16 BULLETIN 588, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
THE RESERVE AS A WHOLE. 
Of the 202,000 acres of the Reserve, approximately 10,000 acres 
of the mountain area are inaccessible, leaving about 192,000 acres 
either fully or partly used. From May, 1915, to April 30, 1916, 
the average number of stock grazed, including weaned calves and 
horses, was 4,632.16, or an average of one head to 41.45 acres of 
usable range. ‘Taking into account the surplus or shortage of forage 
in each of the 13 pastures, the estimated carrying capacity of the 
whole Reserve in its present condition and stage of development 
is 5,030 head throughout the year, not including unweaned calves. 
- This is at the rate of 38.1 acres per head. The Reserve would no 
doubt carry this many, provided, as at present, supplemental feed 
were used to prevent the loss of poor cows. This would be neces- 
sary in a measure if only 4,000 head were grazed, as there would 
still be some stock in need of special attention. These figures for 
the Reserve as a whoie are of interest merely as showing average 
carrying capacity over large territory, combining plains, foothills, 
and mountain range, such as is found throughout southern New 
Mexico outside of the National Forests. 
As a whole, the range of the Reserve is in better condition than 
the unfenced ranges and is better supplied with stock-watering 
places. Aside from these advantages, better utilization can be 
secured under fence. Consequently, for a similar area of unfenced © 
range in its present condition and development 50 acres per head 
would be a conservatively low figure, if the range and stock are 
to be kept in reasonably good shape. The carrying-capacity figures 
for the main types of range, however, will serve as better guides 
in estimating the number of stock a given range should support. 
GRAMA-GRASS (WINTER) RANGE. 
JORNADA RESERVE. 
The plains where grama grasses form the bulk of the forage con- 
stitute, perhaps, the most important type of range in the Jornada 
- Range Reserve and vicinity. The investigations to date show that 
this type in normal condition, if grazed lightly during the main 
growing season, will furnish 365 days’ feed for one animal per year 
on from 20 to 30 acres, according to the proportion of range types 
other than grama grass. 
Pasture 2 of the Reserve (fig. 2), containing 34,545 acres, has 
supported an average of 1,045 head of stock, yearlings and above 
each year for three years—May 1, 1913, to May 1, 1916. From 
May 1, 1913, to May 1, 1914, it supported an average of 1,260 head. 
It is estimated that the surplus feed averages 20 per cent of the 
total. The pasture, then, if fully utilized, would have carried an 
