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 verv 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. 
