RANGE MANAGEMENT ON THE NATIONAL FORESTS. 41 



2. That the responsibility for securing the proper salting of stock 

 on any National Forest range unit rests directly upon the local 

 forest officer in charge. 



3. That cattle require ordinarily about 2 pounds of salt per month 

 while the forage is succulent and about 1 pound per month for the 

 remainder of the season. 



4. That cattle accustomed to being salted will travel to salt as they 

 will to water; and that salt, therefore, can be used as a means of 

 securing distribution of cattle over the range. 



5. That salt should usually be placed at a reasonable distance from 

 water and away from places where cattle naturally congregate or 

 pass frequently. Salting at new dirt tanks may be advisable until 

 the tanks hold water. 



6. That sack salt should be placed upon the ground only as a 

 last resort. Log troughs or wooden boxes should be used wherever 

 practicable. 



7. That a few important salt grounds in a series, perhaps every 

 tenth one, should be marked with a sign bearing a number or a name, 

 or both. 



8. That on range units with a considerable variation in elevation 

 or exposure the salt should be put out at times corresponding as 

 nearly as possible to the date the vegetation should be used, so as to 

 discourage premature grazing. 



9. The amount of salt for any salting place should be based upon 

 the grazing capacity of the range to be used from the salting place. 



10. That definite graphic and written plans, based on a thorough 

 knowledge of range conditions, are necessary in securing a proper 

 distribution of salt on almost any cattle range. 



11. That only through the active organized cooperation of per- 

 mittees can satisfactory results be secured. 



The distribution of water may influence the distribution of cattle 

 and the utilization of forage more than any other single factor. 

 Man's control over the distribution of watering places on the range, 

 however, is limited. Frequently it is not possible even to approach 

 the desired number or distribution. It is assumed in this chapter 

 that the suggestions of the paragraphs on division of range between 

 different classes of stock have been carried out. This discussion ap- 

 plies, therefore, to range reasonably well suited to cattle grazing. 



The suggestion of importance is to look carefully into the avail- 

 able water supply, and, if possible, have a watering place every half 

 mile on rugged mountain range and ever}^ mile and a half on level 

 or rolling range. 



