90 BULLETDSr 190, U. S. DEPARTMElfT OF AGEICULTTJEE. 



places a waste of harmless umbellifer feed becanse of tlie ratlier 

 widespread feeling that all these plants are jDoisonous. In fact, at 

 least one case has arisen where a valuable forage plant, mistaken for 

 poison hemlock {Cicuta sp.), was partly eradicated frpm a range, 

 thus actually lowering the grazing capacity of the range in question. 



For efficiency in the use of ranges it is not sufficient that a reason- 

 able familiarity with the range species and their requirements be 

 the exclusive possession of a relatively small group of men. Such 

 information should be in such form as to be available to all persons 

 in any way concerned in the use of the ranges. 



The present system of plant collection, with identification at 

 Washington by uniform, competent authority, and annotated report 

 to the collector, has been probably the best means of familiarizing 

 forest officers and stockmen with the identity, forage value, and 

 requirements of the plants producing the forage crop on their respec- 

 tive National Forests. The main advantages of this system are : 



1. A permanent record, always available for reference, is obtained in the 

 specimens collected ; and in the herbaria thus started forest officers and per- 

 mittees have a constant means of authentic comparison for plants about whose 

 identity they may be in doubt. 



2. Accurate determination can be made of any plant which may be collected. 

 8. The identifications and nomenclature are uniform, so that the names for 



the same species are the same, regardless of the district in which the plants are 

 collected. 



In the identification of plants by botanists much importance is 

 given to the so-called type specimen, that being the specimen on 

 which the original description was based, very often the first speci- 

 men collected. It is sometimes impossible to tell positively whether 

 a plant has been correctly identified until it has been compared with 

 the type specimen ; and, in the determination of plants, it is essential 

 to have a herbarium of authentic specimens for purposes of com- 

 parison, because at best book descriptions are of little value to other 

 than trained botanists. In a similar way small herbaria instituted 

 on the National Forests form a permanent record of the local flora 

 and furnish a constant means of authentic comj^arison with the plants 

 the officers may encounter in their work. 



An added advantage in having all the plants identified in Wash- 

 ington is that the benefit is obtained of the expert knowledge of a 

 large number of specialists in the various groups of plant life. 



Many of the ranges where plant collections are made are under 

 different methods of management from those employed in the past, 

 consequently more or less change in the vegetative cover is taking 

 place. In cases of seriously overgrazed ranges there may be an 

 entire change in the local flora, or even a series of successive changes, 

 as the range is gradually restored to its pristine condition. A plant 



