8 BULLETIN 588, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



carrying capacity) for three to four months following the beginning 

 of the summer rains, (2) by no overstocking during the other eight 

 months, and (3) by better distribution of stock watering places. It 

 is believed that the area could have been used to full capacity, but 

 not overstocked, during the eight months without retarding the rate 

 of improvement. 



These conclusions are based upon actual count and measurement 

 of vegetation on the two ranges. It is of interest that the practical 

 stockman who has used the range of the Jornada Reserve for 15 years 

 believes that the range of Pasture 2 has improved about 100 per 

 cent since it was fenced in 1913, and that 1 average acre of it is 

 now equal in forage value to 2 acres of the adjoining outside range. 



Pasture 5 of the Reserve furnishes additional proof of the value oi 

 light stocking or deferred grazing during the growing season. This 

 pasture contains 2,815 acres of grama-grass range adjoining Pasture 

 2 and similar in character. It is used primarily for saddle stock and 

 as a holding pasture when the stock are being worked. Consequently, 

 grazing has been heaviest during late summer and early fall, when 

 the stock are worked most: 



Pasture 5 furnished during 1916 an average of 365 days' feed for 

 one animal on 22.89 acres. Under the present system of heavy 

 grazing during the main growing season this stocking is probably 25 

 per cent too heavy. The pasture is running down. In its present 

 condition the pure grama-grass area is estimated to have a carrying 

 capacity of 25.5 acres per head, against 20.75 acres per head for 

 similar grama-grass range in Pasture 2. This difference of 22 per 

 cent in favor of Pasture 2 is attributed to light stocking during the 

 growing season. 



The area designated in figure 2 as Pasture 10 also is essentially 

 grama grass or mixed grass range, similar to that of Pasture 2. This 

 area, like Pasture 2, has been grazed lightly during the main growing 

 season, but has been utilized fully the remainder of the year. As a 

 whole, the area has improved more since 1913 than any other part 

 of the Reserve. Careful studies show that it is about 10 per cent 

 better than similar range in Pasture 2, this difference being attributed 

 mainly to more productive soil. Pasture 10 produces at least 50 per 

 cent more forage than when it was fenced in 1913. 



The rate of improvement of the grama-grass range under total 

 protection against grazing has been studied by means of small fenced 

 areas and the results compared with results secured under light 

 stocking during the growing season as reported for Pasture 2. In 

 both cases the vegetation had been thinned out and weakened by 

 grazing, but there were still enough of the better forage plants left 

 to build the range up by natural revegetation. The results to date 

 indicate that the improvement has been approximately the same 



