January 5 1%94 , 
The heating is by steam, direct radiation, and in addi- 
tion to this there are encased radiators recessed under the 
windows with register openings through the wall. By 
this means a supply of warm, fresh air is admitted to each 
room, which can be fully controlled. 
The ventilation is by large ventilating flues and groups 
of flues arranged so as to ventilate all parts of the build- 
ing and at points where most needed. The flues are in 
three sets, viz.: for floor ventilation, for ceiling ventila- 
tion and for hood ventilation, each set independent of the 
other and yet each working in combination with the other, 
and all controlled independently. Steam heat is applied 
in all flues in the upper story, which will insure their 
proper working. 
The Laboratory is supplied with gasoline gas from a 
machine of 400 Bunsen burner capacity. Hach student's 
table is provided with two gas and two water cocks, wash 
bowl, two drawers, cupboards and shelves. The gas and 
water are also distributed to all hoods, dispensing rooms, 
ete. 
THE GRADUAL DISAPPEARANCE OF THE 
RANGE GRASSES OF THE WEST. — 
BY I. W. TOURNEY, TUCSON, ARIZ. 
In the early days of our great West almost the only 
method of travel from the Mississippi Valley to our 
western coast and intervening points was by caravan. 
Wagons drawn by horses or cattle were several months 
in making this journey. During this time the stock sub- 
sisted entirely upon the natural forage afforded by the 
country traversed. For the most part, this forage was 
perennial grasses, which at that time were everywhere 
abundant. Then the whole of the West was a great pas- 
ture, unstocked, save for the herds of buffalo, deer and 
antelope. Many regions which were covered with a 
luxuriant growth of nutritious grasses are now entirely 
destitute of vegetation, if we exclude a few straggling, 
stunted bushes and the yearly crop of annuals which fol- 
low the summer rains. As a more specific case, the 
rancher who drove the first herd of cattle into Tonto 
Basin, in central Arizona, found a well-watered valley, 
everywhere covered with grass reaching to his horse’s 
belly. In passing through this region a year ago scarcely 
a culm of grass was to be seen from one end of the valley 
to the other. This transformation has taken place in a 
half-score of years. 
The important native forage grasses are perennials, 
many of them of the great western genus Boufeloua. Their 
growth in all parts of arid and semi-arid regions is slow. 
The grasses which formerly covered so great an area of 
our West were years in developing their root systems, 
and, in not a few species, even the culms were of several 
years’ growth. When only cropped by the deer and buf- 
falo they were able to hold their own against the drought 
and other agencies of nature. By stocking this great 
western country with the herds of civilization, these 
grasses were mowed down before them like timber before 
the forest fire. They are gradually becoming less and 
less, and it is only a question of afew years when, in 
many regions, they will disappear as a material factor in 
the natural forage of the country. Regions long dis- 
tances from water, out of reach of the great herds of 
cattle everywhere on the un-fenced domain of each wes- 
tern state and territory, are yet well-covered with peren- 
nial grasses. Last year in passing over a large un- 
watered area north of Prescott miles of country were 
found covered with grass, while in much more favored 
localities in the vicinity of water these species have en- 
tirely disappeared. 
Cattle men are putting down wells in many of the un- 
SCIENCE. 9 
watered regions and moving their herds thither. The 
first year the forage is excellent, the next year itis not 
so good, and the third or fourth year it becomes so poor 
that the well is abandoned and another sunk in an as yet 
unfed locality. The more arid the region the more disas- 
trous is the effect of overstocking. When stock are 
driven into a locality they are allowed to increase, not in 
proportion to the amount of forage that the given range 
is in condition to furnish year after year, but as many are 
grazed as can find feed for the time being. No considera- 
tion or thought is expended on the future. This condi- 
tion of things has been most disastrous to stock-men 
throughout the West. To within a few years the efforts 
of eattle-men were expended in increasing the size of 
their herds, and this continued until nearly every vestige 
of the perennial grasses was swept away. Since that 
time cattle have died by thousands, the assigned cause in 
most cases being cold weather or drought, when in 
reality it has been the lack of forage; the direct result of 
stocking the range to a greater extent than the natural 
conditions year after year will justify. 
Many are deceiving themselves in thinking that a few 
rainy seasons will bring back the rich perennial grasses 
of the years gone by. It seems to me, under the present 
condition, the time can never come when our western 
range will be as rich in forage as it was ten or more years 
ago. Under the most favorable conditions, with cattle 
entirely excluded, it would take many years for these 
grasses to get the foothold that they formerly held. 
The annual grasses, mostly the smaller Boutelouas and 
Aristidas, are not so disastrously affected by overstocking. 
They seem to be always on hand to cover the plains with 
verdure after the rainy seasons. They furnish excellent 
forage during the short period that they are at their 
prime, but at the most they cau only provide feed for 
three or four months of the year. The ranchman makes 
a marked distinction between the annual and perennial 
grasses. He aptly designates the annual as “seed 
grasses” and the perennial as “root grasses.” The seed 
grasses soon become worthless, their bleached, short 
culms are broken and beaten into the sand by storm and 
wind. The root grasses retain their vitality and remain 
green for the greater portion of the year. Even when 
dry, their harder, stronger and larger culms contain as 
much nutrition as well-cured hay, and are, or rather used 
to be, the valuable winter forage of the West. 
In conclusion, there is a limit beyond which no range 
can be profitably stocked. If we exceed this limit it will 
not only be detrimental to the permanency of the range, 
but in the end will be disastrous to the stock as well. It 
is but natural that a growth of top is necessary to a 
growth of root, therefore if the tops be continually 
cropped to the ground, the roots will finally perish. This 
is especially true of grasses of arid regions, growing in 
bunches or scattered about here and there a few culms in 
a place. The range is frequently fed so close that few of 
the better grasses mature seeds, while many others are 
tramped out by horses and cattle. During the past few 
years the effect of over-stocking has shown itself in the 
inferiority of the cattle when compared with those of 
former years. They are poorer as a consequence of their 
increased number and the resulting deterioration of the 
range. 
—The essays received by the Canadian Institute in the 
competition for a prize for the best act “which, if made 
law, would give the whole Canadian people equal rep- 
resentation in Parliament,’ have been issued to the final 
tribunal of judges. Their reports are returnable on 
March 15 next; immediately thereafter the awards will 
be announced. 
