KANGE MANAGEMENT &S THE NATIONAL FORESTS. 23 



early morning, is the rule, and tliree-nigiit bedding the exception, 

 damage can largely be avoided. Overgrazing in spots by sheep 

 occasionally results from shading up for hours during the day on 

 areas where timber is scattering. The lack of shade results in the 

 use of the same shade ground to excess. The remedy is to follow 

 conscientiously the bedding-out system of handling sheep and to take 

 care that no area is used to excess. 



Cattle range .may be provided with watering places and salt 

 grounds which will largely eliminate local overgrazing. However, 

 careful study is essential to locate salting grounds so as to help cor- 

 rect the tendency to excessive use of saddles, or natural passes, and 

 flats, which at best will be used more than the average of the range. 

 Care in distributing the cattle over the range when they are first put 

 on and riding during the grazing season to keep them distributed 

 will help much. 



In the handling of goats the general principles outlined for the 

 handling of sheep will serve as a guide. For more complete infor- 

 mation Department of Agriculture Bulletin 749 1 should be consulted. 



UNDERGRAZING. 



A general failure to secure full utilization of forage where a range 

 is accessible is usually due to an insufficient number of the class or 

 classes of stock to which the range is best suited. One class of stock 

 might utilize fully the forage suitable to them, while forage suitable 

 to another class of stock was being wasted. Additional stock of the 

 class on the range would result in overgrazing. The solution is com- 

 mon use by the classes of stock to which the range is suited. 



Localized undergrazing in most cases is due to lack of proper dis- 

 tribution of cattle or to failure to secure uniform use of the range 

 by sheep. The remedies are, first, to make sure that the allotment 

 boundaries are located so that full utilization is feasible, and then 

 to work for the desired distribution of stock and uniform grazing 

 by improved salting plans, water development, fences, bridges, stock 

 trails, and riding. 



GRAZING-CAPACITY ESTIMATES. 



The grazing capacity of a range unit over a period of years is 

 greatly influenced by the extent to which the suggestions given under 

 overgrazing and undergrazing are applied. 



AREAS OF NO GRAZING VALUE. 



The area of no grazing value within range units and within 

 National Forests varies from zero to over 50 per cent of the total 



1 Chapline, W. R. " Production of Goats on Far Western Ranges," IT. S. Dept. of 

 Agriculture, Bui. 749, 1919. 



