January 5, 1894 j 



SClENCh. 



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 jjoints 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 supi^lied with gasoline gas from a 

 machine of 400 Bunsen burner capacity. Each 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, 

 etc. 



THE GRADUAL DISAPPBAEANCE OF THE 

 EANGE GRASSES OF THE WEST. 



BY I. W. TOUKNEY, TUCSON, ABIZ. 



In the early days of our great West almost the only 

 method of travel from the Mississippi Valley to our 

 western coast and intervening pioints 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 

 antelojpe. 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 Bouteloua. 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 a few 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 j)assing 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- 



watered regions and moving their herds thither. The 

 first year the forage is excellent, the next year it is 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 cattle-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 3'ears 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 can 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 jjerish. 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 i^rize for the best act ''n'hich, 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 1.5 next; immediately thereafter the awards will 

 be announced. 



