"The 'number 'of stock wnicli a forest 

 range permanently will support will 

 depend almost altogether upon the 

 methods of handling the stock on the 

 range. If sheep are properly handled 

 they will make better gains and do less 

 damage to the range than if they are 

 improperly handled. 



For five years the Forest Service 

 carried on experiments on one of the 

 National Forests, to determine the dif- 

 ference in the growth and weight of 

 lambs and in the amount of range re- 

 quired for sheep grazed in a pasture, 

 as compared with sheep herded on for- 

 est range of exactly the same kind. It 

 was found that the sheep in the pas- 

 ture required from 25 to 40 per cent 

 less range, depending upon the sea- 

 sonal growth of forage, than was 

 needed for the sheep which were 

 herded on the open range outside the 

 pasture. It was also found that the 

 lambs in the pasture weighed on an 

 average of 8 pounds more than the 

 lambs in the band which was herded 

 on the open range. The sheep in both 

 bands were of exactly the same age 

 and same grade. Further experiments 

 proved that if sheep are allowed to 

 graze openly, instead of being bunched 

 up and herded close together; if they 

 are bedded where night overtakes 

 them, instead of being driven back to 

 the same bed ground night after night ; 

 it* they are allowed to go to water two 

 or three times each week, instead of 

 being driven to water every day 

 whether they are thirsty or not; if 

 dogs are not allowed to disturb the 

 sheep while they are feeding or find- 

 ing a suitable bedding place; in other 



