KANGE AND CATTLE MANAGEMENT DURING DROUGHT. 31 



is necessary for the grama grass to recuperate in strength sufficiently 

 to set about any material increase in density on ranges that have 

 been maintained as high as available moisture would support dur- 

 ing drought. 



OVERSTOCKING. 



That depreciation of the range will result from overstocking under 

 any system of use is obvious, and too much emphasis can not be 

 given to necessity for care, first in adjusting grazing use so as to 

 give the main forage plants as much chance to grow as possible. 

 consistent with good management of the stock, and then to avoid 

 putting more stock on any area than it will carry under the plan 

 of use decided upon. 



The occurrence on the outside range (Table 9 and fig. 7) illus- 

 trates what may happen to a grama-grass range where care is not 

 exercised. The only system of use possible on this area up to 1918 

 was yearlong grazing. No real effort was made properly to limit 

 the number of stock to what the range would carry, and as a con- 

 sequence, the range was only 45 per cent of what it should have been 

 in 1915. As a result of the continued overgrazing it had depreciated 

 to IT per cent of what it should have been in 1918, near the end of 

 the drought. As a direct consequence losses of live stock were ex- 

 cessive and the calf crop was greatly reduced. Furthermore, many 

 of the more valuable forage plants were replaced by less valuable 

 or worthless ones. 



The condition of pasture 5 of the Jornada Range Reserve in 1915 

 showed also the results of overgrazing. Grazing for the year ended 

 June 30, 1916, was considered 25 per cent too heavy, and indications 

 were that the area had been overstocked previous to June, 1915. As 

 a consequence the range in this pasture in 1915 Avas 41 per cent 

 poorer in density of stand than that of pasture 2 adjoining, where 

 both seasonal and annual grazing were more nearly correct. 



Depreciation in pasture 2 of the reserve during the period 1917 

 to 1919, as shown in figure 7, is greater than is warranted even in 

 time of drought. This depreciation most probably could have been 

 reduced by lighter stocking during the main growing season with- 

 out materially lowering the average for the year. Since this was 

 difficult to arrange because of shortage of forage elsewhere, the aver- 

 age for the year should have been lower, or at least provision should 

 have been made for the necessary reduction in stocking during 

 another drought. 



Indications of overgrazing. — Without careful records of grazing 

 and range conditions covering a long period of years it is difficult to 

 decide exactly the maximum stocking which will probably be possi- 

 ble without range depreciation. The result is likely to be slight 



