Plants Used by Shetp on Mountain Range. 19 



competition resulted always in the disregarding of the rights of others 

 and hostility was the inevitable outcome. 



The writer believes that such grazing as is here reported of sheep 

 on mountain summer range is a very important and valuable factor in 

 the development of sheep raising in the northwest. The passing of the 

 open, uncontrolled range should not mean the passing of sheep grazing. 

 Sheep are valuable animals for any country and where so much range 

 land must always remain available, it ought to be used wisely under a 

 leasing system so that it will not be abused, for the production of a 

 large amount of mutton and wool. 



SUMMARY. 



1 . The use of the winter range is conditioned on the use of summer 



ranee. 



2. In the region studied, shrubby plants and brush are much more 



important as sheep food than are grasses and herbs. 



3. The principal food plant of the yellow pine forest is the buck- 



brush. Its two species are by far the most fattening plants 

 on the range. 



4. The principal food plant of the white pine forest is the huckle- 



berry. 



5. Under the conditions observed, the sheep never eat ferns and 



conifers. 



6. Well managed sheep grazing is having no deleterious effect on 



the reproduction of the forest or of its grazing plants. , . 



7. The presence of the sheepmen in the forest during the fire season 



is an assistance in fire protection. 



8. The leasing system for grazing lands tends to eliminate injurious 



competition, over-grazing, and grazing feuds, and is by far 

 the most satisfactory method of handling these lands. 



9. Well-managed sheep grazing, such as is here reported, is a val- 



uable and important factor in the sheep business of the 

 northwest. Such grazing should be encouraged and extended 

 till every square mile of available summer and winter range 

 is in use and the wool and mutton used in the northwest is 

 produced in the northwest. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



1 . Anonymous. The Use of the National Forests. Forest Service. 



1907. 



2. Anonymous. National Forest Fire Losses Show Need of De- 



veloping Wider Use of the Range. Forest Leaves. Vol. 

 13: page 7. F1911. 



3. Anonymous. Grazing Examiners. American Forestry. Vol. 



17: page 176. Mr 1911. 



