10 



that this method is wholly unsound in principle and impossible 

 in application. Again, if the government should reseed its lands 

 and rent them, what guarantee could it exact that the reseeded 

 lands should not once more be greatly overstocked ? 



By some means, however, the depleted public ranges should 

 be made again highly productive. This is vastly important to 

 the stockmen and the stockraising States. It is indeed of real 

 importance to the entire nation. If the methods suggested are 

 not practical, it remains to find a method which will be just and 

 reasonable, and at the same time really workable. Granted that 

 reseeding is wise and necessary, what class of men is so familiar 

 with the ranges and so well qualified for the work, both by self 

 interest and knowledge of conditions, as the stockmen them- 

 selves? Who can more justly be asked to pay for the reseeding? 

 Now, of course, no* man will scatter much seed over land which 

 he does not own or lawfully control. If then the public ranges 

 are to be made once more fully productive, they should be leased 

 for long terms to the stockmen; for the stockmen should bear the 

 cost of reseeding. and they should reap the profits. The govern- 

 ment should of course help them as much as possible in this 

 difficult and important undertaking. 



It certainly seems that this leasing method will be the 

 quickest and surest way of bringing the depleted range lands 

 back to their normal productiveness. Should the government 

 lease its lands for long terms to the stockmen it might well spend 

 the money received from leases in helping the stockmen reseed 

 their ranges; this by founding grass farms in the stockraising 

 States where the best native grasses and other forage plants might 

 be tested and where small quantities of seed might be raised for 

 the stockmen to sow at the right time and in the right place. 

 These large grass farms would of course be a part of the Experi- 

 ment Station system. 



When the average man begins to think about restoring de- 

 pleted ranges, he is apt to imagine that somewhere on earth, in 

 Australia, or in South Africa, or even in Siberia, there must be 

 a wonderful grass or a salt bush, or something else which can be 

 made to grow on his ranges high up on the dry mountains and 

 down in the wooded, shady valleys, furnishing abundant food for 



