4Q CIRCULAR 491, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



were sown at Woodward on range pastures on which sagebrush and 

 skunkbrush had been grubbed, disked, mowed on different dates, or 

 untreated, under nongrazing and two degrees of grazing (fig. 20). 

 Dry weather at seeding time delayed emergence until October 5. Six 

 of the more cold-resistant species survived the first killing frost on 

 November 16, remained green most of the winter, and renewed active 

 growth in the spring of 1938. Successful stands of sand lovegrass, 

 turkey foot, and prairie beardgrass were obtained in range reseeding 

 trials at Woodward in the spring of 1938. 



Figure 20. — Drilling grasses on sage-infested range pastures near Woodward, 



Okla. 



No cultivated crop, such as Sudan grass, is suggested for use in 

 preparing range pastures for reseeding. Seeding as early in the 

 spring as warmth and moisture permit appears essential, as weeds 

 cannot be controlled by tillage without damage to old surviving 

 plants of grass. Grasses capable of emerging in cool weather, there- 

 fore, have advantages over slower starting strains for range reseed- 

 ings. In this respect blue grama is handicapped through its delayed 

 emergence until warm weather ensues. Other methods of seeding 

 and of treatment after seeding may be followed in the manner de- 

 scribed for cultivated stubble land. 



Rodents, such as jack rabbits, prairie dogs, and kangaroo rats, 

 have seriously retarded recovery of overgrazed pastures and hindered 

 efforts at artificial reseeding in parts of the region. Parker s stated 

 that it was inadvisable to attempt artificial reseeding with grasses or 

 palatable shrubs without accompanying efforts at rodent eradication 

 or control. 



8 Parker, K. W. effect of jackuabbits on the rate of recovery of deteriorated 

 range land. N. Mex. Agr. Expt. Sta. Press Bull. 839, 3 pp. 1938. [Mimeographed.] 



