26 BULLETIN 1031^ U. S. DEPAETMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



OUTSIDE RANGE. 



Adjoining the Jornada Range Reserve on the west is an area of 

 about 98,530 acres, of which about 66,485 acres are the grama-grass 

 type. The remainder is primarily of mixed-grass type of less grazing 

 value than the grama grass. This area is controlled b}^ private indi- 

 viduals and was used to study unregulated grazing as compared with 

 regulated grazing on the reserve. Potentially, this range is as good 

 as the protected plots on the reserve or better, as is indicated by the 

 density and kind of vegetation at points so remote from water that 

 stock have rarely ever more than lightW grazed it. 



In 1915 this outside range supported on the average only 45.4 per 

 cent as much good forage grasses as similar range in about maximum 

 condition under complete protection against grazing. Of inferior 

 grass forage, however, the outside range had 14 times as much as the 

 protected area. The amount of other vegetation did not differ 

 greatly. As a whole, the outside range was considered in condition 

 about 50 per cent of the maximum under average growing conditions, 

 when the drought began in 1916. This state of depletion was attrib- 

 uted to yearlong overstocking, over a period of years previous to 

 1916.11 



Heavy yearlong grazing was continued on this area during 1916- 

 17 and the early part of 1918. In the spring of 1918 and during 1919. 

 however, it was almost completely protected against grazing during 

 the main growing season. July 1 to October 1, and the forage was 

 fully utilized during the remainder of each year, but the area was 

 not overstocked. 



PASTTjEE 2 OF THE JOENADA EANGE RESERVE. 



Pasture 2 of the reserA^e contains about 34,545 acres adjoining the 

 outside range described on the east. It is primarily grama-grass 

 range. This pasture had been lightly grazed during the main grow- 

 ing season and slightly undergrazed for the year as a whole, for 

 three years prior to July 1, 1916, as shown by Table 8, and under this 

 management had improved about 50 per cent as compared with 

 similar range grazed year long. In 1915 pasture 2 was considered 

 slightly better in amount of forage per unit of area than the pro- 

 tected areas, and almost as good as the maximiun later reached by 

 the protected areas. 



" Fully discussed in Department of Agriculture Bulletin 588. 



