Forest Protection 165 



growth. The fact that sheep are frequently used to clean 

 up brush land shows what they will do in the way of de- 

 stroying broadleaf growth. Greater care is necessary in 

 limiting the number of the sheep than cattle, for when 

 crowded they are like a flock of locusts. Horses, especially 

 young horses, do much damage by browsing the leaves 

 and small twigs as high as they can reach, and gnawing 

 the bark off the saplings. They also trample down a great 

 many seedlings with their heavy tread and tear the bark 

 from the surface roots of the shallow-rooted species with 

 their iron shoes. They will not browse conifers, but break 

 down many of them in running around for exercise. Fiirst, 

 in his book on forest protection, classifies the domestic 

 animals, according to the amount of damage that they do, 

 as follows : goats, horses, sheep and cows. 



When the soil is light and has a tendency to drift with 

 the wind, grazing animals do much to stir it up and start 

 it moving. When there is heavy clay, they pack it down 

 so that germinating seeds cannot get a foothold. When 

 the slope is steep, they are very apt to pry loose the earth 

 and start erosion. 



Do not use the woodlot for a pasture unless it is neces- 

 sary, and then graze it as lightly as possible. That is a 

 rule which can be followed safely everywhere and at all 

 times, except when the object is the clearing out of the 

 underbrush. 



MISMANAGEMENT 



Probably the greatest danger to which the woodlot 

 is subjected is mismanagement by the owner. No atten- 

 tion is given to the maintenance of production, either in 



