24 A TEXT-BOOK OF GRASSES 
connection with the national forests. These reserves were 
formerly available as open range, but now stock is excluded 
except as permission is obtained for grazing by leasing. 
The terms of the lease provide for a maximum number of 
stock at a definite price a head to graze over a limited 
area for a limited season. In the open range system it was 
customary for the ranchmen to arrange among them- 
selves the use of the range. As they did not own or lease 
the open range they could not keep out rival ranchmen 
except by force. This not infrequently gave rise to strife, 
sometimes accompanied by bloodshed, between the 
opposing ranchmen or their herders, especially between 
the cattlemen and the sheepmen. The especial seriousness 
of the contests between the cattlemen and the sheepmen 
arose from the fact that cattle will not willingly graze after 
sheep probably because of some odor, whereas sheep will 
graze after cattle. Furthermore, sheep graze the forage 
much more closely than do cattle, so that after a band of 
sheep has passed over an area there is little or nothing 
left for the cattle. 
In former years ranchmen of the more southern 
regions carried their stock through the winter upon the 
range, depending upon the dry but nutritious grass 
remaining from the preceding season. Not infrequently 
there was loss of stock during stormy weather. In the 
northerly regions, and now, in accordance with the best 
practice also in the South, supplementary feed is supplied 
to stock during the winter months. 
21. Overgrazing—Wild pasture land will permit of a 
certain amount of grazing without deterioration. Beyond 
this amount the grazing capacity becomes progressively 
reduced. This condition is caused partly by actual injury 
to the vegetation, partly by the reduction of its recupera- 
