146 Journal of Agricultural Research voi. iii. no. > 



MANAGEMENT DURING THE REVEGATION PERIOD 



Once the area in need of revegetation has been selected, no stock should 

 be allowed to graze on it until after the seed has ripened. Efforts should 

 then be made to have the stock pass at least once over the entire area 

 reserved, in order thoroughly to plant the seed. 



In the second year of deferred grazing if a reasonably dense stand of 

 forage seedlings has been secured, abusive herding must be avoided. 

 While it may do no apparent harm, so far as future seed crops are con- 

 cerned, to fully utilize the forage in the fall after the first year of protec- 

 tion, the loss of seedlings, even when the range is only moderatelj' grazed, 

 amounts to about 50 per cent. Close grazing and carelessness in per- 

 mitting the stock to btmch and trail must necessarily increase this loss. 

 Therefore, while close grazing after seed maturity the second year may 

 result in increasing the forage seedling stand the following season, such 

 an increase could only be temporary, since the practice causes severe 

 loss among the seedlings already in existence. Moderate grazing after 

 seed maturity also, of course, results in the destruction of a large number 

 of seedlings, but the double advantage of utilizing the forage and plant- 

 ing an additional seed crop readily offsets this loss. Moderate grazing 

 should be practiced in the second and subsequent seasons until the plants 

 have reached full maturity and are permanently established. In the 

 case of perennial plants this period is three years. 



When the area selected has been thoroughly reseeded and the plants 

 permanently established, another area in need of reseeding should be 

 selected. This system should not come to an end when the range has 

 been completely reseeded, but should be kept up in order to thoroughly 

 maintain the vigor of the vegetation and allow for an occasional seed 

 crop. 



During the season of 191 2 deferred grazing was in effect on 10 allot- 

 ments in various portions of the Wallowa National Forest. In every 

 case the carrying capacity of the range has increased materially, and 

 the best interests of the stock industry seem to call for the adoption of 

 the system generally. 



SUMMARY 



(i) Normally the spring growth of forage plants begins in the Hud- 

 sonian zone about June 25. For each 1,000 feet decrease in elevation 

 this period comes approximately seven days earlier. 



(2) In the Wallowa Mountains the flower stalks are produced approx- 

 imately between July 15 and August 10, while the seed matures between 

 August 1 5 and September i . 



(3) Even under the most favorable conditions the liability of the seed 

 on summer ranges is relatively low. 



(4) Removal of the herbage year after year during the early part of 

 the growing season weakens the plants, delays the resumption of growth, 



