58 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 
tree species injured through overgrazing, two or three 
illustrating how grasses will crowd out weeds on exclu- 
sive sheep ranges end vice versa on cattle ranges, two 
of cattle and sheep grazing together, and five of properly- 
vrazed range types). 
The principal causes of overgrazing are premature 
grazing or too early use of the range in the spring, poor 
distribution of stock or an excessive number of stock. 
Premature grazing is the chief cause of over grazing or 
injury to the range, particularly on cattle areas near the 
older established communities. Our sheep ranges. are, 
on the whole, in much better condition than are our cattle 
ranges, mainly for the reason that sheep are better con- 
trolled and kept off the range until it is ready, while 
cattle are generally poorly controlled and in most cases, 
get onto the high range before it is ready. As a rule 
cattle are not so well distributed on the range as sheep 
and consequently there is more localized overgrazing on 
cattle ranges than on sheep ranges. 
One of our biggest problems in forest protection in 
Utah is to develop some practical means of preventing 
premature grazing by cattle and to secure a more uni- 
form distribution of cattle on the range. The construc- 
tion of fences would be the most effective means in check- 
ing the too rapid drifts of stock to higher ranges in the 
spring and also to keep the stock from congregating on 
certain range units. If properly constructed, these fences 
would make it possible to practice deferred and rotation 
grazing. By asystem of alternate protection the forage 
plants on certain range units would be permitted to regain 
vitality and revegetate the range. 
Another big step toward solving the problem would 
be to educate more forest officers and more stockmen to 
recognize overgrazing when they see it, by a study of 
the range, particularly with reference to the presence of 
particular plant species that are in reality the best indi- 
cators of the condition of the range. 
