THE NATIONAL FORESTS. 



The National Forests are the prop- 

 erty of the United States Government. 

 They were created for two purposes. 

 One is the production of timber; the 

 other, the regulation of streamflow by 

 maintaining a normal growth of trees, 

 shrubs, grasses, and weeds. The graz- 

 ing of live stock is regulated on the 

 National Forests for the primary pur- 

 pose of protecting the forests and 

 watersheds, secondarily, because the 

 Government recognized the grass as a 

 valuable resource which should be pro- 

 tected and made to produce the maxi- 

 mum amount of animal food for the 

 benefit of the stockmen, as well as all 

 of the people. 



Forest and watershed protection 

 must be accomplished by regulated 

 grazing. This means that the total 

 number of stock upon the National 

 Forests must not be greater than the 

 rang'e will properly support and that 

 the grazing seasons must conform to 

 the cycle of plant growth. The latter 

 is necessary because the removal of the 

 forage too early will result in weaken- 

 ing the parent plant and prevent the 

 production of fertile seed, thus making 

 it possible for the plants which are not 

 good feed to take the place of those 

 which are removed by live stock before 

 they have a chance to grow and ma- 

 ture seed. 



