The West 13 



regions, while to the south the sage-brush is replaced 

 by the chaparral and other similar shrubs. Scattered 

 through it all is some grass, the species varying with the 

 locality. In these dry climates there is a marked tend- 

 ency for the grass to grow in clumps or bunches mstead 

 of scattering over the entire surface as a sod. This 

 bunching tendency gives the name of "bunch-grass" to 

 the grasses grown in such a climate. The name "bunch- 

 grass," therefore, is not the name of any particular species 

 or variety. The feed on western ranges is not confined to 

 the grasses, but is supplemented by the innumerable 

 weeds and shrubs. In the mountains there is a great 

 abundance of miscellaneous plants which afford some 

 grazing.! j^^ (.j^g lower altitudes the stock eat little ex- 

 cept grass during the summer, but consume large quan- 

 tities of sage-brush and other browse in the Winter when 

 the grass is all gone or covered with snow. 



Carrying capacity. 



The western ranges are at the best of low carrying 

 capacity, but tile enormous area makes up for the small 

 production of each acre. An apparently large ranch in 

 the range country may support but a limited amount of 

 stock and produce only a very moderate income. 



The extent to which the Forest Reserves of the West 

 are grazed is shown by the accompanying table : 



1 The number of these forage plants, as well as of the grasses, 

 is too great to permit discussion of them in this book. Readers 

 desiring more complete information of range plants should refer 

 to such works as "Western Grazing Grounds," by W. C. Barnes, 

 or to the various technical bulletins put out by the United 

 States Department of Agriculture and by the experiment stations 

 of the western states. 



