By protecting part of the range until the last few weeks of the 

 grazing season there is the possible advantage of having a reserve supply 

 of solid feed upon which to harden the stock prior to the drive to market 

 or to winter range. 



The water facilities of the range may be an important consideration 

 in determining whether or not to adopt the deferred grazing system. 

 Regardless of the palatabiUty of the forage, deferred grazing can not be 

 carried out unless there is an adequate supply of water. On many ranges 

 the water faciUties may be improved by the construction of dams, the 

 development and protection of springs, and even by digging wells and 

 building windmills. Springs and small mountain streams are often 

 replenished by the autumn rains. 



SELECTION OF LANDS 



The amount of range needed for grazing under the deferred system 

 depends upon (i) the time at which the seed of the important forage 

 plants matures and (2) the portion of the grazing season remaining after 

 seed maturity. In the mountains of northeastern Oregon one-fifth of 

 the grazing season remains after seed maturity. Accordingly, one-fifth 

 of the carrying capacity, but not necessarily of the total acreage, of each 

 grazing allotment may be reserved annually for purposes of revegeta- 

 tion. The lower the elevation the earlier, of course, does the seed mature 

 and the greater the proportion of range which must be reserved for 

 deferred grazing. Since the lands are usually grazed by camps, the 

 carrying capacity of which is well known, the user will have no difficulty 

 in determining what proportion of the range should be reserved. 



