Grazing Investigations on Our National Forests 9 



that in order to be informed of the character and condition 

 of a business an inventory must occasionally be taken. In 

 just this way the Branch of Grazing of the Service is engaged 

 in a line of activity known as "Grazing Reconnaissance," 

 Inking an inventory of its forage assets and liabilities compre- 

 hended by the whole of the public domain under the control of 

 the Forest Service. It is analogous to the timber recon- 

 naissance conducted by the Branch of Silviculture. Ascer- 

 1 Mining as it does any depleted, unusual, or improperly-used 

 areas, as preliminary to extensive practical and scientific- 

 studies, reconnaissance is invaluable. 



Reconnaissance is a new departure in grazing annals, 

 the work having been inaugurated on the Coconino Forest, 

 in northern Arizona, in April, 1911. As no men with the 

 requisite training and experience were available to superin- 

 tend this work a special examination to secure eligibles, to 

 be known when appointed as "Grazing Examiners," was held 

 last March. The examination covered questions in general 

 botany, plant physiology and ecology, engineering, and prac- 

 tical questions as to the handling of stock on the range. Four 

 men passed the examination and they were each placed in 

 charge of a field party in one district. 



The work naturally divides itself into three parts : 

 mapping, descriptive reports, and plant collecting. 



The reconnaissance maps will eventually give of each 

 Forest a complete classification of its entire area into types 

 and subtypes of grazing land, ten acres or larger in area, 

 and will show the location, acreage, and condition (i.e., whether 

 normal, overgrazed, or poorly stocked) of each type and sub- 

 type, the part grazed and ungrazed, whether summer, winter 

 or year-long range, the type and state of development of all 

 water facilities, the topography of the forest, and all roads, 

 trails, driveways, drift fences, corrals, and telephone lines. 



The descriptive reports cover all details of value to graz- 

 ing administration which cannot be represented on the maps. 

 For example, occurrence of poisonous plants or of range- 

 destroying pests, such as prairie dogs, are carefully noted. 



The plant collections will ultimately furnish authoritative 

 lists of the local economically valuable grazing plants and also 

 of such poisonous species as may occur. 



