Grazing and Forestry 69 



come into contact with the soil. It is evident then that trampling 

 of seed into the soil by livestock must stand as a factor of some 

 import. Large numbers of tree seed are undoubtedly trampled 

 into the soil by sheep, but, as concerns cattle grazing, I doubt 

 that this result is of much importance. However, if in addition 

 we consider the effect of grazing in breaking up the mats of dead 

 vegetation, the aid in planting seed seems significant. 



One of the most important indirect influences of grazing in 

 the administration of the National Forests is in game protection. 

 The protection of game animals and of birds which inhabit the 

 forests has always been an important phase of forest adminis- 

 tration in Europe, and in this country more and more considera- 

 tion is being given to the question as conditions become more 

 intensive. Second only to the hunter in the destruction of game 

 animals and game birds are the predatory wild animals, such as, 

 coyotes, wolves, bears, lions and wildcats. It is very doubtful 

 that the destruction of predatory animals would be considered 

 necessary from this standpoint alone, but it 4s not at all difficult 

 to see the necessity from the standpoint of protection of domestic 

 livestock. Funds from Congress are forthcoming for this pur- 

 pose, and stock owners are ever ready to help Forest officers 

 in their work of destroying predatory wild animals. Thus, in- 

 directly, the grazing interests tend to co-operate in game pro- 

 tection. 



That the original opinions referred to were based on the in- 

 jury of young tree growth by grazing animals cannot be doubted; 

 and the condition of many forest ranges at the time of the crea- 

 tion of the National Forests, as result of overstocking and poor 

 methods of handling, afforded justification for the opinions. 

 Lack of any range control naturally resulted in an overstocking 

 and overgrazing of the mountain range. When the palatable 

 herbaceous vegetation neared exhaustion, the livestock were 

 forced to eat almost any kind of vegetation, including tree seed- 

 lings. Close herding of sheep and excessive trailing resulted in 

 the trampling of tree seedlings as well as forage. Use of one 

 bedground by sheep for too long a period sometimes resulted in 

 the grazing of seedlings. If no salt were furnished to cattle or 

 sheep for long periods, the animals developed an inclination to eat 

 seedlings, especially if browse plants did not occur on the range. 

 There seems to be something in the taste of the sap of conifers 

 that partially satisfies the craving for salt. 



But all of these objectionable conditions have been almost 

 entirely eliminated in National Forest administration. The num- 

 IK.M* of stock on overgrazed ranges has been reduced by transfer 



