48 THE AMES FORESTER 



Most stock are susceptible to some disease or other and steps 

 must be taken to prevent their occurrence and spread. In con- 

 nection with cattle some excellent preventatives have been used. 

 For blackleg many stockmen are now using vaccine and their 

 losses have been cut down noticeably. The very best of ranges 

 are not immune from some diseases and in order to obtain the 

 maximum carrying capacity, measures must be taken to prevent 

 their spread. Very often these diseases are communicated to 

 man as, for example, the "Mountain fever," which is so fatal to 

 man and which is transmitted by ticks. Among natural foes 

 are coyotes, wolves and lions. 4n one region it was impossible 

 to raise colts for 13 years because mountain lions were so abundant. 

 In the southwest wolves bother stockmen appreciably despite the 

 efforts of the Biological Survey to eradicate them. Coyotes create 

 considerable havoc with sheep and goats, often killing them merely 

 for the pleasure they derive from it and not through necessity. 

 It will be easily understood how a range on Avhich predatory 

 animals are abundant will affect the carrying capacity. Under 

 this heading we may also include poisonous plants. Many are 

 doubtless aware that the Forest Service posts conspicuous warn- 

 ings in badly infested areas. On one range alone 40 head of 

 cows were counted that had died of poisoning, and the end was 

 not yet in sight. This condition was affecting the carrying ca- 

 pacity by making it necessary to remove the stock to other areas. 

 If nothing is done, it will be necessary to consider the area as 

 waste, inaccessible or undesirable range, or put on some class 

 of stock that is immune to this particular plant. 



After having taken the foregoing points into consideration, 

 the amount of forage present must be known and from this 

 can be determined how many animals the area will carry. This 

 is rather a cut and try affair. In a short while the maximum 

 carrying capacity for a range can be determined. When stock 

 are properly watered, salted and distributed, it is possible to 

 increase the carrying capacity from 10 to 100 per cent. Ten 

 per cent may seem a small figure. However, when it is con- 

 sidered that in 1914 there were 1,508,639 cattle on forest ranges 

 and add 10 per cent, giving an increase of 150,863, which at 

 $30.00 per head for yearling yields a monetary increase of 

 over $4,500,00x5, it is an item worth while. In some cases a 10 

 per cent increase may mean only a cow or 2 on an allotment, 

 nevertheless, they all represent dollars and cents. 



At the present time the Forest Service has experiments started 

 in which problems in carrying capacity and range management 

 are being studied in detail. Range reconnaissance is nothing 

 more than a step toward increased capacity and more efficient 

 range management. It would be impossible for one, in the short 

 space allotted, to go into the very large number of points which 

 come up in a grazing reconnaissance or in the making of a graz- 



