174 WESTERN GRAZING GROUNDS AND FOREST RANGES 



half a mile from the one on which he last camped. This 

 gives the range an opportunity to freshen up, and adds 

 greatly to its grazing value. 



Salting Stock. Cattle, horses, sheep and goats all 

 crave salt. Stockmen estimate that on an average a 

 cow should consume ten pounds per year, a horse about 

 six and a sheep two or three. They will of course use 

 more on some ranges than on others, depending on the 

 natural "licks" or alkali spots found all over the west- 

 ern country. In many places like the Salt River Val- 

 ley in Arizona and along the Rio Grande in New Mex- 

 ico, the alkali or salt in the water satisfies their crav- 

 ings so well that animals will not pay any attention to 

 salt when placed where they can reach it. 



But in summer, when the animals are in the high 

 mountains where they get green feed and fresh water, 

 they seem to require a great deal of salt. As a general 

 thing they will consume about twice as much salt during- 

 the months when feed is green as they will after it has 

 been frosted and loses its freshness. Stock, especially 

 sheep, that are using the desert ranges in the winter 

 where their chief feed is browse need plenty of salt. 

 Without it digestion seems to be difficult and they do not 

 seem to do so well as where they can obtain all the salt 

 they want. 



Salt and Sulphur. Plenty of salt also tends to keep 

 down the worms in stock, especially where a 2 per cent 

 weight of flowers of sulphur is mixed with it. This is 

 always a good thing to do every spring. The sulphur 

 should be thoroughly mixed with the salt and with two 

 pounds of sulphur to 100 pounds of salt the animals will 

 eat it with relish. 



Kind of Salt to Use. For salting cattle on the range 



