222 Proceedings o^ the 



of Forestry a few years ago and endorsed by the 

 Secretary of the Interior, but not yet put to practical 

 use, were sound as a basis. Some day these principles 

 and regulations now being worked out for the control 

 of grazing on forest reserves will be carried out in all 

 or most of the public grazing lands with such modifica- 

 tions as may be found necessary in each locality; and 

 the regulations for each locality must be governed by 

 local conditions. The chief danger is too great haste, 

 over-confidence. 



There is no real conflict of interest between the 

 home-builder on the irrigated ranch and the home- 

 builder in the forest reserve, with his cattle or sheep 

 grazing on the public lands. Whatever destroys the 

 productiveness of the soil, whether too many stock, 

 bad management, fire, or recklessness in any manner, 

 damages all. The stockman largely consumes the 

 product of the farm and the farm provides the necessa- 

 ries of the stockman. The conflicts between cattle 

 and sheep interests are the clashing of individual in- 

 terests and not of the two industries. The very food 

 they eat is different. Cattle eat the grass, sheep the 

 weeds of the range when left to their choice. If the 

 individuals can be brought together and calmly talk 

 their differences over, 90 per cent, of such evils will 

 disappear. 



I shall not attempt to lay down a code of regulations 

 for grazing on forest reserves or off of them. The 

 man or men who attempt to fix in advance anything 

 more than the general principles of such regulations 

 will fail. Let us remember that it has required more 

 than half a century to build up the mining laws and 

 regulations of our country, imperfect as they still 

 are, and they were all based upon and grew out of 

 a few general principles and simple rules agreed upon 



