53"2 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



4. Conditions leading up to the enactment of the early homestead 

 laws and to the adoption of the policies pertaining thereto should be 

 reviewed. The efifect (i) on the live-stock industry and (2) on the 

 homeseeker of private ownership of the vast acreage of land formerly 

 used exclusively for grazing should be clearly recognized. In this con- 

 nection the acquisition of the lands for dry farming and the difficulties 

 such enterprises have entailed both on the stockman and the farmer 

 himself should also be recognized. 



The conditions and policies leading to the enactment of the 640-acre 

 grazing homestead law, being vital at this time, should be carefully 

 studied. Since, with few exceptions, 640 acres are inadequate for the 

 making of a reasonable living, there can be little doubt but that this act 

 will result in the choicest of the remaining public domain passing into 

 the hands of the "Land Kings." The influence on range improvement 

 and meat production of the passing of these lands into the hands of 

 large live-stock owners should be carefully analyzed. Private owner- 

 ship of the public lands now open to entry under the 640-acre home- 

 stead act will ultimately result in appreciable improvement in their 

 grazing capacity as compared with their present productivity and in 

 better utilization. The enterprising stockman fully realizes that the 

 future prosperity of his business is dependent upon the proper use of 

 the forage resource. 



II. The Xatk'c, Cultivated, and Associated Pasture Plants 



This subject divides itself naturally into three branches, namely: 

 I. The study of the native and cultivated forage plants. 2. Poi- 

 sonous plants. 3. ^Mechanically injurious plants. (Five credit 

 units.) 



■ One of the first essentials in range management is familiarity with 

 the plants that make i:p the cover, particularly the palatable species. 

 The forage plants best suited to the dififerent classes of stock, the species 

 that may be relied upon to indicate improvement or deterioration of 

 the range, and numerous other matters vital to the proper management 

 of the range, can be definitely determined only through familiarity with 

 the vegetation. Since practically every course in grazing is concerned 

 more or less with some phase of the plant cover, this subject should be 

 taught earlv in the curriculum, to be preceded by one year's study of 

 general college botany and by at least one semester's Avork in plant 

 physiology, ecology, and systematic botany. 



I. The study of the chief native and cultivated forage plants should 

 be preceded by a brief review of the distinguishing characteristics and 



