68 BULLETIN 790, U. S. DEPAETMENT OF AGPJCULTUEE. 



that the main forage is tender. This finding is in keeping with the 

 conclusion that the extent of injury depends upon the supply of 

 available forage suitable for the class of stock. When the herbaceous 

 forage becomes diy and tough, sheep browse more on the young 

 trees unless there is other browse more palatable. 



Method of handling stock, — The way in which sheep are handled 

 has an important bearing upon the extent of damage to tree repro- 

 duction both from trampling and browsing. Close herding, round- 

 ing up with dogs, driving in a close herd, shading up for long 

 periods, and bedding more than one night in a place are all destruc- 

 tive to young trees. Such practices can not be followed without 

 excessive trampling, which destroj^s a great many seedlings, or with- 

 out grazing the forage suitable for sheep so closely that the sheep 

 browse the young trees much more than they do where there is plenty 

 of other forage. The damage will vary with the extent of bad man- 

 agement of the sheep, from injury which is not alarming to com- 

 plete destruction of tree reproduction under 4 feet in height. If 

 sheep are quietly grazed in loose formation, bedded only one night 

 in a place, and given plenty of salt, the damage to tree reproduction 

 will be kept at a minimum and ordinarily will not be alarming if 

 the forage is suited to sheep and the range is not overgrazed. 



When cattle congregate around water holes, salt licks, corrals, 

 shading grounds along drainage, and at the edge of parks, they 

 injure a great many young trees by rubbing. On 17 representative 

 plots studied, Hill found 31 per cent of the trees between about 3 

 feet and 6 feet in height severely damaged. The damage can be 

 reduced by proper salting, more watering places, and riding to keep 

 the cattle properly distributed. 



It is the general opinion that goat grazing is very destructive to 

 young timber growth. Undoubtedly this is true where the range is 

 heavily overgrazed and the goats are grazed from one camp through- 

 out the entire year or for long periods. Three years' study of goat 

 grazing, however, has resulted in data which indicate that a great 

 deal of the damage may be charged to the methods of handling the 

 range and the goats.^ Goats prefer almost any other browse and 

 green grass to conifer reproduction. If they are properly handled on 

 range where there is ample forage, including browse and grass suited 

 to them, they will eat little of the conifer reproduction. The old 

 practice of overgrazing the range by goats and returning to one 

 camp every night throughout the year or for long periods means 

 death to the range as well as to the tree growth within reach. This 

 practice should be stopped whether tree growth is involved or not. 

 Goats should be handled under a system of open herding with fre- 



1 Chapline, W. R. rroduction of Goats on Far Western Ranges, F. S. Dept. of Agricul- 

 ture, Bui. 749, 1910. 



