THE CARE OF THE RANGE 245 



the plants had been given a full chance to develop, so 

 that not only was the crop a first-class feed product 

 but the roots had stored away sufficient vital forces to 

 enable them to reproduce themselves another season. 



So with the grazing side of this question. If the 

 number of stock upon a range during the growing sea- 

 son has been so many as to keep the plants constantly 

 grazed down, so that the leaves and stems could neither 

 develop nor obtain from the air the elements necessary 

 not only to make food but to enable the plant to per- 

 petuate itself, then it has been over-grazed. Fat stock 

 will not be found on such a range. But if the stock 

 have been handled right, the plants given a chance to 

 grow, though the ground may show very little grass 

 above the stubble in the fall, yet it has not been over- 

 grazed in such a way as to injure it. 



All over the West one may see good examples of this 

 sort of over-grazing. Alfalfa, one of the most persist- 

 ent forage plants known, has often been completely 

 killed out by constantly keeping stock on the field in 

 such numbers that the green shoots were nipped off 

 as fast as they appeared above the ground. Thus the 

 plants did not derive any food from the sun and air, 

 their vitality was lowered, the roots were weakened 

 and they finally die simply starved to death. Then 

 the farmer declares his alfalfa has "run out," takes his 

 harrow and rips up the surface of the ground, lets the 

 light in on. the roots, scatters a little fresh seed over 

 the worst places and keeps his stock off it a while and 

 soon has his field as good as ever. 



