MAN'S DISORDER OF NATURE'S DESIGN — ALBERTSON 367 



example, Fremont, in 1842, reports the presence of the following plants 

 in or near Kansas : 



Leadplant Amorpha canescens. 



Willow Salix longifolia. 



Prairie sage Artemisia spp. 



Milkweed Asclepias tuberosa. 



Thistle Carduus spp. 



Sunflower Helianthus spp. 



Buffalo grass Buchloe dactyloides. 



Wild alfalfa Psoralea florihunda. 



Sensitive-brier Morongia uncinata. 



GaiUardia Oaillardia spp. 



Evening primrose Gaura cocdnea. 



The plants referred to by Fi*emont "were doubtless important as a part 

 of our prairie vegetation many centuries past. 



The author of this paper remembers fairly distinctly the conditions 

 that existed nearly 50 years ago. The vast majority of the land was 

 native prairie. It was neither broken for cultivation nor overgrazed 

 by livestock. The hilltops were occupied by short grasses and low- 

 growing broad-leaved herbaceous plants. Many of the hills were 

 dotted with bunches of little bluestem, and in the favored areas, such 

 as buffalo wallows, side oats grama and big bluestem were common. 

 The hillsides were occupied primarily by big and little bluestem, side 

 oats grama, Indian grass, and panic grass. All but the little bluestem 

 and side oats grama were dominant on the lowlands. At this time, 

 most of the land was open range and the livestock owned by the 

 pioneers roamed as they wished along the streams and over the high- 

 lands. Occasionally small areas had been broken for cultivation. It 

 is the change from the condition as it existed a half century ago to 

 the present state that has become our principal difficulty. As the 

 population increased, more land for cultivation was necessary. In- 

 crease in the cultivated area reduced the amount of native rangeland 

 at a time when there occurred an increase in the number of livestock ; 

 hence a gradually increasing number of livestock was forced to graze 

 on a gradually decreasing area of native rangeland. These effects 

 have been the cause of at least two problems. The first is proper 

 management of our cultivated land so that dusting of grasslands is 

 reduced to a minimum. Research and leadership from our experi- 

 ment stations and Federal agencies have assisted greatly in bringing 

 to our attention better methods for utilizing and conserving our culti- 

 vated soils. The second problem with which we are confronted is the 

 proper management of our rangeland in order to secure maximum 

 use with a minimum of deterioration. 



We have said that the native vegetation of the high plains is better 

 adapted to the prevailing environmental conditions than is any other 

 type of vegetation ; that is why it is dominant. This statement does 



