146 Western Live-stock Management 



Those in the center are forced to eat the less choice forage 

 left by other sheep. Often they have to eat down to the 

 roots. Danger from poisonous plants is also greatly in- 

 creased. Many of the best sheep-men, realizing the danger 

 of close formation grazing, give orders to their herders to 

 give their sheep . considerable liberty. In this way the 

 range is kept in good condition from year to year and 

 the sheep receive the best grazing possible. The Forest 

 Service now demands that sheep on the Reserves be 

 grazed in the open formation as far as possible. 



WATERING 



The frequency with which sheep must be watered de- 

 pends on the succulence of the feed. When the forage 

 is rank and green, sheep may run for many days without 

 water, but when it is very dry, water will be required 

 at least every day. The summer ranges are for the most 

 part well watered with springs and small streams so that 

 there is no difficulty encountered in giving the sheep water 

 at least every day. There are, however, considerable 

 areas of range land where there is very little water. These 

 ranges are for the most part too dry for use as summer 

 sheep range even if water were abundant, so no attempt is 

 made to use them except in the winter, when the sheep 

 depend on snow instead of water. In some localities the 

 sheep-men have provided ponds, wells, or other artificial 

 water systems for these drier districts but these cannot 

 be erected on government land. 



SALT 



Some men furnish their sheep salt at all times, either 

 giving at regular intervals or keeping salt before them. 



