THE CARE OF THE RANGE 227 



spring" is one of the greatest mistakes the western man 

 ever made. There is no doubt that he obtained the idea 

 from the Indians, who seem to have practiced it more 

 or less. Theoretically it appears to be a good thing. 



Take a great sweep of open prairiee, covered with 

 considerable old, dry grass. . Burn a strip across it and 

 in the early spring when the grass begins to green it 

 will show up to a decided advantage against the yellow 

 of the unburned area. The advocate of burning will 

 point to it as a positive and unimpeachable result. "Look 

 at the burned strip and then at the unburned place and 

 it speaks for itself," he declares. So it does if one 

 doesn't give the matter any more than a superficial 

 thought, as too many of us do. 



True it is that on the burned strip the green grass is 

 easily seen. But get down on your knees and peer into 

 the old grass on the unburned strip, and you will find 

 as much young grass starting up under its cover, giving 

 it a protection against the frosts and drying winds that 

 the grass on the burned strip lacks. 



Comes a cold night or windy weather and the grass 

 on the burned strip curls up and either dies or is set 

 back in its growth very materially; while the other part 

 under the cover and protection of the old grass, which 

 also holds every drop of moisture that falls on it, is safe 

 and sheltered and does not feel the change in condi- 

 tions. 



The man who burns off a range to get better grass 

 does himself and the range the greatest possible injury, 

 and if he persists in it will eventually kill out the best 

 of the grasses, which will not stand the repeated attacks 

 by fire and only the worthless and useless weeds and 

 plants will persist. 



