GEAZING RANGES IN SOUTHEEISr ARIZONA. 35 



that were not watered grew about 3 inches high or less. It is very 

 doubtful if a crop of this grass can be grown without irrigation, 

 even on that part of the reserve that receives most water. 



Not so unsatisfactory, however, are the results obtained by scat- 

 tering seeds of the native grasses upon the bare spots, even where 

 the soil conditions are not good. For a number of years it has been 

 the habit of Mr. McCleary to scatter seeds of the local native grasses 

 upon bare spots in his pastures. Since hay cutting has been going 

 on, it has been possible to get seeds in some quantity at the hay baler, 

 and he has taken advantage of this means and has each year scat- 

 tered seeds in considerable quantity. Many gravelly slopes that 

 would otherwise have remained bare are now grassed as the result 

 of this treatment. (PL X, fig. 1.) Other things being equal, this 

 method will get results in the course of two or three years that would 

 occur much more slowly without scattering the seeds over the ground, 

 though difficulty in getting germination sometimes occurs. (PI. X, 

 fig. 2.) This method of reestablishing the native species is very 

 inexpensive and seemingly warrants the time and effort. 



Experiments loith sheej?. — After the large field had been under 

 fence for a number of years and the crowfoot-grama area had shown 

 considerable improvement, an arrangement was made to try feeding 

 off with sheep that part of it lying north of Box Canyon. A supply 

 of water was developed in the canyon and a small band of sheep 

 (about 1,200 head) was put on the area in the early spring. They 

 stayed on the reserve about 60 days and were under the care of a 

 Mexican herder, just as sheep are handled on the open range. While 

 there was apparently an abundance of feed for such a band, the ani- 

 mals did not improve. As the dry spring and early summer weather 

 began the water supply gave out and it was necessary to move the 

 sheep. The next spring another trial was made in the same way. 

 A small band was put on the reserve. These sheep were in very 

 much weakened condition when they went on the reserve, but they 

 did not recover as it was hoped they would on the abundant dry 

 feed- to which they were taken. They were on the reserve from 

 February 22 to May 16, and lambed during the 30 days beginning 

 March 18. In May, as they, were leaving the reserve because of fail- 

 ure of the water supply, there were 440 ewes and 260 lambs in the 

 band, and they were all in very poor condition. 



The results of these experiments indicate that the grass of this 

 region is not good feed for sheep, because it is too dry at the time 

 of year when sheep need succulent feed to produce milk for the lambs. 

 Dry feed at lambing time and while the lambs are young is unfavor- 

 able to the business in several ways, even though there is an abundance 

 of the feed. Since the perennial grasses have dominated most of the 

 better part of the reserve, the production of spring annuals has 

 decreased quite markedly, and the spring feed for sheep is not as 



