WORK OF THE FOREST SERVICE 307 



The Forest Service, in cooperation with other branches of the 

 government, has been trying to reduce stock losses from disease and 

 poisonous plants. This work has* been largely experimental in its 

 nature, but it is claimed that stock losses have been materially 

 reduced. 



The question of grazing in the new national forest areas of the 

 Appalachian region has recently come up for consideration, and in 

 1916, these areas were placed under regulations very similar to those 

 enforced in the West. 



One great problem still awaits solution, and that is the problem 

 of preventing the too frequent loss of animals on the public range 

 from starvation and exposure. Under a system which is a disgrace 

 to civilization, stockmen regularly turn animals out on the range 

 without any provision for feeding them in case of an unusually un- 

 favorable season; and in severe winters many animals always starve 

 to death on the plains. Thus the winter of 1908-1909 was very severe, 

 and the result was "considerable losses of newly sheared sheep." The. 

 following winter "prolonged periods of extremely cold weather caused 

 suffering among all classes of stock; winter losses were above the 

 average, and the percentage of increase among sheep and cattle was 

 materially reduced." The winter of 1911-1912 was severe, and govern- 

 ment officials reported that "there was a pronounced shortage of 

 winter feed, and heavy losses of stock occurred in Colorado, Wyo- 

 ming, and southeastern Montana." In some sections of Arizona, 20 

 per cent of the ewes were reported to have died. The winter of 1915- 

 1916 brought a similar condition, and travelers in the West in the 

 spring of 1917 noted the carcasses of cattle scattered along the 

 plains. Conditions have been better on the ranges within the national 

 forests, and the Forest Service has made special efforts to assist the 

 stockmen who were unable to provide their herds with feed; but the 

 conditions which recur with every hard winter demand a more effec- 

 tive remedy.* 



INVESTIGATIVE WORK 



The Forest Service has developed many kinds of investigative 

 work. In the first place, it has carried on research work in range con- 

 8 See the annual reports of the Forester. 



