XXX REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. 



RANGE IMPROVEMENT. 



The loss to the cattle interests of the West during the past fifteen 

 or twenty years, as a result of injudicious management of ranges, has 

 been heavy. In order to obtain some information as to the possibility 

 of restoring these overstocked lands, experiments in regrassing were 

 undertaken at Tucson, Ariz., in cooperation with the agricultural 

 experiment station, and at Abilene, Tex., with Mr. H. L. Bentley, 

 employed by the Department for this work and living at that place. 

 At Tucson a small area of land was secured for the experiments, the 

 ground having been previously denuded of grass through overstocking 

 and mismanagement. Very promising results have already been 

 obtained in connection with this work, it having been shown that by 

 comparatively simple and inexpensive methods much can be done 

 toward bringing the ranges back to their original condition. The 

 experiments at Abilene, a report on which has been prepared, have 

 demonstrated conclusively the possibility of greatly improving the 

 cattle ranges by practical methods and at comparatively little cost, the 

 stock-carrying capacit}^ of the range lands selected for the experiments 

 being doubled in three years. Mr. Bentley claims that it is not only 

 possible to restore the worn-out and grass-denuded ranges to their 

 former productiveness, but that while this is being done cattle may be 

 pastured on them and the number increased from year to year as the 

 capacity of the pastures to sustain them is increased. 



Widespread interest in this work has been aroused, and so great has 

 been the demand for its extension that an estimate for additional appro- 

 priations to carry on the investigations has been made. I earnestly 

 recommend that the increase asked for be granted, and, furthermore, 

 that action be taken by Congress giving you, Mr. President, authority 

 to secure for the experimental needs of this Department such tracts of 

 public range lands as may be necessary for the best interests of the 

 work. 



GRASS GARDENS. 



Nothing is more instructive to visitors than to see grasses and forage 

 plants growing, and for this reason considerable time has been devoted 

 to developing the gardens at Washington, and at Buffalo in connection 

 with the Pan-American Exposition. In these gardens the cultivation 

 of ornamental grasses and of grasses suitable to lawns was specially 

 undertaken for the information and guidance of those interested in 

 beautifying the home. More than 300 varieties of grasses and forage 

 plants have been brought together in the gardens at Washington, and 

 many interesting and valuable results have been obtained through a 

 study of their behavior under the conditions of climate and soil pre- 

 vailing here. A feature of the Pan-American Exposition was the 

 Department's exhibit of growing grasses and forage plants. This 

 exhibit was located near the Government building and attracted wide- 



