PROGRESS OF THE RANGE BUSINESS 79 



On the prairies of western Kansas and Nebraska they 

 estimate that for year-around purposes between fifty 

 and sixty head to the section (640 acres) is about the 

 right number to keep the animals in good flesh and 

 not overgraze the land. If used only in the summer sea- 

 son when the feed is growing rapidly the carrying capac- 

 ity is greater than these figures indicate. 



On the sheep ranges in the higher mountains of Utah, 

 Idaho and the rest of the Rocky Mountain states dur- 

 ing the summer season, which is short not over four 

 months on an average the ranges will and do carry 

 as many as a sheep to the acre without being 6vergrazed. 

 As a general thing, however, a sheep to every 2y 2 acres 

 is the safest rule. This of course must vary with the 

 quality of the range. 



Goats eat so much brush that it is almost impossible to 

 make a fair estimate of the capacity of a goat range, un- 

 less one goes over it carefully and notes the stand of the 

 brush. 



The accessibility of water is also a great factor, be- 

 cause if stock must travel long distances to and from 

 water it not only tramples out a certain amount of feed 

 but takes time which should be used in grazing. One 

 of the best ways to estimate the capacity of a range is 

 to take a look at the stock at the end of the grazing 

 season. Fat sheep and cattle will not be found on an 

 overgrazed range. The instant they are forced to graze 

 the feed closely, and take the rougher and unpalatable 

 portions of the forage, that instant they begin to fall off, 

 and if kept there for any length of time both stock and 

 range will tell their own story. 



There are many grasses and forage plants which 

 stock will not graze closely, some which they will 



