-ONSERVATION CHAHLEY by Harry Corry 



^'*."'0i"ass is kinda like human critters - or cows 

 or sheep or dogs or trees. It has its good days 

 when it's full of vim and vigor - and it has its 

 bad days full of aches and pains. Who ever heard 

 of calling a doctor for grass when it isn't feel 

 ing good, though? 



We have physicians, psychiatrists, surgeons, 

 and dentists who treat the ailments and doldrums 

 of two-legged folks. The veterinarians take care 

 of our four-legged associates. The ichthyolo- 

 gists treat our funny friends. We even have tree 

 surgeons to rejuvenate the monarchs of the for- 

 ests and their city cousins. 



Believe it or not, we have grass doctors, too - 

 although no one calls them that. They're the 

 friendly range conservationists who examine the 

 patient, diagnose his ills and prescribe the 

 treatments. 



"Hey, Mac,"* someone says. "What's wrong with 

 my range? It looks kinda peaked to me. Guess 

 maybe it isn't getting enough rain, huh?" 



This then is the request for the range doctor's 

 professional services. He makes a house call 

 and gives the patient a thorough examination. 

 He travels over the entire range. He notices an 

 anemic Bluebunch wheatgrass plant here. He scru- 

 tinizes a vigorous Blue grama plant there. He 

 dodges a huge, thriving colony of pricklypear 

 (cactus to the layman) in the fkr comer. He 

 occasionally takes out his shovel and probes the 

 soil. He makes estimates of the percentages of 

 different plant species as he goes along. 



Doc finishes his field examination and assem- 

 bles the results of his various tests. He medi- 

 tates, cogitates, conteit^jlates, deliberates, and 

 cerebrates. Then he expectorates, 



"Wal, Sam," sajrs he - he calls everybody Sam - 

 "your range is plumb tuckered out. Its gotta 

 have rest and quiet,"' 



"Ya got some mecti-cine I can give it, Ebc?" 

 Sam asks. 



"Nope - none that comes out of a bottle, least- 

 wise," Doc replies, 



"What do I do then?" queries Sam. 

 "Just don't let those cows camp on this range 

 so long," Doc explains. "Lookee here. See this 

 scrawny plant? This is Bluebunch wheatgrass. 

 It should be big and bushy. ^fPnen cows eat too 

 much of it too often it starts shriveling up and 

 soon dies. And your lange is full of shriveled- 

 up little fellers like this." 



Ebc trots to a spot twenty-five feet away. 

 "And this is a Blue grama grass plant," he 

 continues. "He looks real healthy. He gets 

 happier and stronger as the HLuebunch gets weak- 

 er. But you don't want him around. He doesn't 

 produce much feed for cows." 



Ddc steps on a cactus (pricklypear to him) and 

 the editor censors his next three sentences. 

 The fourth sentence is, "And these dag-nab, 

 blankety-blank pin cushions should be deported. 



Whan these bandits start integrating with grass, 

 it niMn;-. t'vil .vour ranpe Is really SICK, Course, 

 you've only j-cl a couple of small patches right 

 now, Tht^y're caused by cows lingering too long 

 on 1 pif>c# of r round, Ya gotta watch it, though. 

 When you see w*«eds and these stickers on your 

 range, you can !>e sure that your grass has reallj 

 been taking a heatint:,"* 



"What do I do to get the grass back on its 

 feet?" Sam asks, 



"Best thing in the world is to keep cattle off 

 early in the year,"^ Coc replies, "You've got 

 to let the grass set seed every other year be- 

 fore you turn the cattle in, too. And don't let 

 them eat more than half of the grass which a 

 plant produces each year. You follow that pre- 

 scription and it won't be too long before this 

 old range is hale and hearty again," 



"Shore do thank you, Ibc," says Sam as he 

 sticks out' his ham-like right hand, 



"Ouch," Ibc yelps as Sam dislocates the second 

 finger on Doc's right hand with a plumb friendly 

 squeeze, 



"That's 0, K,,'" Ibc smiles through his tears. 

 "I'm always glad to help make sick grass healthy. 



These grass doctors have their own Hippocratic 

 Oath. 



RAD RANCT: COMMITTEE 



The RAD Range Subcommittee met in Bozeman, 

 June 8, The members talked of ways of getting 

 more awareness to the public of the value of 

 Montana grass and of the opportunities that 

 exist to increase Montana's economy through 

 better range management. 



Some ways of doing this which were suggested 

 and will be woriced on are: 



1) Committeemen get involved in local coran- 

 ittees. 



2) Hold a range school for agricultural rep- 

 resentatives of banks and credit people. Range 

 Management can be sold through the bankers. 



3) Get information in bankers newsletters. 

 U) Range tours be promoted. Get ranchers to 



tell their story, 



5) Use of films for Television and Public 

 Showings . 



6) Advertise; distribute bulletins on grassesi 



7) Make ranchers aware that by practicing 

 good range management, this will prevent the 

 spread of noxious weeds. 



In summer, hot, dry winds bum crops, decrease 

 yields, increase water losses during irrigation, 

 and dry out soils. 



Shelterbelts help to overcome these losses, 

 ^ ^ ^ 

 Looking for a job? 

 Wanted: A man between the 

 ages of 25 and 35 years, with 40 

 years experience. 



