CHAPTER XL 69 



In Australia large districts have been leased to sheep men there 

 known as squatters. This policy has probably greatly retarded the 

 growth of that community. These sheep ranges are generally in more 

 or less forested districts, called "the bush." In a great many of these 

 ranges, the forest trees still stand, but entirely dead. The death of 

 these mature trees in Australia has been due to the sheep men's prac- 

 tice of ringing — a practice common in our own early growth. But in 

 our case, it was to permit small farms, while there it permits vast 

 lease-holds with a sparse and unsettled population. 



Australia has been suffering severely for four years from drought. 

 Whether this drought suffering has any connection with the sheep use 

 of forest lands, I cannot say, but the drought has been coincident with 

 extensive forest destruction. The intelligent forest officers in Australia 

 have more power than we have given to any one in forest matters, 

 but they have been unable to deal with the squatter sheep interests at 

 all. They recognize the injury it is doing to their forests and water- 

 sheds. The principal sources of injury both to mountain pastures and 

 water-sheds Is premature and excessive pasturage. Under our present 

 lack of system this cannot be controlled. Even wild animals, when 

 kept in excessive numbers upon a range, injure or destroy the forests 

 and the pasture. Several instances of this are mentioned by Marsh. 



A striking illustration of the effects of excessive pasture by wild 

 animals exists in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Considerable por- 

 tions of this park have been reclaimed from sand dunes. In a part of 

 this reclaimed district, a large area was fenced in for deer and other 

 wild animals. The number of animals grew and the end of the result- 

 mg over-pasturage has been the destruction of all the grass and shrubs 

 and the death of nearly all the trees. This corral is now as bare and 

 sandy as the worst of the dunes. It is in great contrast to the sur- 

 rounding park. Of browsing domestic animals, the camel does most 

 forest injury, the goat next and then the sheep. 



Southern California is fortunate in having no vested right to do a 

 wrong fixed upon her mountain water-sheds. 



We can prohibit pasture in the forest reserves without stepping on 

 too many big men's toes. 



All we require for the safety of our mountain forests and for the 

 safety of our mountain water-sheds, is an intelligent scheme of man- 

 agement for the forests; an intelligent body of men to carry the scheme 

 out and a forceful leader to see that they do it. 



