RANGE MANAGEMENT ON THE NATIONAL FORESTS. 11 



Meanwhile the plants little grazed by stock, or not eaten at all, will be 

 growing vigorously and will eventually occupy the range. 



The damage to the forage plants from premature grazing is great- ] 

 est immediately after growth begins and decreases as the growing 

 season advances. Little or no damage is done after the plants 

 have matured seed. In a broad sense, therefore, grazing at any 

 time before seed maturity of the forage plants may be consid- 

 ered premature. It is not practicable, however, to allow all of 

 the range to go ungrazed until after seed maturity in any one 

 year. The problem is to work out seasonal grazing which will result 

 in maximum production of forage and live stock year after year. 

 Such a plan involves: (1) Fixing the opening of the grazing period 

 so that the damage from grazing will not be irreparable or out of 

 all proportion to the value of the forage secured and (2) adjusting 

 grazing after the season opens so that all portions of the range will be 

 grazed as nearly as possible in harmony with the requirements of the 

 vegetation making up the forage crop. 



WHEN THE GRAZING PEHIOD SHOULD OPEN. 



The importance of avoiding too early grazing can not be over- 

 emphasized. It will be to the ultimate advantage of the range users 

 to feed their stock or otherwise provide for them until the range may 

 properly be opened to grazing. It is especially important to avoid — ■ 



1. Cropping of the herbage as soon as the earliest plants afford a 

 small supply of forage. 



2. Admitting stock before at least 25 per cent of the heads of 

 the earlier forage grasses have begun to show or before the leaf 

 sheath involving the head is swollen and conspicuous. 



3. The presence of stock while the soil is saturated or while there 

 is moisture enough so that the trampling by the stock will result in 

 appreciable packing and hardening of the soil when it dries. 



If grazing starts when the earliest plants afford a small quantity 

 of forage the leafage is extremely succulent, low in nourishment, 

 and insufficient in amount properly to maintain the animals. In an 

 attempt to get enough nourishment they cover a large area and, 

 by trampling, do unwarranted damage to- young plant growth and 

 soil. The removal of the herbage at this stage of growth is extremely 

 detrimental to the later growth of the plants, greatly reduces the 

 total food production, retards the production of flower stalks and 

 the time of seed maturity, decreases the quantity of seed, and lowers 

 the viability of what seed is produced. In addition, cases have been 

 known where heavy unnecessary losses have occurred when cattle 

 already in poor condition were turned on range prematurely and 

 died because there was insufficient nourishment in the soft, washy 



