24 



Bulletin 827, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 



After the turpentine operator and the lumberman, the native cattle 

 owners perpetuate the annual burning of the range. Cattlemen for 

 generations have practiced burning the ranges in the winter or early 

 spring because it makes earlier spring grazing. As a matter of fact, 

 the grazing on burnt-over ranges is no earlier and may be consid- 

 erably retarded. It should be done before the spring growth starts 

 and not oftener than every three years, especially on heavily grazed 

 pastures. Where a heavy growth of dead grass remains on the range 

 during winter it affords considerable protection to the tender, grow- 



J 



Fig. 7. — Native cattle grazing on open range which has been burned over. 

 the grass with that on range protected from Are, shown in figure 6. 



Compare 



ing parts underneath, so that some growth will be made even during 

 winter. If the dead grass is burned in spring this protection is re- 

 moved and much of the early growth that might be picked out by 

 cattle is destroyed. Cattle prefer the burned pastures early in spring 

 because of the ease of grazing, as they do not have to pick out the 

 green from the dead grass and are able to get a quicker fill ; but the 

 carrying capacity of burnt range is no doubt lowered to a consid- 

 erable degree by the injury done to growing plants. 



Burning the range year after year for so long a period has been 

 injurious to the pastures to an extent difficult to estimate. Perhaps 

 the. most serious injury by fire has been the destruction of vegetation 

 before the organic matter could become incorporated with the soil 



