20 Forest Club Annual 



where the forage crop has been but slightly decreased, and 

 even in the case of a half normal stand, deferred grazing for 

 a single season may bring about the desired results. 



Certain grazing lands which have been subject to de- 

 structive grazing to a point where the original palatable plants 

 have been virtually replaced by useless weeds could not be 

 reseeded by deferred grazing. Such lands can often be suc- 

 cessfully seeded to cultivated plants, as already pointed out. 



Depleted lands of unusually high altitudes, and conse- 

 quently characterized by a short growing season, are restricted 

 in the possibilities of natural reseeding owing to the limited 

 grazing period remaining after the seed crop matures. How- 

 ever, the valuable grazing lands near or exceeding the timber- 

 line are much limited. 



On the Wallowa National Forest in the season of 1911 

 ten high mountain grazing allotments were selected for de- 

 ferred grazing. Owing to the practicability of this means 

 of reseeding the stockmen are eager to take advantage of it. 



EFFECT OF GRAZING ON FOREST REPRODUCTION. 



The primary object in the creation of National Forests 

 was the conservation of the timber and water. In the be- 

 ginning grazing was unrestricted, but it was soon generally 

 conceded that grazing on Forest ranges must be controlled. 

 In some localities little was known of the past history of the 

 lands and in some cases their condition seemed to warrant 

 the total exclusion of sheep and goats. Owing to the fact 

 that the condition of the ranges was considered as evidence 

 that sheep grazing was injurious to forest growth, this class 

 of stock was eliminated from certain forests in the more arid 

 regions for a decade or so. 



It was not until the year 1910 that the Branch of Grazing 

 undertook a critical study to investigate the effect of grazing 

 on forest reproduction. The first investigation was carried 

 out on the Coconino National Forest in northern Arizona 

 by Messrs. R. R. Hill, Grazing Examiner, and W. A. Dayton, 

 Plant Ecologist. The study in 1911 was confined to the Shasta 

 National Forest in northern California and was prosecuted by 

 Mr. W. A. Dayton and the writer. 



In a broad way the object of this study was to determine 

 the amount and seriousness of injury to timber species, from a 



