THE CARE OF THE RANGE 



231 



down deeper and deeper until the road became unfit for 

 use, owing to the high centers. 



Thus the water that formerly flowed slowly across 

 the grassy prairies was drawn off as rapidly as in the 

 paved streets of a city, and was lost to the vegetation 



An Arizona Range After a Hard Spring. 



which so badly needed it. This was one of the reasons 

 for the failure of the western ranges. 



Overstocking. The greed of the settlers and the 

 utter lack of responsibility for preserving the ranges for 

 future use were other reasons for range failure and 

 depreciation. It was all free, open grazing; Uncle Sam 

 owned it and "if we did not get it somebody else would." 

 This was the general feeling. 



Tens of thousands of cattle and sheep were thrown 

 onto ranges only to starve and die. On an average little 



