30 BULLETIN 075;, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The most effective means of holding cattle and horses on the por- 

 tion of the range desired, and at the same time obtaining even dis- 

 tribution, are properly located salting and watering places and 

 drift fences. The salting places can be located in such a way as to 

 compel the animals in search of salt to travel over the range lands 

 desired. This, of course, is aisc true of the location of places where 

 water is to be developed for live-stock purposes, though, of course, 

 the latter is much more difficult to control than is the distribution 

 of salting places. Likewise, under certain conditions, drift fences 

 constructed in suitable places are the most effective means of protect- 

 ing the range from excessive grazing and undue trampling by stock. 



In the case of sheep two conditions (aside from overestimating 

 the carrying capacity of the lands) are chiefly responsible for the 

 destruction of the vegetative cover, (1) bedding too long in one 

 place, and (2) too close herding and the excessive use of dogs. 



Bedding sheep several nights in one place necessitates trailing to 

 and from feed to such an extent as to uproot and destroy much of 

 the ground cover. In addition, the bed ground itself is completely 

 denuded of vegetation and years are required fully to reestablish 

 the stand. 



Trailing back and forth from range to an established bed ground 

 should be replaced by the " burro " or " blanket " system of herding, 

 that is, camping wherever night overtakes the band. Numerous 

 sheep raisers who have abandoned the use of the regular bed ground 

 would never think of going back to the practice, for the reason that 

 the feed is infinitely better than formerly and because appreciably 

 larger gains are made by the sheep. When no regular bed ground 

 is used and the sheep are given all the freedom possible consistent 

 with the grazing of suitable range, the band is more content and. 

 easier to handle and there are less losses from poisonous plants. At 

 the same time the all-important ground cover is not destroyed, pro- 

 vided the "leaders" and "laagers" of the band are not excessively 

 dogged and roughly handled. Often as much vegetation is de- 

 stroyed through the excessive use of dogs as from overgrazing and 

 subsequent run-off. 



On lands where the sum of conditions favoring floods and 

 erosion — such as deficient vegetative cover, steep slopes, and the 

 presence of numerous gullies of the incipient and advanced type 

 exist — it is the safest plan to undergraze rather than utilize the 

 herbage so closery as possibly to injure the existing vegetation. In 

 general, greater injury is done on such lands by trampling than by 

 actual grazing; consequently, unless the range is excessively rough 

 and irregular, it is often a distinct advantage to graze the lands by 

 cattle rather than by sheep. 



