BULLETIN 790, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



TOPOGKAPHY. 



Cattle prefer level or rolling country. Altitude makes little differ- 

 ence if the stock have been raised on the range. Under necessity 

 they will use rough range ; but it is difficult to get equal distribution 

 of cattle grazing on rough range without more watering places, salt' 

 grounds, fences, and herders than such ranges ordinarily are pro- 

 vided with. Further, cattle on rough, rocky range frequently become 

 footsore, especially the bulls. As a consequence, there is danger of 

 local overgrazing, and the number of bulls necessary for each 100 

 cows to keep up the calf crop is nearly double the number used on 

 level or rolling range. 



Sheep probably do best on smooth range, other things being equal ; 

 but they can readily use rough range, whether rocky or not, pro- 

 vided they can not roll the rocks and so long as there are no natural 

 barriers which they can not get over or around. Altitude is not a 

 factor, except that sheep do best where it is cool during the summer. 

 More even distribution of grazing on rough range can be secured 

 ordinarily with sheep than with cattle, because sheep are under full 

 control of the herder. Cattle are difficult to control without division 

 of the range by fences into comparatively small pastures. 



Horses will readily use rugged range if raised on it, but horses 

 raised on plains do not adjust themselves readily to rugged moun- 



tain range. 



DISTEIBUTIOX OF WATERING PLACES. 



Sheep can go from several days to several weeks without drinking, 

 depending upon the abundance of succulent weed feed, the tempera- 

 ture, and the amount of rain and dew. Further, if they are properly 

 handled, they can be directed so as to graze a range of several miles' 

 radius from one watering place without serious detriment to them- 

 serves or injury to the range. 



Cattle need water oftener, at least every two days. In rough 

 country they should not have to travel more than 1 mile, prefer- 

 ably half a mile, to water, and in level or rolling range not more 

 than 2-| miles. Even with water at these distances, local overgraz- 

 ing will result if the range is fully stocked with cattle. 



Horses can go long distances to water and will of their own choice 

 graze out on high open grass ridges far from watering places. 



ANIMAL PESTS. 



The presence of bloodsucking insects sometimes makes it imprac- 

 ticable to graze cattle or horses on ranges which otherwise are well 

 suited to them. These pests are usually most numerous and most 

 troublesome at the higher elevations. On such ranges there is 

 usually a heavy snowfall and rainfall with a short dry season. These 



